Ootacamund / Ooty
Brief
The Queen of hill stations, Udhagmandalam or Ooty is a gift of nature, in the picturesque Nilgiris (Blue Mountains), with its rolling green downs for hunting, misty mornings and mild evenings, making it reminiscent of the English countryside. The ambient beauty of this hill station, lies in its peaceful ranges, surrounded by a misty blue haze. Known for its salubrious climate and scenic beauty, it is a delightful place to escape to, from the oppressive summer heat, for the South Indians and in the winters for North Indians, wanting to avoid the cold.
History
It is really surprising how this paradise remained unknown to the powerful rulers of the South . Although the first inhabitants of this place were TODAS , a tribe which still continue to live there , though their population is only about 3000 , the place remained unknown to the outside world till early 19th century. The real credit for modernising Ooty and making it accessible goes to the British who constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Madras Presidency. They constructed various bunglows , buildings and lakes to give it a present look.
CultureClimate & Geogaphical Location
Ooty is known for its salubrious climate. It is pleasantly cool in summers and cool and sunny in winters. Ooty lies in the Nilgiri mountain ranges in Tamil Nadu at a height of 2,268 meters above sea level.
How to Reach
Rail, road and air connect Ooty (Udhagamandalam). By Air, the nearest airport is at Coimbatore (100 Kms away). Transfer from Coimbatore airport to Ooty is possible by car, bus or train. By rail, Mettapulayam serves as the nearest railhead. Ooty is connected by narrow gauge railway service from Mettupalayam by the Hill Train, affording the traveller ,superb views and a leisurely glimpse of the scenic mountains ,as the train slowly ,wind up to Ooty. By road, Ooty is well connected to other destination in South India by bus. One can reach here by convenient services from Coimbatore, Bangalore, Mysore, and many other centres. There are also frequent bus connection from the broad gauge railhead Mettapalayam, which is two hours by road to Ooty.
Tourist Places
The Botanical Gardens
The botanical gardens established in 1847, presents a variety of exotic and ornamental plants. Detailed observation and study of these, enable research scholars and students alike, to pursue their studies and record the findings. A unique feature of this garden, right in the midst of all the greenery and jus t below the Mini lake, is a fossil tree trunk, which is 20 million years old,.Both the annual Flower show of the Agri-Horticulture department and the Dog show of the South Indian Kennel Club, are held here.
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Lying in the Nilgiris District, adjoining Kerala and Karnataka State, it is situated at an elevation of 1000 metres. A variety of habitats, ranging from tropical ever green forest, moist deciduous forest, moist teak forest, dry teak forest, secondary grass lands and swamps are found. The wildlife includes Elephant, Gaur, Tiger, Panther, Sambar, Spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Mouse, Wild Boar, Porcupine etc. The avifauna is varied with minivets, Hornbills, fairy Blue Birds, Jungle Fowls etc. The Reptilions are represented by Python, Monitor Lizard, Flying Lizard etc. Picturesque scenic spots in the sanctury, include the Moyar Waterfalls, the Chief Ministers watch tower, Ombetta Swamp, Theppakad elephant camp etc.
Golf Club
Colonel Ross Thompson, an Englishman, when transferred from Bangalore to Ooty brought Golf with him to the Nilgiris. The Club started in 1889, grew into the present 18 hole course of international fame. The course itself is unique and playing on it, is certainly an exceptional experience. Climbing up, the view is quiet spectacular, straight out of a picture post-card. The rolling fairway below, slopes steeply down to a valley and then, as though tired of lying low, slopes upward, rather reluctantly, only to find the effort too much and slopes down again. To the left, the imposing eucaluyptus trees, hide the terrain beyond and the ground falls away rather abruptly.
Dodabetta
Other sights in the vicinity include Dodabetta - the highest peak in the Nilgiris, about 2623 metres high - 10 kilometres on the Kotagiri Road. Accessible by car, it offers visitors a beautiful view of hill ranges, plateaus and plains around. In clear weather, Ooty, Coonoor and sometimes even the far off Coimbatore plain and distant Mysore plateau, can be seen. A micro telescope is functional here and the place is well connected by bus services from Ooty.
Coonoor and Kotagiri
At Coonoor, the impeccably maintained Sims Park, which hosts the annual Fruit Show in May every year, is a delight to visit. Ralliah Dam, Kallar Agricultural Farm, Nurliar Agricultural Farm and Laws Falls, are ahead, even though they are as tall as the ones standing right next to you. And everywhere there are the darn gorse bushes. Innocent to look at, almost like untended tea bushes, deceptively opaque, with a capacity to suck an impenetrable coat of thorns.
Others
AVALANCHE - The ever popular Avalanche, which derived its name, from an avalanche here in 1823, is just 24 kilometers from Ooty. It has some interesting treks and the streams are extremely productive for trout fishes. BOAT HOUSE - An artifical lake was made here in 1842 by Mr. Silvan. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) maintains the boat house and keeps it open from 8 am.- 6 pm. thoughout the week. Boating facilities and pony rides along the lake side, are also available. PYKARA DAM - Pykara dam, also a popular resort, Frog Hill and Mukurthi Peak, are some of the other interesting excursion locales around Udagamandalam.
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Ashish Bhat - INDIA 25th June 2010Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.
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Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.Welcome to Incredible India, the land of prosperity which can be seen in its dynamic culture, age old traditions and geography.
