Ooty(Ooti), popularly known as the 'Queen of the Western Ghats', is a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Officially known as the Udaga Zone or Udaga. Surrounded by mountains, this municipality is one of the best tourist destinations in India. People travel to Ooty from different parts of the world. Many couples celebrate their honeymoon at Ooty, especially after marriage. Despite being a major tourist destination, the entire region is mountainous and the only source of income is from agriculture and tourism. And the city has a population of about 90,000.
History of Ooty
The Ooty hills were initially occupied by the Doda, Kota, Irula, and Kurumba tribes as tribal lands. The first reference to Ooty is recorded in a record that in 1117 CE the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhan and his general Punnisa ruled. The Nilgiris district in Ooty was ruled by various dynasties such as the Sadavakans, Gangas, Kadambars, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, the Vijayanagara Empire, and the Ummathur kings. Later, in the 18th century, Tipu Sultan conquered and ruled the Nilgiris.
The hotel, which still serves as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency in Ooty, was built in 1830. This palace was built by Jhon Sullivan a collector of Goa in 1818. John, who was staying in Ooty in 1819, was fascinated by the beauty of Ooty and wanted to build a bungalow here. He began work on it in 1819. He first completed the construction of the road from Ooty to Thimphu. Then in 1830, he completed the construction of the bungalow.
They used it as a hostel during the summer after the British rule began. Hence the name of the Summer Presidency of Madras. Then It became a famous hill resort after the British rule.
Ooty Climate
In order to protect the natural environment, all countries consider specific forests as the biosphere and protect their environment. Similarly, Ooty is located in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. So even today the environment there is unaffected. It is located at an altitude of 2240 meters above sea level. So the temperature there is very low. The maximum temperature here is 17 to 20 degrees Celsius and the minimum is 5 to 12 degrees Celsius. In a nutshell, Ooty weather is chill.
Ooty rose garden
Government Rose Garden(Ooty rose garden) is one of the important tourist attractions of the Ooty hills. It is located on the slopes of the hills in the Vijayanagara city of Ooty. The rose garden was established in May 1995 at the Ooty Government Botanic Gardens to commemorate the flower show. Flowers are grown on an area of about 4 acres in this rose garden. Ooty Rose Garden grows a wide variety of roses such as small roses, hybrid tea roses, floribunda, ramblers, black and green roses.
Initially, about 1919 varieties of roses were grown in the garden. Today, 2,800 varieties of roses are planted and grown in the Ooty Rose Garden. It is spread over an area of about 10 acres and looks beautiful. Ooty is characterized by tropical mountain forests with low temperatures and moderate rainfall. Thus roses thrive.
Ooty visiting places
Ooty is generally one of the coldest places in the world for tourists to visit, as well as for its historic buildings, the railway line in the hills, the tea factory, the museum, the lake, the waterfalls, and the huge flower garden. Here are some important Ooty places to visit.
Ooty lake
There are three remarkably beautiful lakes in Ooty. Avalanche Lake, located at a distance of 28 km from Ooty, is a mountainous stream. With a very narrow width, it is surrounded by beautiful trees and natural on both sides. The lake is believed to have originated in the 1800s and is a popular fishing destination. Flora and fauna are very rare creatures around this lake. Tourists can also engage in activities such as trekking, rafting, and camping at this place.
Ooty Lake is one of the popular tourist destinations in Ooty. This is an artificial lake and is located inside Ooty. Fishing also takes place here. Also cycling on the lakes will give you great excitement and you will be able to buy things there at the shops there. Emerald Lake is located in the village of Emerald, about 25 km from Ooty. From this lake, you can enjoy both the mountains in Ooty and the sunrise and sunset.
Ooty Parks
There are many parks in and around Ooty for weeding. The most famous of these is the Ooty Botanical Garden maintained by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department. Divided into five sections: Italian Garden, Conservatory, Fern House, Lower Garden, and Nurseries, the park covers an area of 55 acres. The flower show is held here every year during the summer.
The Deer Park is located at a distance of about 2 km from Ooty Lake following Flower Park. The park was established in 1986 on an area of 22 acres. Deer and a variety of plants such as sambar and chital are found here. It is also the only wildlife sanctuary in India. Following this, there are two national parks here.
