The Queen of Hill Stations – Ooty

The Queen of Hill Stations – Ooty

The Nilgiris, which can be literally translated as ‘blue mountains’, are a mountain range that run through Tamil Nadu and borders Kerala and Karnataka as well. The scenic hill station of Ooty, official known as Udhagamandalam is nestled between four peaks of the Nilgiris and is considered to be the Queen of Hill Stations in the southern part of India.

The Nilgiris are India’s first biosphere reserve and is very rich in flora and fauna. Considered a traveller’s paradise, Ooty offers panoramic views of tea gardens, lush green landscapes, lofty mountains and quaint lakes, making it a popular picnic spot.

History

This piece of heaven was surprisingly not discovered by the big Southern dynasties, but by the British in the early years of the 1800s. The then British Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, founded the pretty town of Ooty as a retreat for the British to escape the intense Indian heat.

Sullivan created the famous Ooty Lake, and helped introduce the concept of horticulture in Ooty. The town then became the summer capital of the Madras Presidency. The British also modernized Ooty and made it accessible via the first railway line in that area.

The Todas, who are the original inhabitants, still live around the hill station and their tribal community is famous for handicrafts like shawls which can be characterised with their trademark embroidery of white, red and black.

Temperatures

Summer – 10°C to 25°C

Winter – 5°C to 21°C

Season

April to June and September to November

Getting there

BY AIR: The nearest airport is Coimbatore which is about 100 km away from Ooty. You can reach Coimbatore from major cities of India like Chennai, Bangalore, Kochi, Mumbai, and Delhi

BY TRAIN: The nearest railway station is Coimbatore, which is connected to major Indian cities. If you wish to experience the scenic beauty of Ooty by rail, then you can take the Nilgiris Mountain train from Mettupalayam which is 46 km from Ooty. The train travels from the foot of the hills from Mettupalayam to the hill station of Ooty. This toy train is painted blue and white with large windows and open coaches offers panoramic views of the mountain range, tea plantations, rice fields, and is one of the few remaining steam locomotives used around the world today.

BY BUS: Ooty is well connected by good roads to major cities like Chennai (535 km), Comibatore (89 km), Mysore (155 km), Bangalore (290 km). There are also regular buses plying from cities like Mysore, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Chennai, and Cochin.

Sightseeing

§  Government Botanical Gardens: Spread over 22 hectares, this garden showcases well maintained lawns, rare tree species and a yearly flower show with an exhibition of rare plants.

§  Ooty Lake: This artificial lake was formed in 1824 and extends to 65 acres. It offers boating activities

§  Deer Park: A high altitude wildlife park, this gives nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts a chance to study wildlife in their natural surroundings. Out of the 22 acres of the sanctuary, only 6 acres is open to the public.

§  Doddabetta Peak: This is located about 10 km from Ooty at 8,652 feet, which makes it the highest point in the Nilgiris.

§  Tea and Coffee Plantations: You can see large slopes covered with tea and coffee plantations, and can also visit the tea factory to know how tea is processed.

§  Wax World: This museum has life-size wax statues of famous people from Indian history.