Kodaikanal has a history as old as time. Imprinted in the dolmens are the prehistoric stories of this ancient land. There are references to Kodaikanal in the Tamil Sangam literature of the early Christian era. In the historic times, the primitive tribes of Paliyans and Pulyans resided near the Palani Hills and their descendants still live here in scattered villages. In 1821, the British Lieutenant Ward surveyed the Palani Hills. The survey revealed that the first inhabitants, the dolmen-builders, have left several visible artifacts of the ancient times. There are traces of the primitive tribes… the Pulyans were the aborigines and settled in the Palani Hills as agriculturists. They followed the Tamil culture. The Paliyans dwelled in the Kukkal caves.