mountains

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.

the critical crossing

A natural click .
A monkey crossing from one tree to another.
The background sunlight increased the image impression.

sun lights through leaf...

light through leaf 

view from Guna Caves (Devil’s Kitchen), Kodaikanal

Guna Caves (Devil’s Kitchen), Kodaikanal

It is about a unique natural heritage site called the Devil's Kitchen or Guna Caves. It is located at the outskirts of Kodaikanal town and it can be reached from the popular Moir Point. The place, which remained little known and was rarely visited only by the hikers became very popular after a Tamil movie named 'Guna' was shot here in 1992 CE.

The Devil's Kitchen is a group of caverns located between the three gigantic boulders called as the Pillar Rocks. Like many other sites in and around Kodaikanal, it was also discovered by an English Officer. An English Officer named B.S.Ward discovered this unique site in 1821 CE. It is situated at an altitude of 2230 meters. 

As the pillar shaped rocks protrude out of the cliff face, they are called as Pillar Rocks. These cliffs were covered by Shola trees and native grasses. Later, the Europeans and Americans introduced many non-native tree species to this area. Apart from the caverns, the gnarled Shola trees and their roots make this site as an interesting and favorite one. Nevertheless, the place remained unknown till early 1990s. Hardly, few hikers used to visit this site. The numerous caverns enclosed by dense vegetation were in fact a dangerous trip. The highlight of the trip was to descend into the split between the third pillar rock and the main cliff face. It is the deepest cave which is actually called as the Devil's Kitchen. 

These are unusual rock formations resulting from erosion of soil from cliffs. There are deep dark chambers between the rocks which are inhabited by bats; which is assumed to derive the name Devil’s Kitchen. Some wild animals and several bird species can also be spotted here. It is believed that the Pandavas had stayed at this place for a while. Devil’s Kitchen is a good place to click pictures but due to the deep fall and the risk involved, many tourists hesitate to visit the place.

In 1992 CE, the Tamil movie named 'Guna' starring the popular actor Kamal Haasan was shot inside the Devil's Kitchen caves. It is believed that the film unit damaged and spoiled some areas. After the film was released, hundreds of tourists started visiting this place every day. It became a popular tourist spot of Kodaikanal. After this movie, people started calling this place as 'Guna Caves'. 

After commercialization of this place, the people started throwing rubbish in this beautiful forest and vandalized vegetation of the area. Few youngsters lost their lives in this cave. Ultimately, the deep narrow caves are closed to public forever. Now, we could only get a distant aerial view of the cave's entrance behind the iron bars. Whatever little vegetation and gnarled Shola trees that are still left are treat to the eyes.  

Guna caves (Devil’s Kitchen) are deep bat-infested chambers between the three gigantic boulders that are the Pillar Rocks. The deep narrow ravines of the caves are now closed to public due to the tragic deaths of twelve youths there. These dangerous caves are highly protected now, and tourists can see sections of the cave system from afar.  In the late 1970s the inside of the caves was well photographed. Tourists need to walk for about 400 meters 10 minutes from the main entrance to reach the cave and hill top and it is a great location for photography. 

It is located at a distance of 8.5 kms from Kodaikanal Bus Station and 1.5 km from Pillar Rocks, Guna Cave is wonderful tourist spot in Kodaikanal on Moir Point road.

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Devil’s Kitchen and Kodaikanal is from April – June and then August – September. This is when the weather is at its best, unlike the months from October to March which are wet and cold.

Trivia

According to the Hindu mythology, Devil's Kitchen got its name so because the Pandavas used this place to cook their food during their stay here.

Timings & Fees

The Devil’s Kitchen is open to all from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Entrance Fee: Rs. 5, Rs. 10 for Camera.

view from piller rocks , kodiakanal

Pillar Rocks Overview

The famous Pillars Rocks of Kodaikanal are located around 8 km from the lake and are an exquisite picnic spot. Constituting of a beautiful mini garden, the place is so named as it has three vertically positioned boulders reaching up to a height of 400 feet.

