The History of Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is a lush hill station I am proud to call home I, even though I am from Kerala, I have  lived in Kodi all my life. There are a few schools in Kodi and in my 13 years I’ve been to three: The first my favourite a school till grade four called prak, where all my friends from prak came with me: Bhavans till grade 7 then I joined Kis(Kodaikanal international school)

The first European to discover it was Lieutenant, B. S. Ward, There were Paliyans and pulayas in kodai living a tribal life by the time the first settlers arrived in the late 1840s. At first it was used as a refuge from the heat of the plains that the Europeans could not stand, So even then it was based on tourism and a few clever Locals created strong foundations in the tourism business.It was back then in 1863 the Lake, the great center of modern kodi, was made by bunding three rivers flowing through the marsh at the bottom of the valley.Then in 1871, the first school in Kodi: A Jesuit Seminary on the outskirts was formed. Then thirty years Later The Kodaikanal missionary school came into being, later it came to be known as Kodaikanal international school, this school intertwines with the history of Kodi most restaurants and hotels are around it and it’s “main campus” resides in the center of Kodi.

At first it was a hard Trek to Kodi, later only in the 1920s that the Ghat road was built allowing cars and bullock carts to arrive in Kodi. Even though it was a tourist spot already for soldiers and the rich, but now it was avail able to any one who could arrange transport their an from the 60s to 80s it grew to a tourist based town and the tourists discover schools here and place their children in this India- wide famous school. 

Image via Wikipedia