Hill Station
Ooty Hill Station
INTRODUCTION ( OOTY)
Nestled
in the brilliant green hills of the Nilgiris, Ooty or Udhagamandalam, is one
of the favourite summer retreats of people in South India.Orchards of peaches
and plums, terraced tea plantations, and eucalyptus, pine and wattle lining
the landscape… a typical hill station in many ways.
Founded by the British in the early part of the 19th century, Ooty is home
to many Britishers who have fallen in love with this hill station where they
discovered a little bit of England. "…such beautiful English rain,
such delicious English mud" is how Lord Lytton-Viceroy of India from
1876-1880 described Ooty to his wife! The British influence is visible in
the handrolled cigars, chocolate and cheese one enjoys here. You also have
the popular derby, and 'hunt' held annually.
A hill station with a landscape perpetually enveloped in mist, Ooty's beauty
has a timeless appeal.
OOTY (Location)
Situated at an altitude of 2,268 m in the Nilgiri mountain ranges of Tamil
Nadu.
OOTY (History)
Udhagamandalam, The "Queen of hill station" is the capital of Nilgiri
district. It is one of the best tourist resorts.Nilgiris is called as "Blue
Mountains".The name Nila, we know to have been used over 800 years ago
since,the King of the Hoysalas Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled from 1104 to 1141
A.D. seized the Nilgiris Plateau.His general Ponisia recorded this fact in
1117 A.D. with mention of Todas. The name Nilgiri was due to the blue haze
which envelopes the range with most distant hills of considerable size.
This
Nilgiri territory came into possession of East India Company as part at 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. In1812 surveyor
William Keys and Macmohan visited the top of the plateau. In1818,Wish and 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. Collector
Mr.John Sullivan with his party proceeded to Nilgiri Mountain and made camp
at Dimbhatti, just north of Kotagiri in 1819 in January. Again in May 1819 he
came to the Hill of Ooty and began the construction of his bungalow at Dimbhatti
(near Kotagiri), The first European dwelling on the hills. Then the Collector
John Sullivan laid path from Sirumugai (near-Mattupalayam) to Dimbhatti in 1829
and the work was completed in May 1823. The Best route up to Coonoor was laid
in 1830-32. Ootacamund remained still undiscovered.
The first mention of the place occurs in a letter of March 1821 to the Madras
Gazette by an unknown correspondent as "WOTOKYMUND". The first house
was build at Ootacamund was undoubtedly the 'Stone House' by John Sullivan in
April 1822. John Sullivan already started flower and kitchen garden at his Dimbhatti
bungalow (Kotagiri). Also he had began at Stone House of Ooty with Scottish
Gardener Johnstone to take care of it. In 1821-22 Caption B.S. Ward surveyed
and mapped the hills. Mr Ward said in his writing that travellers temporary
bungalows were put up at Kodapamund,Nanjanna, Killur and Yellanhali and European
vegetables had been tried including.
Strawberries
and apple.In 1827 Sullivan sums up the progress of Ooty including laiding of
Ooty lake. 17 European houses had been build and five more at Kotagiri. Then
later on by several Englishmen Ooty, Coonoor and Kotagiri were developed. After
1947. the free Indian people administrators made all developments works of hill
station and made popular health and hill tourism resort.
OOTY (Places To Visit)
Government Botanical Garden (2 Kms): This garden was laid out earlier
by Marquis of Tweedale, the then governor of Madras in 1847. This garden covers
an area of 22 acres. A fossil tree trunk of 20 million years is preserved here.
The flora of the garden consist of six section comprising varieties of tree
species, grass carpet, variety of ferns, fashioned beds laid beds laid out in
an Italian style, multi coloured flowering plants, house ferns and orchids and
nurseries. This garden will create tourist's mind a memorable one.
Lake View: About one Km. distance, an artificial lake can be seen with
a charming look, which was formed in 1824 by Mr. John Sullivan,the then Collector
of Coimbatore. Tamil Nadu tourism Development Corporation provided the following
facilities to the tourists.
Mini
Garden: Tourists can visit this mini garden which is on the way to the Boat
House. The children amusement park is housed here. A snack bar is also available.
It is maintained by T.T.D.C.
