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.
SHOPPINGThere
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.
