Kodaikanal Lake

Kodaikanal Lake is a star-shaped artificial lake located in the centre of Kodaikanal hill station in Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu. Created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, it was formed by damming three streams and is spread over about 60 acres. Surrounded by wooded slopes and a paved promenade, it is the town's main tourist hub, known for boating, cycling and walking, and lies adjacent to Bryant Park and the Kodaikanal Boat Club.

Visitors can expect a star-shaped lake in the heart of Kodaikanal town surrounded by a 5 km paved promenade with eucalyptus and pine trees. The lakefront has a boathouse operated by Tamil Nadu Tourism with rowboats and pedal boats, cycle rental shops, horse riding points, and food stalls. The area is flat and open for walking, cycling and photography, with views of surrounding hills, Bryant Park at the eastern end, and the Kodaikanal Boat Club.

Kodaikanal Lake was created in 1863 by Sir Vere Henry Levinge, then Collector of Madurai, who dammed three streams flowing through the valley to form the lake. He also developed the bund, stocked the lake with fish, and brought the first boat from Tuticorin. The lake became the nucleus around which the hill station of Kodaikanal developed during the British colonial period.

The lake is the central landmark and recreational focus of Kodaikanal hill station, a major summer retreat in Tamil Nadu. It hosts seasonal boating and flower show tourism centered on nearby Bryant Park, and is closely associated with the town's identity as a hill station destination. The Kodaikanal Boat Club, established in the colonial era, remains a notable social institution on its banks.