Doddabetta: It is the highest peak (2623 meters) in the Nilgiris and
is about 10 Kms from Ooty. It lies at the junction of the Western & Eastern
Ghats and offer beautiful vistas of the Nilgiri Hill ranges. It is surrounded
by dense sholas. One can have a panoramic view of the landscape
The Mukkurthi Peak & National Park: Mukkurthi Peak is about 40 Kms.
form Ooty. The Mukkurthi National Park is located on the Southern corner of
the Nilgiris Plateau. The area contains a viable population of Nilgiri Thar
(Hamitragus hilocrius). The Kollaribetta and Nilgiris Peak are other major peaks
around. The area is chained by innumberable beautiful and perennial little streams,which
fall into Bhavani Puzha. The Silent Vally in the Western Ghat is located on
the Western side of these ranges. A fascinating feature of the Mukkurthi Sanctuary
is its endemism and relationship with Himalayan Flora and fauna.
Hindustan Photo Films: The HPF, one of the major industrial units ot
the district, is a public sector enterprise. This unit is located (about 5 Km
away from Ooty railway station) over a sprawling area of over 300 acres, near
the Ooty golf-links on the Ooty- Mysore road. The HPF was inaugurated by Mrs.
Indra Gandhi, Prime Minister, in January, 1967. This industrial unit is currently
producing Indu roll films which are used for taking photographs; Indu X-ray
films, the quality of which is acknowledged to be among the best in the world;
Indu bromide paper on which photographs are printed; and Induaerographic for
geological and defence mapping, industrial X - ray film, laser recording film,
CAT film, special film for space photography, oscilloscope direct print paper,
photo typesetting paper and range of chemicals for the film processing.
Mudumalai
Wildlife Sanctuary: This Sanctuary lies at an elevation of 1140 mts in the
junction point of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and extends over and area
of 321 sq.kms. A variety of habitats ranging from tropical ever green forest,
moist teak forest, secondary grass lands and swamps are found. Panther, Sambar,
spotted Deer, Barking Deer, Wild boar,Porcupine etc. The avifauna is varied
with Minivets. Hornbills, Fairy Blue Birds, Jungle Fowls etc.
Pykara: It is situated about 21 kms from Ooty, on the Ooty-Mysore Road.
The tourist attraction are well protected fenced sholas, Toda settlements, undisturbed
grassy meadows and also a good wildlife habitat.The Pykara Dam,Pykara falls
and the reservoir attracts many tourists.There is a forest Rest House at Pykara.
a boat House with Restaurant is available.
Deer Park: It is located at a distance of one Km. on lake road which
has Sambar, Chital and Hares besides water
birds.
THE NARROW TRAIL: This is a journey nobody should miss. A journey where
you jostle with unimaginable crowds and squeeze into tiny coaches, a journey
where you feel you can actually reach out and touch the elusive Nilgiris. It
starts at Mettupalayam, 46 km southeast of Ooty, where you board the Blue Mountain
Express that gets pushed by an engine instead of being pulled!
When you hear frequent references to the Ooty mountain train, you would
somehow conjure up Lilliputian images of people sitting in orderly, storybook
fashion. That' s sure mistake, for this small train of the Nilgiris couldn'
t be more full, with human forms oozing from every pore! And if you still
harbor rosy images, try clambering on from Coonoor where it stops en route
to Mettupalayam. This is a precious travel tip, mind you. But once you are
on, it' s heaven. The overpowering Nilgiri landscape has the ability to make
you oblivious of the human ocean around you and the greenery is bliss. It'
s a memorable 4. 5-hour journey, so don' t miss it for anything.
OOTY (Climate)
Temperatures range from 25°C in summers to 5°C in the winters.
OOTY (When to Go)
Between November and March, avoiding high-season crowds (April-June and September-October).
OOTY (Wildlife)
The
region is a treasure of wildlife, with some animals even native to these southern
mountain ranges. There is that deep-voiced Nilgiri langur (Presbytis johnii)
with its shiny black body and yellow-brown crown. The Nilgiri langur happens
to be one of the five langur species found in India and Sri Lanka. These langurs
of the Nilgiris are often found in the sholas, which are amongst their favourite
haunts. It' s in the sholas that you can also see the lion-tailed macaque.
The shy, timid and hard-to-spot Nilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) also
has its home in these blue mountains. This animal has pride of place in being
the only wild goat to inhabit any region south of the Himalayas. It has a
short coat, dark yellow brown in color, and prefers to inhabit craggy regions
above forest level. The Nilgiris are home to a great variety of carnivorous
animals like tigers, panthers, jackals and hyenas. Elephants, wildcats, civet
cats, giant squirrels and mongoose are also part of Nilgiri fauna. The Nilgiri
marten, nightjar, hill mynah, and golden oriole are some of the region' s
avifauna. In essence, this range of mountains harbors a massive diversity
of animal life.
GETTING THERE
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.
Ooty Hill Station Reservation Form
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