Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is a "hill station" city in the hills of the Dindigul district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. Its name in the Tamil language means "The Gift of the Forest". Kodaikanal is referred to as the "Princess of Hill stations" and has a long history as a popular tourist destination.

Kodaikanal was established in 1845 as a resort town where people would come to find refuge from the high temperatures and tropical diseases of the plains.Mitchell Nora, Indian Hill Station: Kodaikanal, University of Chicago, Dept. of Geography, ch 2, Rational for Tropical Hill Stations, pp13-15, 1972.  Original from the University of California Digitized 28 Jan 2008 Much of the local economy is  based on the hospitality industry serving tourism. As of 2011, the city had a population of 36,501.

Economy
Tourism
The economy of Kodaikanal mainly depends on tourism. The number of tourists increased from two million in 1999 to 3.2 million in 2009.
The town's infrastructure changes every year in preparation for the peak tourist season. Due to the rapid development of nearby cities such as Madurai and Coimbatore, the town is learning to deal with year-round tourism. Popular tourist souvenirs include handcrafts, home-made chocolates, postcards and eucalyptus oil.

Agriculture
Terrace farms in surrounding villages grow plums, pears, chile peppers, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, garlic and onions. Most of the produce is transported by truck to other parts of India, while some are sold in the local market.other exotic fruits like dragon fruit,pears,apples, are also grown here

References

Category:Towns in Dindigul district