Kodaikanal
The Pillar Rocks are three gigantic granite columns rising 122 metres from the Kodaikanal plateau — one of the most dramatic geological features in the Palani Hills. The short forest trail to the rocks and the nearby Devil's Kitchen (a rocky ravine with a cave kitchen used by local tribals historically) passes through dense shola forest dripping with moss and lichen. It's a wonderfully atmospheric combination of geological drama and ancient ecology.
The viewpoint over Pillar Rocks is particularly spectacular in the golden hour just before sunset. A few hundred metres past the official viewpoint is a less-visited secondary angle with even better compositions — ask a local to show you.