Kodaikanal is a hill station in the Western Ghats. The name apparently translates as ‘Gift of the Forest’.
There is a large lake here and on its eastern side lies Bryant Park, a botanical garden established in 1908. It is named after H.D. Bryant, a British forest officer based in Madurai, who set up the initial small garden. It has since expanded to some 20 acres.
As is often the case in India, you encounter some slightly odd features here—such as the gorilla at the top and the topiary face below. Both are probably aimed at younger visitors.
There are large areas of parkland in the garden and family groups were using these for picnics.
The information board below gives you details of the climatic conditions at the site – an altitude of 2200m and very high humidity, with an average annual rainfall of 1250mm. (Coming from Wales, the latter does not actually seem excessive.)
There are a couple of glasshouses in the grounds – largely, I believe, to cater for shade-loving plants and those from arid regions.
It was my wife’s birthday and we both thoroughly enjoyed spending parts of it strolling through the gardens.
Some areas of Kodaikanal get quite busy at times, but Bryant Park is a very tranquil part of the town where you can completely escape the noise and crowds.
