Udhagamandalam
(Ooty), the capital of Nilgiri district, is popularly known as the "Queen
of hill stations' among the tourist circuits. It is situated at a distance of
105 km away from Coimbatore. The height of the hills in the Nilgiri range varies
between 2280 and 2290 metres, the highest peak being Doddabetta at a height
of 2623 metres.
Places to Stay
Location
Couched amidst those gorgeous blue mountains of southern India, there is something
special about the erstwhile British township of Ooty. Year after year, it draws
tourists, adventure enthusiasts, honeymooners and the film industry like bees
to nectar. Sure, many wise travelers believe that Ooty is a dumpyard, a degraded,
over-rated hill station, and so on. Nevertheless, the wiser one will see how
Ooty can soothe strung-up nerves and become the backdrop for a wondrous holiday.
History
It is believed that the name Nila, has been in use for over 800 years since,
the King of the Hoysalas Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled from 1104 to 1141 AD seized
the Nilgiris Plateau. His General Ponisia recorded this fact in 1117 AD with
mention of Todas. The name Nilgiri was due to the blue haze, which envelops
the range with most distant hills of considerable size.
This Nilgiri territory came into possession of
the East India Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the
treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest was the first
European who visited Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place
and people of Nilgiris. In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the
top of the plateau.
In 1818, Wishand Kindersley, Assistant and Second
Assistant to Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience
report to the Collector of Coimbatore Mr. John Sullivan. Settlement in Udhagamandalam
began in 1822 with the construction of the Stone House by John Sullivan, the
then Collector of Coimbatore. The bungalow, which is locally called "Kal
Bangla", is one of the landmarks of Udhagamandalam and is now the Chamber
of the Principal of the Government Arts College.
Visiting Time
April to June and September to November
Tourist Attractions
Botanical
Garden
A variety of exotic and ornamental plants adorn this garden which is the venue
for the Flower show held in May every year. There is a fossil tree trunk 20
million years old in the midst of the garden.
Lake
Boating is possible from 08.00 hrs to 18.00 hrs on all days. The lake garden
and toy train rides are other attractions.
Government Museum
The Government Museum, Mysore Road, Udhagamandalam has items of tribal objects,
district's ecological details and representative sculptural arts and crafts
of Tamilnadu.
Sites Nearby
Ooty has the singular distinction of having many
places around that are worthy of a visit, or sometimes even a halt. Heading
east from the southeast of Ooty will take one to
Coonoor
and
Wellington
,
two very beautiful townships. Coonoor, though small, had much to boast of Sim’s
Park, Lamb’s Rock, Dolphin’s Nose and generally pretty landscape.
Wellington, of course, is a typical army township, clean and smart.
About 28 km from Ooty, towards the east, is the
26-sq-km
Kotagiri
, incredibly picturesque, amongst the first townships
of the British and a great place to visit. From Kotagiri one can even proceed
to the Kodanad View, Catherine Falls or Rangaswamy Peak, all famous for their
natural beauty.
The famous
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
,
67 km from Ooty, stretches over 321 sq km. Traveling to Ooty from Mysore and
Bangalore, one passes the sanctuary with its dense vegetation crowding the banks
of the lovely Mayar River. Herds of wild elephants, or lone tuskers, a great
variety of birds, cats, snakes, and deer are known to live in these cool, dark
jungles of the Nilgiris.
Ten kilometers out of Ooty is the great
Doddabetta
Peak
, the highest in the Nilgiri chain of mountains. Doddabetta stands at
2623 m and if your trip is made on a clear day visible all around you, will
be Coonoor, Wellington, Mettupalayam, and Coimbatore. If it’s an exceptionally
crisp day, you might even see Mysore.
Avalanche, Upper Bhavani, Mukurti and Pykara are
all places that are near Ooty and must be seen for their scenery. The reservoirs
at
Avalanche
and
Upper Bhavani
are excellent waters for angling
with the rainbow trout in particular abundance. All these places have an attractive
mixed landscape of forests, shola-grasslands and tea-filled slopes.
Finally, for the scientifically curious, en route
to Avalanche from Ooty is India’s largest radio telescope. So also the
Hindustan Photo Films in the Wenlock Downs, the only factory of its kind in
India, manufacturing sensitized photographic materials.
Fairs and Festivals
Tea & Tourism Festival Ooty (January)
Thaipoosam in Elk Hill Murugan Temple (February)
Bookkapuram Mariamman Annual Festival (February)
Ooty Mariamman Temple Festival (April)
Coonoor Mariamman Temple Festival (April)
Boat Races and Boat Pageantry in Ooty (May)
Flower Show in Ooty (May)
Fruit Show in Coonoor (May)
How to Reach
Coimbatore, 105 km from Ooty, is the nearest airport.
Indian Airlines has flight to Coimbatore from Bangalore, Cochin and Madras.
The Blue Mountain Express to Ooty is from Mettupalayam
(47 km). Mettupalayam can be reached from Coimbatore by the Tea Garden Express.
All important towns of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka are connected to Ooty.
