The land formerly known as Kodai

Compared to Munnar, Kodai was a HUGE disappointment when we first reached. Srikanth, especially, had wanted the kids to experience what he went through in his childhood. That wasn't quite to be. Where Munnar was relatively untouched, Kodai was now extremely commercialized, dirty, and just a madhouse full of construction and people. Never go to Kodai on a weekend! The day after we reached Kodai was Monday, and luckily the place quietened down considerably. Kodai lake, where you used to be able to row, has apprently shrunk quite a bit. Also you sit on a boat while someone else rows for you - unlike days of yore... all these facts led Srikanth to be quite disappointed in his childhood haunt. The waterfalls were also quite barren. Fairy falls and Bear Shola (where Srikanth and his cousins used to bathe in the falls etc.) were non-existent. Even if there was any rain water that COULD have contributed to falls, there was so much housong around the area that water was being siphoned off to be used in the houses! Anywhere there was anything remotely touristy, there were an umpteen number of street hawkers (quite unlike the pristine, untouched feeling we had in Munnar). We still managed to climb some waterfalls (sans water). Some of these waterfall beds were used by the locals to wash their clothes! So even the little water that trickled down was slick with pollution. The silver cascade (the site of the famous lyril soap ads) was so polluted, that water just dried up. The Tamil Nadu government is supposedly passing laws and doing things to clean up. But unless the housing explosion is contained, it will be of no use. Clean up government! No wonder they are losing money on tourist destinations such as Kodai. What a sordid waste of beautiful scenery!

Thank you for reading.