Ooty
or Ootacamund or Udagamandalam General
Information
Ootacamund or Udagamandalam
(the Tamil version of the original name)
rightly described as "Queen of
Hill Stations" by Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, now sprawls over an area of 36
sq km with a number of tall buildings
cluttering its hill slopes. It is situated
at an altitude of 2,240 meters above
sea level. Though the march of brick
and mortar has laid waste its thick
sholas which one saw in a bygone era,
it still woos people from all over India
as well as foreign countries right through
summer, and sometimes in the winter
months too.
An added attraction for the tourists
to Udagamandalam is the mountain train
journey on a ratchet and pinion track
which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam
and wends its way through many hair-raising
curves and fearful tunnels and chugs
along beside deep ravines full of verdant
vegetation, gurgling streams and tea
gardens. The scenery, as it unfolds
during the trip, is breathtaking, awe-inspiring
and fantastic.
One can notice a marvelous change in
vegetation, as one goes from Kallar
to Coonoor. At Kallar it is tropical
and at Burliar-the next bus-stop as
one proceeds from Mettupalayam-it is
sub-tropical. Near Coonoor, it is humid
with pines, blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus)
and cypress trees. As we go from Ooty
to Gudalur, the change in vegetation
is striking. What a splendid interaction
between climate and vegetation ! It
is therefore very appropriate that Mount
Stuart called the whole road leading
to Ooty from Mettupalayam, "One
long botanical debauch."
What was once a getaway from the steamy
summers of the plains for the British
elite of the Madras Presidency is now
a hill station that caters to weekend
holidaymakers from all over the South
of India and honeymooners from across
the country. Its freshness and neat
tea lined slopes have beguiled many,
including Hindi film producers scouting
for Hindi film locales!.
Main
Sightseeing of Ooty
Botanical Gardens : This
garden was laid out in 1847 by the
Marquis of Tweedale and is spread
over 55 acres. Lush green well maintained
lawns, rare tree species (like the
cork tree which is probably the only
such tree in India, the paper bark
tree and the monkey puzzle tree -
monkeys cannot climb this tree), a
20 million year old fossilized tree,
an Italian-style garden bordering
a clear pool, a vast variety of flowering
bushes and plants in myriad hues (exotic
and ornamental), fern house with a
vast range of ferns and orchids, are
some of the many highlights of this
garden. A flower show along with an
exhibition of rare plant species is
held every year in the month of May
at this garden.
The Garden is maintained by the Horticulture
Department of the Government of Tamil
Nadu and has a very wide variety of
plants that include different types
of roses, imported shrubs, rare flowering
plants etc.
The "Summer Festivals"
is held each year during the month
of May in the Botanical Garden and
is an added attraction for tourists.
The Flower Show is the pride of the
festival
To the east of the garden is the
Toda mund (hill). The Todas are the
native tribe. At the mund is a display
highlighting the different aspects
of their traditional culture.
St. Stevens Church :
St. Stephen’s Church is a small
Gothic style structure. It was founded
in the 1820"s and is one of Ooty’s
first colonial structures. The church
was built on the site of a Toda temple.
The wood used in the church was procured
from Tipu Sultans palace at Srirangapatnam.
It was hauled the entire distance
of 120 km. by a team of elephants.
The cemetery attached to the church
contains the grave of John Sullivan
and other pioneers of Ooty.
Charing Cross :
Charing Cross is the focal point on
the busy commercial street of Ooty.
Here you can take in the smells and
sounds of Ooty. The main shopping
street and vegetable market are here.
The Charing Cross is very much like
the main square of an old English
town.
Fernhill Palace :
Fernhill Palace is the erstwhile summer
residence of the Maharaja of Mysore.
The palace resembles a Swiss Chalet.
Its carved wooden bargeboards and
ornamental cast iron give it that
characteristic appearance. The palace
grounds accentuate the alpine look
of the place with its manicured gardens,
firs and cedars. There is an interesting
church like indoor badminton court
on the grounds. The Fernhill Palace
has now been converted into a luxury
heritage hotel by the same name.
Rose Garden : Situated
in the heart of Ooty town, this garden
has been beautifully laid out in terraces
with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers
with rose creepers. It was set up
in the year 1995 to commemorate the
100th flower show of the Botanical
garden. Today, this garden has the
largest collection of roses in the
country. Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature
roses, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses
of unusual colors like black and green
are some of the more than 2,000 varieties
of roses that will captivate your
senses.
Ooty Lake : This
artificial lake was constructed by
John Sullivan, the first collector
of Ooty. Originally intended to be
an irrigation tank it was dredged
out during the years, 1823-1825. It
is a very popular tourist spot in
Ooty. You can go boating between 8
AM and 6 PM on all days in this lake.
A wide range of boats are available
at the Boat House to suit varied tastes
and budgets. A Mini Garden with an
amusement park for children and a
toy train are added attractions here.
Kandal Cross :
This is a Roman Catholics 'Holy Shrine'
of the Roman Catholics considered
by the Nilgiri Catholics as the "Calvary
of Tamil Nadu" situated to the
west of Udhagamandalam Railway Station.
