Ooty
Hill Station
Queen of the Blue Mountains
All over India the British located idyllic spots for
hill resorts so as to get away from the heat of the
plains in summer. In the south, in the Nilgiris or Blue
Mountains (which get their name from the blue haze which
envelops them), they selected three spots, Ooty, Coonoor
and Kotagiri. Of these three, Ooty with its beautiful
gardens, wooded rolling hills, pine and eucalyptus forests
and cool climate has earned the name, Queen of Hill
Stations. The Nilgiris are known for their tea and coffee
plantations and for the eucalyptus oil used as a base
for medicines for coughs and colds. There are many ancient
tribal people here, the Badagas and Todas amongst others,
whose talents have helped to developed Ooty.
WHAT TO SEE
» The Botanical Gardens, established in
1847, have a wide variety of exotic plants and colorfully
laid out ornamental gardens.
» Ooty Lake where boating is a favourite
pastime.
» Doddabetta Peak, the highest point in
the Nilgiri mountains (2623 meters high).
» Ooty has myriad walks and treks to Elk
Hill, Wenlock Downs, Ketty Valley, Lamb's Rock, Lady
Cannings Seat, Avalanche, Mukurthi Peak, Frog Hill,
Pykara Dam etc.
EXCURSIONS
» Coonoor (19 km.), another hill station
at a lower altitude. Surrounded by tea and coffee plantations,
Coonoor is famous for its Sims Park and several scenic
spots, as also fruit orchards.
» Kotagiri (29 km.), another beautiful hill
resort which is quieter than Ooty and Coonoor.
» Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (64 km.).
On an elephant ride within the park can be seen wild
elephants, bison, deer etc.
Elephant Training camp
(5 km.), from Mudumalai, where elephants are trained
for the work in timber yards.
ENTERTAINMENT
» Summer Festival, (from April 15th for
a month) held in Ooty and Coonoor. There are music,
dance and drama programmes.
» Shows, there are various shows, like Dog
Shows, Flowers, Fruits and Vegetable Shows, Boat Race
and Boat Pageants held in April-May.
SHOPPING
There is a wide range of local handicrafts, eucalyptus
oil, honey, Tibetan and Nepali woollens, lace-work etc.
available.
SPORTS
The Ooty Downs are considered to be the one of the best
golf courses in India. There are tournaments held in
April-May.Tennis, boating and other sports are available.Fishing
is available in the streams and lakes surrounding Ooty.Trekking,
the Nilgiris offer various routs for trekkers. A popular
trek is from Ooty to Kodaikanal via Coimbatore, Topslip,
Valparai, Grass Hills etc.
