Ooty alias Ootacamund is one of the most beautiful and famous hill stations in India. Ooty is also known as Udhagamandalam or Udhagai. It is at a distance of 86 kilometers from Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu state.
Ootacamund is part of the Nilgiri Mountains or Blue Mountains.
A Brief History of Ooty
In 1818, the then Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, wrote that Nilgiri resembles Switzerland. He constructed a bungalow near Kotagiri near Coonoor (at 18 kilometers distance) in 1819. He worked with the local tribes to ensure that they got their land rights and kept their cultural identity.
It was John Sullivan who started the construction of the road from Sirumugai near Mettupalayam to Dimbhatti in the same year, and it was completed in 4 years. The work for the road route to Coonoor was started in 1830 and was completed in around two years.
Nilgiri Railway work was started after many delays in 1891 by “Nilgiri Railway Company”. The Mettupalayam-Coonoor section was completed in 1899, and trains were introduced in this section. The Coonoor-Udhagamandalam line was completed in 1908 by the “South Indian Railways” which acquired the railway line from “Nilgiri Railway Company.” Trains started operating from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam in 1908.
Udhagamandalam was the summer capital of the Madras regiment during British rule in India. “Stonehouse”, constructed by John Sullivan, was the first building in this hill station, which was constructed in the year 1822.
Tourist places in and around Ooty
The 65-acre Ooty Lake and the boathouse were also constructed by John Sullivan, who was the first collector of the district. Ooty Lake is one of the main tourist attractions with its Eucalyptus trees and toy train railway line. An adventure water theme park (water park) was opened at the entrance to the lake a few years ago, which is a major attraction for kids. Water zorbing is available here.
The 22 acres of Ooty Botanical Gardens are another major tourist spot. There is an annual flower show in May every year, which attracts lakhs of visitors. There is a 20 million-year-old fossilized tree inside the botanical garden.
Pykara lake
Doddabetta, the highest peak at 2,623 meters altitude in the Nilgiris mountains, is at 10 kilometers distance and is among the must-see places in Udhagamandalam. Pykara River, Pykara Lake, Pykara boat house run by TTDC, and Pykara Dam are some of the other places to visit in the Blue Mountain Hills. Pykara River is very sacred for the local Toda tribes.
There are numerous other places to visit in and around Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, and Kotagiri. There are regular sightseeing packages from Hotel Tamilnadu (TTDC Hotel) premises at Ooty. It covers many of the tourist places in and around Ooty at affordable rates.
Mudumalai is a nearby Wildlife Sanctuary and national Park, which is a little away from Ooty, on the Ooty – Mysore road.
Kalhatti Waterfalls is around 13 kilometers from Ooty in Kalhatti village, on the Ooty – Mysore road (Sigur Ghat Road). There is a viewpoint to view Kalhatti Falls. It is also known as Bird Watcher’s Falls. There is another fall with the same name, Kalhatti Falls alias Kalhattigiri Falls, at around 10 kilometers away from Kemmangundi hill station. It is in the nearby Karnataka state.
Wax World Museum is at around 4 kilometers distance from the botanical gardens. It is housed in a 130-year-old Colonial Mansion. It has statues of many World leaders, Indian freedom fighters, prominent personalities, etc. This museum was opened in 2007. It is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The entry fee is very low.
The Fernhills Palace, Ooty
Fernhill Palace was the erstwhile summer residence of the Mysore Maharaja. This palace was shown as the house of Actor Thilakan in one of the most successful Malayalam movies, Kilukkam.
How Do I Go to Ooty Hill Station?
Ooty is well connected to the rest of India by road. Coimbatore is just 86 kilometers away. It takes around 3 hours to drive through Coimbatore – Mettupalayam – Ooty road.
Chennai, the capital of Tamilnadu state, is at a 535 km distance. Mysore is 155 kilometers away. Kodaikanal, another major hill station, is around 135 kilometers from Ooty.
Udhagamandalam is connected by train to Mettupalayam by the UNESCO Heritage train service, Nilgiri Mountain Railway NMR. The railway station codes for Mettupalam, Udhagamandalam, and Coimbatore are MTP, UAM, and CBE, respectively.
Coimbatore is the nearest airport for those who wish to go to Ooty by air.
Hotels and Resorts
There are many hotels and resorts in Udhagamandalam and surrounding areas. Hotel Tamilnadu is a leading government hotel on a small hilltop at the heart of the city.
Wild Planet Nilgiris is a jungle resort situated at Devala on the Wyanad – Mudumali route. This resort is spread over 100 acres of land. It is around 60 kilometers from Calicut or Kozhikode. Hotel Lakeview is a hotel with a fireplace (They seem to charge for the fireplace consumables).
Karnataka Horticulture Park and Accommodation
The Karnataka Horticulture Department has a beautiful Horticulture park with ornamental gardens, lawns, nurseries, and fruit orchards near the Fern Hill area.
Accommodation facilities for tourists are also offered on these 30 acres of land under the Karnataka Horticulture Department. Prior Reservation is a must. Reservations can be made at the office of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (Protocol), Vidhana Soudha (Karnataka state secretariat), Bangalore. Details of officials can be found at https://horticulturedir.karnataka.gov.in/english.
The following details were collected a few years ago from their old web page, http://horticulture.kar.nic.in/ooty.htm, which no longer exists.
On-season Booking ( April to July )
The Director of Horticulture,
Lalbagh, Bangalore – 560 004.
Ph: +91 – 80 -26579231 Fax: +91 – 80 – 26570181
Off-season Booking (August–March)
The Assistant Director of Horticulture,
Karnataka Horticulture Department,
Fern Hill, Ooty.
Ph: +91 – 423 – 2441942