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Ooty - Queen Of The Hills /2023

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The most fascinating hill station in Tamil Nadu is Udhagamandalam that is also known as Utagamund or Udhagai or Ooty, which is praised as the Queen of Hill Stations by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who had once visited the hill station. 

This is a part of Nilgiris range that is located at the junction of three states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka, and is a source of happiness to holiday makers and visitors of all kinds because of its bluish colouration due to the abundance of Kurinji flowers all over the mountains. Since the Nilgiris range is full of forests formed of tall woods, all kinds of wild animals make it as their abode. Tourists flock to Ooty during the annual show, boat races, and boat pageantry in May and for participating in horse races during the week ends of the season.

The stunning hill town Ooty is the head quarters of the Nilgiris district, which is situated at 11o 24‟ N and 76o 42‟E, covering the total area of 36 sq.km at the elevation of 2,213 m above the sea level.

Tourist Places In And Around Ooty

The Botanical Garden, Doddabetta Peak, Ooty Lake, Kalhatti Falls and the Flower Show are some of the reasons Ooty is so popular among the tourists from all over the world. Avalanche is a scenic getaway from Ooty, Glenmorgan, a quaint and cute village, Mukurthi National Park, etc. are all some very interesting tourist attractions of Ooty.

How To Teach Ooty

The place is easily reachable via road and trains. The airport closest to Ooty is at Coimbatore.

Ooty W eather

Ooty has a pleasant climate throughout the year thanks to its location. However, winters do tend to be a little colder than is usual for South India.

The Colonial Inheritance

The influence of British culture as well as architecture can be seen in the town. In fact, many tourists have noted that the hill station is reminiscent of a quaint English village. This is perhaps the reason the town’s maximum economy is generated by the business of tourism.

The British were so impressed by the climate as well as by the scenic beauty of the place that they named Ooty the Queen of Hill Stations. For them, it was like finding a hidden treasure because they could not tolerate the hot and humid climate of the other towns in South India.

They were so eager to stake their claim over the region that they also raised the Madras Regiment in the nearby town of Wellington. To this day Wellington remains the centre of the Madras Regiment.

This increased the popularity of Ooty as a summer/weekend getaway among the British. The town has also had the distinction of being the summer capital of the Madras Presidency.

The British East India Company also took over the development of Ooty and started growing tea, teak and cinchona on the Nilgiris.

Many splendid tea and coffee plantation estates now exist in and around Ooty.

The Lost History Of Ooty

Ooty has an old-world charm that remains unmatched even to this day. When you walk around in Ooty, you will be transported to ancient times by simply looking at the architecture and designs of some of the buildings in Ooty. They will remind you an era gone by. Ooty has no history to fall back upon. Its rise started with the coming of the British. However, even in these past two centuries the town has created enough history to make up for the one that it never had or that which has been lost to us.

For the modern world, the history of Ooty starts with the settling in of the British, mainly the soldiers, in this exotic land. The deep influence that the British had on the place is clearly visible as soon as one enters the town. The art and architecture of the buildings, the designs and the style of construction of the houses, all are reminiscent of the British era.

The cultural practices of the British are deeply ingrained in the lives of the local people irrespective of their religious beliefs. The local cuisine has also borrowed heavily from the English dishes. As a result, you get the best food in Ooty that is an amalgamation of English herbs and Indian spices.

The British, along with the hardworking local population, helped Ooty achieve the success that it enjoys today. This rich cultural diversity could have existed only in Ooty. Hence, today it would be wrong to say that Ooty has no historical past or that it holds no historical significance in the development of India.

This picturesque location attracts many tourists to this place. Since it is situated in a place where the Eastern Ghats meet the Western Ghats, the natural beauty of this hill station and the surrounding hills are amazing to attract millions of travelers from all over the World, which can be seen in the tourists' increase year-by-year. The verdant hills, the luxuriant green valleys, and the unspoiled natural beauty of the hill are mesmerizing the people towards nature, to which they actually belong

Ooty is Famous for

Ooty Weather

Best Season / Best Time to Visit Ooty

  • Jan
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  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • July
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

How to Reach Ooty

  • By Road
    Ooty is connected to major cities and towns via good roads. It is easily accessible from cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysore, Bangalore, Kochi and Calicut. Many people prefer taking state run transport buses to Ooty since they are comfortable as well as cheaper than private taxis. If you are planning a road trip in your own vehicle, then it is best to check the various routes to Ooty before starting your journey.
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  • By Train
    Southern Railways connect the rest of the India with Ooty. Regular night trains are available to take you to Ooty. Udhagamandalam is the railway station of Ooty and one has to change trains at Mettupalayam station because only meter gauge line goes to Ooty. In fact, the Nilgiri Mountain Service is one among the oldest mountain railway track in India.
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  • By Air
    Ooty does not have a domestic or an international airport. The nearest airport is the Coimbatore International Airport at Coimbatore. However, a new project is being started under which regular helicopter services will be available from the Coimbatore airport to Ooty. The J.B. Aviation is planning to start the helicopter services and will utilize the Bell 407 helicopter for this.
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