Ooty

“Society is like a lawn, where every roughness is smoothed, every bramble eradicated, and where the eye is delighted by the smiling verdure of a velvet surface. He, however, who would study nature in its wildness and variety, must plunge into the forest, must explore the glen, must stem the torrent, and dare the precipice. –Washington Irving”

OOTY – QUEEN OF HILL STATIONS

Jawaharlal Nehru rightfully said once. ’’’’Ooty is the Queen of Hill stations’’’’. A word of mouth coming from a person who has seen enough places in the world ought to mean something. Well, he is right. For a person who has been to many hill stations, I may partially agree with him. I have seen enough breath taking and picturesque spots. Yet, beauty of ooty still remains in my mind. Is this because this is the first hill station I ever traveled to? Is it simply because of the places it has got to offer and the beauty of its nature? Well, let us delve into the details. Shall we?

HISTORY

You may have heard quite a few times about this. Yet I feel I should be giving my own perspective.

Ooty (a.k.a Ootacamund) is part of Nilgiris meaning Blue Mountain. Todas, Badagas and Irulas inhabited Uthagamandalum amongst other tribes during rule of Hoysalas especially during Vishnu Vardhana. Ooty however, got its fame during the British rule, who howver gave their own name to Ooty by calling “WOTYKAMUND” in the official gazette. The British fell in love with this place as it was their summer work-place for many years. One Brit, especially the Collector of CBE that time, John Sullivan was a prime figure in the development of Ooty. He actually ordered that an irrigation tank be built which we now know as Ooty Lake. Ooty houses some of the Engineering marvels of our country, such as the scenic train route as well as the other constructions undertaken by the British Engineers.

The daunting, tiresome and ultimately grueling task of the rail-road construction amongst so many hindrances makes it a wonderful thing to cherish about. Ooty has become more of a “honeymooner’s paradise” and a de-facto filming location for the south-indian sops for quite some time now.

Due to the increased demand for the services and all, Ooty has become a bit expensive place over the years. Accessibility has also become an important factor. With the introduction of trains till Mettupalayam and the way Coimbatore and Mysore are connected to rest of the country, this is not a tough thing. This led Ooty to become a favorite for most of the travelers.

MY FIRST FLING WITH OOTY

My first trip to Ooty was when I was 7 or so. My family and relatives were on a vacation. I was so excited to go and we ended up in a Charing Cross Motel. The first place I could remember of was Dolphin’s Nose. We then went to Dottabetta. While we were returning, I saw the first live-action film shooting( a forgettable Telugu movie) where I was able to see the pseudo “dishyum-dishyums”. Anyways, It is still engraved in my memory as it was so thrilling. I have been to Ooty many times since. Now that I have a cousin who has a house in Ooty, staying has never been a problem for me.

ATTRACTIONS

A place nestled in western ghats with blue mists to greet you with salubrious weather, ooty has many places to see. The idyllic valley views, tranquil forest ranges, beautiful flora and fauna with bustling music of the wildlife. Whatever you yearn for, you can get. Only if you apply some common sense in choosing the places you want to visit.

Some important places

• Ooty Lake – This is an artificial lake where you can go on boat ride. You can also go for horse-back riding around the lake. This is one of the most popular tourist spot. If you are boating on your own, refrain from putting your hand in the lake as it can be dirty most of the times.

  
  




• Mudhumalai Sanctuary – A description about this place alone itself is a review by itself. It is one of a kind and is so exhilarating. There are so many reviews about this place.

  
  




• Dodabetta Peak – This is a great place to see the mountainous valleys and peaks. The place is very serene. This place has a nice view tower wherein you can use high-power telescopes to view surrounding places.

  
  




• Botanical Gardens – This is the cream of all attractions in Ooty. This place is well-maintained and wonderfully planned. Every year thousands of people visit Ooty for the flower show. All beautiful horticultural wonders are on display at a single location for your viewing pleasure. It is spread over 55 acres and has lush green lawns and some art made of flowers. Fossilized tree, plant in a myriad of hues are all there for your viewing pleasure

  
  




• Wenlock Downs – This place is for nature lovers. Spread well over 20000 acres. There is a Gymkhana club, Hindustan Photo Films factory and the Golf Clubs are in this place. A nice place to visit. A must for Golf enthusiasts.

  
  




• Other scenic places are

  
  

Upper Bhavani

Glenmorgan

Ketti Valley

Kotagiri

Pykara and avalanche

Race club

• If you visit Ooty, some places to keep in mind to visit are the places near Coonoor, which is only 19KMs form ooty. They are

Sim’s park – An equally good park and a beautiful one compared to the botanical gardens

Dolphin’s Nose – an excellent view point for nature lovers

St.Catherine water falls – a beautiful waterfall visible from dolphin’s nose

Welligton Staff college

Lovedale is also a nearby place which is a good one to visit

While visiting many of these places, you will see many eucalyptus trenches and a bustling nature with serene and salubrious nature. The fresh smell of eucalyptus trees in a trendy and clement breeze will make you psychedelic for sure.

OOTY TRAIN JOURNEY

One thing many people forget about Ooty is the beautiful train-journey to Ooty. This journey is available for Mettupalayam. Though it is about 270 minute trip. It is worth every second of it. Where else will you see a narrow-gauge train going through 46KM of forests, tree plantations, mountain tunnels (16-17 of them), 250 odd bridges with millions of breathtaking views? You got to take this train ride one time to make mind record ooty in the best possible way.

ACCESIBILITY & OTHER TRAVEL INFORMATION

Accessibility - Ooty like mentioned earlier, is accessible via Air, Train and Bus. This is one of the most easily accessible places. If you have time, don’t forget the train ride.

Accomodation - Ooty also has many luxury places (such as Holiday inn, Taj etc) to Economy and cheap motels available, based on the requirements. You can get rooms starting at 500 to 3000 for an economy to luxury rooms. There are cottage facilities available too. You may have to be careful. I am kind of out-of-touch in this arena.

Best Time - Best time to visit is actually any time of the year. If you are a honeymooner, best time is the winter where you can be pretty sure you have enough privacy, as it is non-peak season. But summer is the time when most of the action happens.

You can also eat out in innumerous eatery places around Ooty.

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