Udhagamandalam(also Ootacamund) and abbreviated as Udhagai and Ooty(About this sound listen(help·info) is a town and municipality in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 80 km north of Coimbatore and is the capital of the Nilgiris district. It is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills.
Originally occupied by the Toda, the area came under the rule of the East India Company at the end of the 18th century. The economy is based on tourism and agriculture, along with the manufacture of medicines and photographic film. The town is connected by the Nilgiri ghat roads and Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Its natural beauty attracts tourists and it is a popular summer destination. As of 2011, the town had a population of 88, 430.
Ooty features a subtropical highland climate(Cwb) under Köppen climate classification. Despite its location in the tropics, in stark contrast with most of South India, Ooty generally features pleasantly mild conditions throughout the year. However, night time in the months of January and February is typically cold. Generally, the town appears to be eternally stuck in the spring season. Temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year; with average high temperatures ranging from about 17–20 °C(63–68 °F) and average low temperatures between approximately 5–12 °C(41–54 °F).
The highest temperature ever recorded in Ooty was 25 °C(77 °F), which by South Asian standards is uncharacteristically low for an all-time record high temperature. The rainy season in Ooty is generally very cool and windy with high humidity. The wind chill may fall to as low as 5 °C(41 °F) during the day time. Wind is always high throughout the year. The lowest temperature was -2 °C(28 °F). The city sees on average about 125 cm(49 in) of precipitation annually, with a marked drier season from December through March.
ROAD:
Ooty is well connected roads. It is 535 km(332 mi) from Chennai(via Salem, Erode, and Coimbatore), 80 km(50 mi) from Coimbatore and 155 km(96 mi) from Mysore. Ooty is situated on NH 67 and is connected by road via the five main accepted Nilgiri Ghat Roads. Bus services operated by TNSTC connect major towns in the state and nearby towns in the district such as Coonoor, Kotagiri, and Gudalur.
RAIL:
ty raiwaystation Oois connected with Mettupalayam by NMR metre gauge service.In 1882, a Swiss engineer named Arthur Riggenbach came to the Nilgiri Hills on an invitation from Government of India and he submitted an estimate for a line costing GB£132, 000. The Nilgiri Railway Company was formed in 1885 and planning work commenced in 1886. The work on the line commenced in August 1891 and the Mettupalayam-Coonoor section of the track was opened for traffic on 15 June 1899. In January 1903, the Indian Government purchased the line, and took over the construction of the extension from Coonoor to Ooty.
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was operated by the Madras Railway until 31 December 1907 on the behalf of the Government. In January 1908, the railway line was handed over to South Indian Railway. The line from Coonoor to Ooty was completed in 1908. On October 15, Arthur Lawley, Governor of Madras opened the new railway to traffic. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway(NMR) is one of the oldest mountain railways in India and was declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in July 2005. It is the only rack railway in India, and uses the Abt system.
AIR:
The nearest airport is Coimbatore, around 96 km(60 mi) away. Ooty has three helipads, one at Theettukal and two at Kodanad. The Theettukal helipad was approved by Airports Authority of India for defence and VIP services. Pawan Hans was supposed to start its service with Bell 407, but being present amidst farmland, dislocation of the farm animals there has put the operations on hold for commercial activities