Ooty, is also known as Udhagamandalam. It’s been rightly titled as the as Queen of Hills. Ooty, the headquarters of The Nilgiris district is one of the famous hill stations in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2, 240 meters above mean sea level. The word Nilgiris means Blue Mountains. It is a land of picturesque picnic spots and had been a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days. There are plenty of interesting tourist spots like Botanical Gardens, Lakes, Boat houses, water falls, shooting spots, Wildlife Sanctuary, Tea estates and many more.
Tourist Information about Ooty
Area : - 36-sq-kms
Population : - 8, 1763 ( 1991 Census)
Altitude : - 2, 623 metres
Clothing: - Light woollen in summer and heavy woolen during winter
Languages Spoken : - Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English
STD Code 0423
Temperature Range ( deg C) :
Summer- Max 25ºC, Min 10ºC
Winter- Max 21ºC, Min 5ºC
Rainfall 121 cms
What you can do in Ooty
Travel in the toy train enjoying the heavenly beauty splashed abundantly all over the place. If u were lucky enough u could spot deers, wild buffaloes, rabbits and rare bird species…
Go for long walks in the chilled weather with your loved ones, hand in hand. Enjoy the fresh carrots being sold on the road sides. Sip some hot tea.
Visit the country side and get to know the rich tradition and culture of the tribes like Todas and Kothas. You could also get to know another community by name Badagas.
Visit the Tea estates in and around Ooty. Get to know how tea leaves are plucked. Visit a tea factory to understand how the tea leaves are processed to produce tea dust that we use in our kitchen
Visit the Mudumalai forest sanctuary. ( It takes around 2 hours from Ooty)
Visit Defense Services Staff College.
Visit 6th mile and also the 9th mile - Movie shooting spots. Lush green with small stream running at its boundary. Very calm n peaceful area.
Don’t forget to visit golf at the Gymkhana Golf course. ( Only members are allowed) .
You can get form Fresh Carrot on the way.
Eat
There are various Restaurents in Ooty, mostly of them serve South Indian food and North Indian food. One can also obtain some Chinese/Indo-Chinese food from restaurants such as Wang’s kitchen, Shinkows and Western food as pizza and sandwiches from chains like Hot Breads. You can get some continental food at some big hotels.
Do not fail to taste Ooty’s famous buns, varkis, cakes, and other baked goods, as well as home-made chocolates.
Drink
The Nilgiris is famous for Tea.
Festivals in Ooty
Tea And Tourism Festival
The annual Tea and Tourism Festival celebrated in the month of January is a draw for tourists. Festivals-Much like the place, fairs and festivals are a part of the joyous atmosphere, which epitomizes Ooty.
The Summer Festival held in May at the Botanical Garden attracts a large number of tourists. One of the main highlights of the festival is the flower show. A number of cultural programmes, are organized on the sidelines of the festival.
The Botanical Garden is also the location for an annual seasonal festival, which showcases the variety in fruits and vegetables.
Boat Races and Boat Pageantry are other added tourist attractions in the month of May. Many attend this annual water sports competition.
There is also a Tea and Tourism Festival held in January every year. The Tamilnadu Tourism Department and the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India jointly organizes all these festivals.
Summer Festivals
A summer festival is held each year during the month of May in the Botanical Gardens, which is an added attraction for tourists.
The Flower Show is the pride of the festival. Cultural programmes are organized for those interested in traditional classical arts. Adventure spots like trekking also form part of the festival.
Shopping in Ooty
Just about anything available in the cities can be had at Ooty with the added attraction of leisurely shopping. Exclusive Nilgiri products including Nilgiri tea, fruits, natural oils like Eucalyptas, Toda embroideries, plant nurseries are easily available in the town. Co-operative Super Market and Municipal Market are some of the best places for shopping fruits and general groceries. Kairali of Kerala Handicrafts and Poompuhar of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts have their showrooms near to Super Market Buildings on Charring Cross.
Important Telephone Numbers
Railway Enquiry - 2442246
Bus Enquiry - 2443970
Government Hospital - 2442212
Tourist Officer - 2443977
Fire Service Station - 2442999
TTDC Youth Hostel- 2443665
Who Lives in Ooty?
Badagas, Thodas, Tamilians
Recreation Clubs:
Ootacamund Gymkana ( near HPF) - 42254
Ootacamund Club, Club Road - 42255
Lawley Institute, Garden Road
Ootacamund Cricket Club - 42846
Hunt Club - 42252
Madras Race Club - 43943