Kodai Lake
Kodaikanal Lake or Kodai Lake is a famous tourist spot among the Kodaikanal tourist places. Among the green sites, Kodai Lake is an amazing place of the Kodaikanal city that will remove all the exhaustion and stress from your mind. The allure and beauty of this lake are verdurous to make you go wow over the landscape and adds more exquisiteness through the enthralling scenery of Kodaikanal.
The Kodai lake is situated in the Kodaikanal city of Tamil Nadu state, and it is a man-made lake. Sir Vere Henry Levings, the collector for Madurai of that particular time, made this lake in 1863 after his retirement, amidst the Kodaikanal town. The British and early missionaries developed the Kodai Lake from the USA. This lake is considered to be Kodaikanal’s most popular geographic landmark and the tourist attraction among the places to visit in Kodaikanal.
The star-shaped Kodai Lake is centrally located in Kodaikanal, and the vibrant green Palani Hills Range surrounds it, that is the main watershed for this lake. The lake is situated at an altitude of 2285 meter above from the sea level. The average depth of the Kodai Lake is about 3.0 meter, and the lake is at a distance of 3 kilometres from the Kodaikanal bus stand. Vere Levings, the creator of this lake, has spent his money to transfigure the marshy land with several streams of the lake by constructing a strong bound. A magnet for nature enthusiasts, this place is a must-have inclusion in your Kodaikanal tour package.
VerreLevings bought boats from Tuticorin, and it is said that foreign residents used to swim in this lake. For tourists, boathouse along with boat club and boat service is entirely functional. Kodai Lake has an aesthetic significance for the tourists as one of the best places to visit in Kodaikanal. Flower shows and Boat Pageant are a regular attraction for tourists in the time of summer. Presently, a large number of tourists, including kids, wander around, sail, and ride cycles and horses and ponies and praise the Kodai Lake as one of the best Kodaikanal tourist places. The Kodaikanal Boat and Rowing Club offer boat services to the tourists on luxurious boats. Tourists also can enjoy fishing and swimming in Kodai Lake, provided by the Kodaikanal Boat Club.
Besides boat riding the other attraction of Kodai Lake is a flower show. Kurinji, a unique flowering plant, is a vital attraction of Kodai Lake. This flower is said to be found in the catchment area of the Kodai Lake. It is also found that this flower last bloomed in 2004, and it blooms once in twelve years. Hill-plantain fruits and plums are also famous in Kodai Lake area. For Boating, fishing, riding, flower show, and the beautiful view of mother nature Kodai Lake is considered as one of the best places to visit in Kodaikanal.