The distance is 3 kms. A relic of
the true cross is here and it cures
the sick, bestow heavenly blessings,
peace and joy to the visiting pilgrims
and tourists. Special Novena Prayers
and Holy Masses are offered every
Friday. The annual feast is on 3rd
May every year.
Kamaraj Sagar (Sandynallah
Reservoir) : The Kamaraj
Sagar dam is a good picnic spot and
can be reached via. Kandal amidst
very old trees and green shrubs of
various terrains and also via. Hindustan
Photo films in Gudalur road. It is
a very good picnic spot on the slopes
of the Wenlock Sagar Downs. Apart
from studying nature and the environment,
fishing provides excellent game in
Kamaraj as well as in Upper Bhavani
and Avalanche, whose waters are especially
rich in trout fish. .
Go to Top
Excursions
from Ooty
Wenlock Downs
: Also for the nature lover
are the sprawling 20,000 acres of Wenlock
Downs which was once the scene of the
famous Udhagamandalam Hunt. Wenlock
Downs is a region of extensive grasslands
with shoals or gallery forests of eucalyptus.
The Gymkhana Club, the factory of the
Hindustan Photo Films Company, the Government
Sheep Farm and the Golf Course are all
in Wenlock Downs. It is about 8km.from
Ooty on the Gudalur Road.
Dodabetta (10
kms) : Among the viewpoints
around Ooty are Elk Hill, Green Valley
View and Snowden Peak but the most prominent
is the Dodabetta Peak which is the highest
point in the district at a height of
2623m. It is also the second highest
mountain in the Western Ghats. Provided
the day is clear, one can see as far
as the plains of Coimbatore and the
Mysore plateau. It is around 10 km from
Ooty, off the Kotagiri road
Pykara : Situated
about 21kms on the Ooty-Mysore Road,
Pykara boasts of well protected fenced
Sholas, Toda settlements, undistributed
grassy meadows and also a good wildlife
habitat. The Pykara Dam, Pykara falls
and the reservoir attracts many tourists.
A boat house with Restaurant is available.There
is a power plant too. A visit to the
dam is a must for the breathtaking scenery
that it has to offer. It is about 19km.
from Ooty.
Avalanche : Located
at a distance of 28 kms from Ooty. A
beautiful lake surrounded by a thick
shola where even sunlight cannot penetrate
and abundant with a wide variety of
avifauna is a Nature Lover's Paradise.
An avalanche which occurred in 1823
gives the valley its name. The Avalanche
valley is a nice place for splendid
walks and fishing. It is around 24km.
from Ooty town
Upper Bhavani : It
is about 10 kms. from Korakundah and
about 20 kms. from Avalanche. This is
Naturalist's Paradise. Some of the best
sholas like sholas lies enroute. The
area is a rich and undisturbed wildlife
habitat. From Bangithapal via. Sispara
one can trek to silent valley. Forest
Department's permission is necessary.
Glenmorgan : It is
about 17 kms. from Udhagamandalam an
ecologically rich forestry spot. There
from is an Electricity Board (E.B).
Winch carries staff from Glenmorgan
view point to power house at Singara.
All the 4 kms. of the Winch track passes
through undisturbed sholas and wildlife
habitat. Prior permission of E. B. authorities
should be obtained to enter the view
point zone.
Ketti Valley View
: Located on the road to Coonoor, this
idyllic spot is a cluster of tiny villages
that extend to the plains of Coimbatore
and Mysore plateau.
Kotagiri : It is 31
kms. from Udhagamandalam. The climate
is very salubrious which is 6503 feet
above sea level. Kotagiri is shielded
by the Doddabetta ranges which receives
much of its rain from north west monsoon.
One can enjoy a pleasure ride on road
flanked by green tea beds on either
side..
How
to reach Ooty?
By Air : The nearest
airport is in Coimbatore, 100 km away.
You can catch a direct flight to Coimbatore
from Chennai, Kozhikode, Bangalore and
Mumbai. Indian Airlines flies Delhi-Kochi
via Mumbai and Coimbatore.
By Rail : Udhagamandalam
is connected indirectly to the rest
of the country. One can take a train
up to Coimbatore and then the enchanting
Nilgiri Mountain Railway, better known
as the toy train. It is one of the few
remaining diesel engine trains and although
it spits up huge dark clouds of pollution,
it is a major tourist attraction and
a reminder of the Indian railways' glorious
beginning. The nearest broad-gauge railway
head from Udhagamandalam is in the minor
Mettupalayam, which is 46 km away. Mettupalayam
is connected to Udhagamandalam by a
four-hour journey on the Mountain Railway.
The major broad-gauge railway junction
is Coimbatore. Coimbatore is connected
with all major cities.
By Road : Ooty is well
connected by good roads. It is 535 km
from Chennai (via Salem), 89 km from
Coimbatore, 18 km from Coonoor (via
Gudalur), 155 km from Mysore, 187 km
from Calicut, 290 km from Bangalore,
281 km from Kochi (via Coimbatore and
Palakkad), 236 km from Kodaikanal (via
Coimbatore and Palani)..