Mudumalai National Park, inhabited by tigers, is located on the Ooty-Mysore route, which connects the Eastern Ghats and the Western Ghats. Not only tigers but also many other species of animals and birds live here. It has been declared a tiger reserve as it is home to over 50 tigers. Several strict guidelines are followed.
Another national park, Mukurthi National Park, is located in the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve. Covering an area of about 80 square kilometers, the park has many rivers and streams. Many creatures roam around the park in search of these water sources. Surveillance cameras will also be installed here as it is inside the Biosphere Reserve. So visitors here have to be very careful.
Ooty toy train
Do not think that this is a toy train by name. This is the real Raw but the route of this train will be very adventurous. The railway line runs from Mettupalayam to Ooty via Coonoor. This path is built on a hill and over a hill. There is no train journey parallel to this Ooty toy train ride that can give you awe-inspiring pleasure in the middle of the mountains and over the mountains. The railway line will last for 46 km.
Ooty waterfalls
If it is a hilly area, there are many waterfalls. There are many beautiful waterfalls in the Ooty hills. Kalhatti Falls is a waterfall located at a distance of 13 km from Ooty. This waterfall is located on the Ooty Mysore Road. Trekking to this waterfall is located at a distance of 2 km from the village of Kalhatti. Another waterfall is the Pykara Falls which is located on the Ooty Mysore Road and is about 20 km from Ooty. Surrounded by lush greenery like trees and plants, this waterfall is an ideal destination for those seeking solitude.
Ooty hotels
The hotel industry here is very prosperous as people from different countries travel to Ooty. Thus there are many hotels in the Ooty hills and many hotels just outside the hills. Here are the hotels with all kinds of luxury amenities at the lowest cost to a 5-star hotel. Here are some Ooty hotels.
- Olives Plesant Stays.
- Beverly Villa.
- S.K Cottage.
- Rosepark Residency.
- SR Residency.
All the above Ooty hotels have free wi-fi car parking facility 24 hours service and are located near Ooty. There are more than 100 Ooty hotels.
Ooty resorts
In Ooty, which has cool temperatures, there are many resorts with many amenities like bars and dances to enjoy yourself.
- Western Valley Resort.
- Destiny - The Form Resort.
- Hill Top Individual Cottage Ooty.
- The Bowers Chalet.
- Sherlock.
There are a total of 30 resorts in Ooty. Each resort has its own unique facility. Also, the Ooty resort is located in the hills and valleys.
How to reach Ooty
To reach Ooty, one must first reach the Nilgiris district and then reach Ooty by local buses or autos. Apart from this, Ooty is a major tourist destination with direct roads to Ooty from various major cities. Roads are directly connected to Ooty at a distance of 260 km from Bangalore, 124 km from Mysore, 598 km from Chennai, and 158 km from Coimbatore.
- Ooty district - Nilgiris (Ooty is located in Nilgiris District, Tamilnadu, India.)
- Bangalore to Ooty 265.3 Km.
- Tirunelveli to Ooty 433.6 Km.
- Ooty from Chennai distance is 555.3 Km.
- Ooty nearest airport is Coimbatore airport.
- Coimbatore Airport is located at a distance of 88 km from Ooty. Next to Coimbatore, Bangalore Airport is located at a distance of 295 km from Ooty.
Government buses to Ooty TNSTC and KSRTC bus services connect Ooty with major cities in the state.
Ooty train
Not only bus transport but also rail transport to Ooty is very good. The railway station and the railway line of various major cities are connected to the Ooty Zone Railway Station of the Nilgiris District and it is also a stop. In the 1800s, the Ooty Railway Station was under the Salem section of the Southern Railway. Then in 1882 Arthur Reaganbach, an engineer from Switzerland, came to the Nilgiris at the invitation of the Government of India.
He visited the Nilgiris and submitted his plan for setting up a railway here. Then in 1886, the planning for the construction of the railway station began. Then 5 years later its work started in 1891 and for the first time on June 15, 1899, the railway line between Mettupalayam and Coonoor was opened and the train was launched.
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