Kodaikanal

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Kodaikanal had a population of 36,501 with a sex-ratio of 1,004 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 3,893 were under the age of six, constituting 1,945 males and 1,948 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 19.86% and .28% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city was 79.78%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. As per the religious census of 2011, Kodaikanal had 48.8% Hindus, 12% Muslims, 38.7% Christians, 0.5% following other religions or did not indicate any religious preference.

Economy

The economy of Kodaikanal predominantly depends on tourism with about 3.2 million tourists visiting in 2009. Changes are made every year in the summer in preparation for the peak tourist season with major roads converted into one-way lanes to regulate the constant inflow of traffic and special police are brought in for the safety of the tourists and protection of local businesses. Plums, pears, peppers, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic and onions are cultivated by terrace farmers in surrounding villages and are trucked to the market.

Administration

Kodaikanal is administered by the Kodaikanal municipality, established in 1899. It became a Grade Two municipality in 1960, upgraded to first grade in the year 1975 and Selection Grade in 1983. It is a Special Grade Municipality with effect from 31 May 1994. The Municipal Council has 24 wards. There is a government run hospital and a few private centers, which are not equipped for complicated diagnoses and surgery.

Transportation

thumb|Ghat road in the early 1900s

Early travelers traveled by bullock cart and then the last journey to Kodaikanal was undertaken by foot, horse, or palanquins with hired coolies. In 1854, an improved bridle path was built and was extended up to Kodaikanal in 1878. Engineer Major G. C. Law was deputed to study and submit a plan to build a motor-able road to the hills and the road was finally completed in 1914 and opened for public traffic in 1916. The road is currently designated as SH-156 with a length of and starts at the intersection with Grand Southern Trunk Road (NH-45), about west of Batlagundu. Also, during World War II, the Kodaikanal–Munnar Road, an evacuation road from Kodaikanal along the hillcrest to Top Station and Munnar was built, which was abandoned in 1990. The two main road routes to reach Kodaikanal are via Palani and Batlagundu. Bus services are operated by the state owned Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC).

In 1875, the Indian Railways extended its line from Chennai to Tirunelveli and a train station named Kodaikanal Road to facilitate visits to Kodaikanal. The nearest railway stations are Palani () and Kodaikanal Road (). The nearest major rail-head is Madurai Junction () in the east. The Kodaikanal-Gudalur Railway line was under the contemplation from 1889 with the first survey in 1897 and several surveys till 1920. In 1922, the district board of Madurai initiated the Government to cancel the sanction of the railway line. The nearest airports are Madurai International Airport () and Coimbatore International Airport () with regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore.

Education

Kodaikanal comes under the Vaththalagundu educational district. The town has a government school and many private schools. There are a few colleges, major of which is the Kodaikanal Christian College and Mother Teresa Women's University.

Tourism and recreation

thumb|[[Kodaikanal Lake is one of the most popular geographic landmarks]]

Kodaikanal has several clubs and civil society organizations operating for social, charitable and environmental goals. Established clubs in Kodaikanal include Kodaikanal Boat Club (1890), Kodaikanal Golf Club (1895), Indian Club (1915), Kodaikanal Lions Club (1985) and Rotary Club. In 1890, the Kodaikanal Missionary Union (KMU) was formed to enable missionaries of various denominations to come together for recreation and in 1923 it built an Edwardian style clubhouse, which was handed over to Kodaikanal International School in the 1980s. Kodaikanal has several social service societies which promote local trade including the Kodaikanal People Development Group (KOPDEG), which has been successful in providing employment for marginalized women and marketing their products. The cottage crafts shop at Anna Salai is run by the voluntary organization, Coordinating Council for Social Concerns in Kodai (CORSOK) and the Potter's Shed, selling locally made pottery was established in 1994. Kodaikanal Lake Protection Council and Vattakkanal Organization for Youth, Community and Environment (VOYCE) are organizations involved in preserving Kodaikanal's environment.

There are many Hindu temples, mosques and churches. Kuzhanthai Velappar temple is believed to have been built three thousand years ago by the Cheras and consists of a Murugan idol made of Dashabashanam (10 metal alloys) believed to have been conscreated by Bhogar. Kurinji Andavar Temple which takes its name from the indigenous Kurinji flower that blooms once in 12 years at the location, was built in 1924 and is dedicated to Lord Murugan. La Saleth Church is a church dedicated to Virgin Mary, located near Coaker’s Walk.

thumb|Silver Cascade waterfall

Kodaikanal Lake is an artificial, roughly star-shaped lake built in 1863 and is Kodaikanal's most popular geographic landmark and tourist attraction with rowboats and pedalos that can be hired at the Kodaikanal Boat Club. Berijam Lake is an artificial lake located from Kodaikanal. Bear Shola falls is a waterfall located about from Kodaikanal inside the forest with the water flow rate varying depending on the monsoons. Dolphin Nose is a viewpoint that offers a panoramic view of the valley and can be reached by a trek on an unguarded narrow path. Pillar rocks are two high rock-formations situated from the Kodaikanal lake.

Kodaikanal Solar Observatory, from the bus-stand on Observatory Road, at is the highest location near Kodaikanal. The first observations were commenced here in 1901. Former Director John Evershed discovered the phenomenon of radial motion in sunspots, now known as the Evershed effect. The Kodaikanal Terrestrial Telescope can view a grand panorama including Sothupparai Dam, Vaigai Dam, Periyakulam and Varaha river. This Indian Institute of Astrophysics facility has a comprehensive astronomical science museum with organized public tours, access to the astronomy library, and scheduled night-time telescopic sky viewing. By the time the factory was closed, air and water-borne mercury emissions had already contaminated large areas of the town including the Kodaikanal Lake and the surrounding forests. The dispersed contaminants are projected to remain in the soil for centuries. A committee was appointed by the ministry of labour in 2011 to investigate the issue. The committee estimated that about 11.2 tonnes of mercury could have been dispersed into the air and disposed as waste from the thermometer factory. After years of legal proceedings in the Madras High Court, Unilever agreed to compensate the workers in 2016. Following an order of the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal in 2018, Unilever was asked to carry out site remediation work. The company began removing the hazardous materials in 2021. Several complaints were raised by the locals and non-governmental organizations that the company was flouting procedural norms, while Unilever denied these allegations.

The state government has banned the usage of plastic bags due to the pollution caused by them to the fragile ecosystem.

In popular culture

Kodaikanal has been the location for many movie shootings including Darling, Darling, Darling (1982), Welcome to Kodaikanal (1992). Guna (1991), Manjummel Boys and Rasavathi (2024)