An important attraction is the Devil's kitchen, which is the space between the two rocks. The Potato and onion Bhaji served outside the garden is highly recommended.

View From Pillar Rocks

Pillar Rocks Overview

The famous Pillars Rocks of Kodaikanal are located around 8 km from the lake and are an exquisite picnic spot. Constituting of a beautiful mini garden, the place is so named as it has three vertically positioned boulders reaching up to a height of 400 feet.

An important attraction is the Devil's kitchen, which is the space between the two rocks. The Potato and onion Bhaji served outside the garden is highly recommended.

THE STORY OF ROOTS

Trees have become a source of continuous surprise. Only weeks after researchers demonstrated that old forest giants actually accumulate more carbon than younger, fast-growing trees, British scientists have discovered that the great arbiters of long-term global temperatures may not be the leaves of an oak, a pine or a eucalypt, but the roots.

The argument, put by a team from Oxford and Sheffield Universities in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, begins with temperature. Warmer climates mean more vigorous tree growth and more leaf litter, and more organic content in the soil. So the tree’s roots grow more vigorously, say Christopher Doughty of Oxford and colleagues.

They get into the bedrock, and break up it up into its constituent minerals. Once that happens, the rock starts to weather, combining with carbon dioxide. This weathering draws carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, and in the process cools the planet down a little. So mountain ecosystems – mountain forests are usually wet, and on conspicuous layers of rock – are in effect part of the global thermostat, preventing catastrophic overheating.

The tree is more than just a sink for carbon, it is an agency for chemical weathering that removes carbon from the air and locks it up in carbonate rock.

That mountain weathering and forest growth are part of the climate system has never been in much doubt: the questions have always been about how big a forest’s role might be, and how to calculate its contribution.

Keeping climate stable

US scientists recently studied the rainy slopes of New Zealand’s Southern Alpsto begin to put a value on mountain ecosystem processes. Dr Doughty and his colleagues measured tree roots at varying altitudes in the tropical rain forests of Peru, from the Amazon lowlands to 3,000 metres of altitude in the higher Andes.

They measured the growth to 30 cms below the surface every three months and did so for a period of years. They recorded the thickness of the soil’s organic layer, and they matched their observations with local temperatures, and began to calculate the rate at which tree roots might turn Andean granite into soil.

Then they scaled up the process, and extended it through long periods of time. Their conclusion: that forests served to moderate temperatures in a much hotter world 65 million years ago.

“This is a simple process driven by tree root growth and the decomposition of organic material. Yet it may contribute to the Earth’s long-term climate stability. It seems to act like a thermostat, drawing more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere when it is warm and less when it is cooler”, Dr Doughty said.

If forests cool the Earth, however, they might also warm it up. 

the beauty of a tree...

natural view

HUNTING ANTS

#evening

#hunt

#ant

#group 

#nature

#support

#green

ALGAE

#morning

#green

#nature

#rock

#algae

ROSE-LIGHT

#morning

#light

#rose

#garden

#natural

#beauty

sliding water drops

#evening

#rainy_day

#natural

#water

#beauty

VIO flower

#garden

#natural

#view

#flower

#beauty

3flower view

#morning

#green

#nature

#flowers

#garden

THE ANT WALK

#morning

#ant

#walk

#garden

#natural

#beauty

THE ANT COMMAND

Have you seen the controlling of an ant ?

#Evening

#ants

#searching 

#food

#green

#nature

ARANA

#arana

#evening

#waiting

#click

#garden

#nature

resting spider

#morning

#spider

#resting

#trap

#waiting

• 
  

green leaf drop

#rainyday

#garden

#water

#drops

#natural

#beauty

rain drops

#rainy_day

#garden

#water

#drops

#ready

#to_fall

thulasi

#morning

#nature

#thulasi

#garden

#nature

rose distroyer

#evening

#bugs

#food

#rose

#honey

#nature

water drops

#morning

#rain

#garden

#water

#drops

#stucked

A WALKING ANT

#morning

#green

#nature

#ant

#walking

A white rose VIEW

#morning

#green

#beautiful

#nature

#garden

#white #rose

#sun #rise