Ootacamund

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Image:Ooty-tea-gardens.jpg Ooty, short for Ootacamund (the official name is Udhagamandalam), is a popular hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. The word Ootacamund itself is a derivation from the toda tribal word Utaka-mund. It is sometimes referred to as "Queen of Hill stations"

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History

The Nilgiri Hills were supposedly first claimed in recorded history by the Hoysala King Vishnu Varadhan sometime in the 12th century. However, the hills remained isolated from the glare of civilization until they were surrendered to the conquering British by the Muslim king Tipu Sultan of Mysore in the 18th century. The British citizens in neighboring Coimbatore liked the climate of this forested land, and occupied it by taking land from the native tribes (Toda, Irumba and Badaga); often buying up many square kilometres in a day for the price of a few meals. The hills were developed rapidly under the British Raj because they were almost entirely owned by private British citizens, unlike the rest of India. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency, and had winding hill roads and a complicated rack-and-pinion railway system built by influential and enterprising British citizens with venture capital from the Madras government. Following independence, India has come to love it for the same reasons as the British.

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Tourism

Located in the mountainous range called the Blue Mountains or Nilgiris (in the native tongue), it draws swarms of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasant at a mean of 15 to 20 °C year round, dropping to lows of 0 °C during winter. The hill town suffers from rampant commercialization and erosion of natural resources. The tourism industry has placed an enormous strain on the natural resources resulting in pollution, water shortage and bad roads. The landscape is quite unlike the rest of India, marked by rolling hills covered with dense vegetation, smaller hills and plateaus covered with tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests, and special permits are needed to camp in noncamp sites. Ooty is not the destination in itself, as much as it is the focal point of attraction. Auto touring the surrounding country side is certainly a must do.

The hilly region also houses smaller towns like Coonoor and Kotagiri. These towns are less than 1 hour away from Ooty, and enjoy the same natural climes, but have fewer tourists and cheaper prices.

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Getting there

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By train

Ooty is connected to Chennai (formally Madras) by a nightly train. The Nilgiri Express leaves from Chennai at night, and reaches Mettupalayam, a small town at the foothills of the Blue Mountains early the next morning. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is an experience that is more than just a mode of transport as the journey through the scenic valley and hills make it breathtaking. A through ticket from Madras to Ooty will ensure a place on the smaller train, although many prefer the faster route of taking a cab or a bus from Mettupalayam. There are other trains from Chennai to Coimbatore.

Mettupalayam can prove to be a bottleneck during the peak season of April-June.

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By plane

The Coimbatore airport is the closest to the hills at about 3 hours by road. There are flights into Coimbatore from most parts of India. The Mysore airport is about 5 hours away from Ooty by road, and lies to the North of Ooty. The road trip is quite scenic from either airport.

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By road

The Nilgiris (the collective hill range, also called the Blue Mountains), is in the state of Tamil Nadu, but it is quite near the borders of neighboring states Karnataka and Kerala. The hills consequently can be reached from within Tamil Nadu by travelling up a heavily forested winding road (also called a ghat road), with many sharp hair-pin beds. The road trip from any state is quite scenic, although the Coimbatore-Mettupalayam-Coonoor-Ooty road (i.e. the Tamil Nadu route) is the most travelled and well maintained. The road from Mysore is arguably the most scenic with a long stretch that runs through the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, and if travelling in the early mornings or late evenings, you definitely will spot wildlife feeding along the road, even spot the odd carnivore. There are majestic stands of Eucalyptus amidst well tended tea estates as you near Gudalur, and then you drive past the Pykara Dam and waterfalls. All roads to the Nilgiri hills are toll roads, although the tolls are quite nominal.

There are buses and shared taxi vans that can be boarded from most parts of India to Ooty.

The journey can be continued from Coimbatore by road, a 4 hour journey.

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Accommodation

There is plenty of accommodation, with many hotels and inns that cater to every budget. The price is similar to most cities in India, and the popular Indian hotel chains have a presence here.

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Things to do

  1. Enjoy the weather (This can be as changeable as the weather in Britain, and it is true, the saying 'Ooty has four seasons in a day')
  2. Go for long walks and hikes
  3. Visit a tea plantation and if possible a tea factory
  4. Visit Pykara falls which is with in 30 kM from Ooty where you can do boating up to Mukkoorthi dam (20 KM in boat)
  5. Travel the countryside in a 4x4
  6. Catch a round of golf at the Gymkhana Golf course (membership or introduction not required)
  7. Visit the local Army cantonment - the Madras Regimental Centre and the DSSC (Defence Services Staff College)
  8. Visit terrace farmed cabbage fields around Ooty
  9. Visit the Mudumalai forest sanctuary (1-2 days minimum)
  10. Sample the local bakeries (Kingstar bakery near Charing Cross in Ooty sells sinfully delicious chocolate and pistachio fudges)
  • If you are into touristy things, the web or your travel agent will provide you with a list of destinations. Most travel agents / hotels also conduct guided tour packages that will bundle you into a bus, and tick off the most important and hence crowded "tourist" spots in the area.
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Educational Institutions

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Schools

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Colleges

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Attractions

  • Ooty Botanical Gardens
  • Doddabetta peak
  • The Railway Station
  • Ketti Valley - the 2nd longest in the world - offers exquisite views for miles, especially on a cold crisp winter morning
  • The Ooty Lake & Boat House
  • The Lawrence School, Lovedale
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Nearby Places

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External links

hi:ऊटी sv:Utakamand ta:உதகமண்டலம்

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