Selfie craze fails to die even after fatal cases in Kodaikanal

Kodaikanal is one of the most sought-after destinations in Tamil Nadu.

It is preferred by tourists not only from Tamil Nadu but also from Kerala, Karnataka and Andra Pradesh. It has a steady stream of visitors from all these states throughout the year.

Kodaikanal has a number of tourist spots such as coakers walk, pine forests, Guna cave, lake and Bryant park which are safe. But some like dolphin nose, Vattakanal and Thandikudi pose a lot of risk to visitors as many safety aspects have been overlooked.

Reaching Vattakanal which comes under the reserve forest area presents a lot of challenges to tourists. At Vattakanal, there are two waterfalls. The first one is close to the road. But the path to the second one is quite risky and can be reached only with the help of local guides.

However, some of the tourists do not mind going the extra mile and are very daring. They even take photos standing on the waterfalls.

Some were even seen taking selfies along with their children. Though the forest department has kept a warning board against taking bath, tourists pay no heed to it.

At Dolphin nose, tourists were seen taking selfies by standing on the rocks. At Thandikudi too, a famous destination for movie makers, tourists climb atop the hills, for a mere photo, risking their lives.

Locals who warn the tourists on most occasions against the dangerous selfies say that lack of policemen emboldens the visitors.

Though no deaths had been reported due to irrational selfies in Kodaikanal it is not far away from reporting one, said the locals.