District Forest Office - Forestry service in Kodaikanal - Dindigul, India

The place to get car pass @Rs.200/- to visit Berijam Lake. One must reach here by at least 8am to try and get entry gate pass . Every day forest department issues around 50 passes ( during holidays they issue more around 100) on a first come first basis. Identify card and cash payment of Rs.200/- is a must to get the ticket. Highly avoidable during festival/ holidays as to reach Moir point from where the entry point to Berijam lake is , a serpentine traffic will await you.

It's the place where we get tickets to visit Berijam Lake. It will open at 8.30am . If we need to get tickets we need to get there at least 8am. Don't come early. This place is crowded with taxi drivers. They will break the queue and make rush. But normally they are giving permissions to all of them in the queue. First we need to fill the form. After that they will call for making payment. Please carry a pen for filling the form We need to cross the Moiers point forest check post before 11.30. And return before 3.30 PM

We visited Berijam Lake in Kodaikonal on 12/05/2023. On enquiring from the Forest Dept about getting permission to enter the lake we were informed by the DFO office that a prior pass has to be taken from the office at 8 am sharp. Only 50 jeep/cars would be allowed inside the forest where the lake is situated. We were present at the DFO office at 8:00 am sharp to get the required pass. The harrowing experience started from their itself. When I reached the office, there were was a line of about 25 people already standing there and ticket counter was closed. I was told that it would open at 8.30 am. Besides the people waiting in the queue, there was another group of about 15-20 people standing inside the gate. When the office opened, forms were distributed to be filled in. There was total mismanagement (People were not carrying pens as they didn't know that they had to fill forms) There was no count & numerous forms were distributed. There was confusion all around. A single job that could have been done smoothly became so chaotic and stressful. After spending a little more than an hour, the required pass for our car was obtained. We thought we are going to visit a pristine forest and lake on a quiet road away from the busy hill station milling with the summer vacation crowd. That was not to be. The entire stretch was full of tourist buses and cars. There were huge traffic jams at all the view points (totally unexpected). The return journey was no less pathetic. There were long traffic jams in front of Moir view point, Pine forest, Guna caves, Pillar rock and Green valley view point. There was not a single traffic cop or anyone from the administration to manage and regulate the traffic. It seemed that they had completely given up and were waiting for a tragedy to happen. Tourist buses were parked on the roadside in a haywire manner despite the proper parking places being available. Precious time and fuel wasted due to long traffic jams. More than 100 vehicles entered the forest that day. Buses, jeeps, cars all were allowed inside the jungle despite the guideline clearly stating that only jeep/ car will be allowed.

This office will be issuing passes for cars to enter into Moir Point forest areas. Timing 8:30 to 9:30.

Get permit (Rs200) here to take your car into the forest (entry at Moir Point). There are breathtaking viewpoints inside the forest. At the end, Berjem lake is serene and beautiful. No crowd. Only a few cars. It's worth going. It took 2 hours for us to see 5 places inside the forest.

For the efforts you put in this is not worth it Hear me out carefully the jist 1. You need a prior forest approval for entering this place 2. Any vehicle is okay charges As car :Rs200, As van/Jeep/mini bus: 300Rs 3. You need not worry of entry they mention 11.30am is the cutoff from Moir point but, I saw people coming in even after 2pm Now the procedure 1. Approval has to be taken from the forest department located besides the law ghat main road 2. No need come by 6am and all, as the line forms haphazardly only after 8am, 3. Make sure you be there by 8 am, as they start to give application only after 8.30am till 10am You have a mess and a coffee shop to quench your hunger, the food is good, or probably the hunger was making the talking I don't know. 4. All you need to carry is driving license and a pen no need of any other documents, this is needed to fill up the application 5. In the application they ask name, vehicle number and I'd detail where in you need to fill license details and sign the application 6. They will collect your application and wait in line to collect the tickets only then pay the amount 7. monopoly of local drivers(Kodaikanal only) have a monopoly as they break the line and fill 5-7 application and get approval also faster than those who are not local, which I felt was not right 8. Drive till Moir point, write your details and drive to the berijam Lake Scene is good, but no much activities in the location it's a walk and back for 500meters radius Location is silent but if compared to mannavannur, this is not that great 9. You have 3 sights during the journey which is good as well 10. Restroom in berijam is good and clean, charges 10 for urinals 11. Picture worthy photos yes, but not great Over-all not worth the time spend for one location Always I would choose mannavanur over berijam lake

In this technology world, they can improve this process. Literally old method followed and lots of loop holes. They say only 100 passes for vehicles per day. But local drivers itself will have a separate queue. 30+ passes initially. You have to reach this spot by 7:15/7:45 and stand in the queue. Only then you will get a chance to get the form by 8:30. They will open around 8:30. We need to fill the form. Have driving license/ aadhar handy. Once the form is verified, they will call upon for payment cash . ( Car Rs. 200 /-). All the process will end by 9:15 AM. You need to reach the berijam lake forest entry point before 11 AM ( Near Moir point). Drive through mist till you reach berijam lake. Blissful experience.

You can get the pass for Berijam lake visit from this office. Pass is issued from 8.30 am to 9.30 am. The place is crowded with local taxi drivers. A bit difficult to get the pass easily. Get the form from the office. Fill the form fast and pass on the form to the office staff. They will call you by vehicle number. You can pay them when they call you.