Ooty short for Ootacamund (officially), Udhagamandalam sometimes abbreviated to Udhagai Tamil, is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Ooty stands at an approximate height of 7,500 feet (2, 286 m) above sea level.
Located in the Blue Mountains of the Western Ghats Ooty draws a large number of tourists every year. Lofty mountains, great lakes, dense forests, sprawling grasslands, miles of tea gardens and eucalyptus trees greet the visitors en route to Ooty. The hill station itself is a land of picturesque picnic spots
Some of the important tourist / historical landmarks of Ooty are as listed below:
Ooty Botanical Gardens:
The 22 Acre Botanical Garden was laid out in 1847 and is presently maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The original purpose of the "Botanical Gardens" was purely academic: to promote and study the various flora in and around Nilgiris. Now, it is open to the public as a park that can be enjoyed by visitors.The garden also has a 20 million year old fossilized tree. Another major attraction is an Italian-style garden bordering a pool. The place is also an ideal location for bird watching.
Ooty Lake & Boat House:
This is an artificial lake built by John Sullivan. It used to be much larger than its present size of 4 km2 and is 2.5 km in length, and encompassed the present bus stand and race course as well as much of the present market. Boating is the major attraction at the lake
Stone House
This was the first "Pukka" house in Ooty(now called old Ooty), built by John Sullivan. It is situated inside the premises of the Government Arts College. It now houses the government office.
Toda Huts
There are a few number of Toda Huts up in the hills of Botanical Garden were Todas still dwell.
Railway Station
The railhead of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. The station itself is part of this World Heritage Site. Ooty Railway station offers a unique glimpse of the British raj built railways.
St. Stephen's Church
This one of the oldest churches in the town, it architecture is essentially old style with tall spires. It is located near the District Court house building.
Wax World, Ooty
A wax museum that houses life-size look-alike wax statues of personalities of Indian history, culture and heritage housed in a 142 year old bungalow.
Ooty Golf Links
A forested and grassy area, partially home to a golf course.
Doddabetta Peak
The highest point in the Nilgiri Hills, offering spectacular views over the town and district. There is road access to the summit. There is a reserved forest area around the peak.
Tea Plantations
Tea plantations are present at a lower altitude and attract a large number of tourists by their picturuesque nature.
Ketti Valley
This valley is referred to as the 'Switzerland of Southern India' due to the year-round pleasant climatic conditions. There is a view point called "Valley View" on the main Ooty to Coonoor road.
Pykara Lake Boat House and Pykara falls
This is the most accessible of all the nearby lakes. A boathouse and picnic area has been developed to provide access to this area. Most of the remainder of the lake is within a reserved forest and off limits to visitors.
Pine Forest
Situated between Ooty and Thalakunda. This tourist destination known as pine forest (locally also known as pinus forest) was once featured in the Tamil movie song "Deena". It is a small downhill region where pine trees are arranged in an orderly fashion.
Wenlock Downs
This is a grassland area typical of the original bio scape of the Nilgiris. It has gently undulating hills, and is often compared with areas in the British isles such as the Yorkshire Dales. This is a popular film shooting area, particularly two areas situated approximately six and nine miles (14 km) out of Ooty on the main Ooty to Pykara road (also known as Mysore Road). These locations are accordingly named "Sixth Mile" and "Ninth Mile".
Kamraj Sagar Lake
This lake is situated on the way to Pykara lake.
Mudumalai National Park
Situated at a lower altitude and easily accessible to visitors. It borders the Bandipur National Park in Karnataka. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna.
Mukurthi National Park
A large protected area generally not accessible to visitors. It also contains a lake and peak of the same name.
Needle hill view point
A viewpoint situated between Gudalaur and Pykara.
Parsons Valley Reservoir
This is the primary water source for the town and is mainly in a reserved forest and is thus largely off-limits to visitors.
Emerald Lake
This lake is situated near the town of the same name. There is a view point near the dam. The rest of the are is mainly in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors
Avalanche Lake
Adjacent to the Emerald lake, this picturesque lake is mainly situated in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors
Porthimund Lake
This is mostly situated in a reserved forest and is largely off-limits to visitors where the shooting of the blockbuster tamil movie Roja has been shot.
Upper Bhavani Lake
This lake is within the Mukurthi National Park and also largely off limits to visitors.
Location: Ooty,Tamil Nadu
Co ordinates : 11°23′N 76°42′E / 11.38°N 76.70°E
How to reach the destination:
By Air :
Coimbatore airport is the nearest airport to Ooty. It is 105 km away from Ooty. A number of private airlines give their services to Coimbatore. Coimbatore is well connected with many south Indian cities by air including Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai and Hyderabad.
By Bus :
Ooty is well connected with all most all south Indian cities by bus. There are regular bus services from Mysore, Bangalore, Madurai, and Kanyakumari and also from many cities in Kerala.
By Train :
Mettupalayam, which is 47 km away from Ooty, is the nearest major railway station. There are regular train services from Coimbatore and Chennai to Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam and Conoor are connected to Ooty with toy trains .
