Shembaganur Museum Of Natural History

Shembaganur Museum in Kodaikanal makes up for one of the most famous tourist spots and is an exciting place to visit. The museum is also one of the best orchidoriums in the country and is located 5.6 km away from the Kodaikanal Lake. Maintained by the Sacred Heart College, the museum came into existence due to the efforts put in by E. Ugarthe who was the Spanish Father and took control from its creator A. Anglade in 1951. Past collections comprising of moths, birds, and butterflies were compiled by teams of students. Ugarthe described the significant assets of the museum in 1963 which also featured in 'A Museum of the Palanis'. A record known as 'The Botanical inventory in the Museum' was featured before this in 1954 by Father KM Mathew.

Anthropology, handicrafts, and flora & fauna are the categories in which all the major holdings of the museum can be divided. There is a herbarium in the museum as well with almost 2500 varieties of plants along with a vast garden. There are nearly 300 species of trees and flower plants in the Orchidorium with a compilation of a variety of butterflies, snakes, mammals, and moths. One will also find two paper mache assistance maps one out of which will present the whole range of Palani and the other will introduce you with the idea of natural formations, economic developments, and geological characteristics in and around the city. In case you are planning a trip to Kodaikanal, the Shembaganur Museum Of Natural History is definitely worth visiting. It is going to offer you a lot of historical information along with providing a pleasant view of a variety of plants.