Ooty

Udhagamandalam,   which   is   the   Head Quarters  of    the  district,  is  the  largest  and  most   important hill station in south  India.   This  principle  station  on  the  Nilgiris  is  at  an  elevation of  2286  meters  and  situated  at  the center  of  the  district.  It  is  an  extensive  valley  enclosed on  all  sides  but  the  west  by  a  lofty  range  of  hills.  The  name of the ooty or Ootacamand was first mentioned in about 1821  in  the  Madras  Gazette  which  was  then spelt as "Wotokymund" by  an   anonymous    correspondent   who   was   one   among  the  Europeans  to  set  an  eye  on  Ootacamand.  It is also fondly called the Queen of Hill Stations.

GOVERNMENT BOTANICAL GARDEN:

 This  garden  was  laid  out  in  1847  by  the  Marquis  of  Tweedale,  then  the  Governor  of Madras  and   is  spread   over   22  hectares  ascending  the  slopes  on  the  hill  at  an  elevation  of 2,400 - 2,500  mts.  above  MSL. Lush  green  well  maintained  lawns,  rare  trees  species (like the cork tree which is probably the only such tree in India, the paper bark tree and the monkey puzzle tree-monkey cannot climb this tree.),  a  20 million  year  old  fossilized  tree,  an  Italian - style  garden  bordering,  a  clear  pool,  a  vast  variety  of flowering   bushes  and   plants  ,   fern  house  with   a  vast  range  ferns  and  orchids  are some  of  the  highlights  of  this  garden.A flower show along with an exhibition of rare plant species is held very year in the month of May at this garden.

                            The  garden  is  divided  into  six  different  sections:

    1. Lower  Garden

    2. New  Garden

    3. Italian  Garden

    4. Conservatory

    5. Fountain  Terrace

    6. Nurseries

 CENTENARY ROSE PARK

 Situated in the heart of Ooty town, this garden has been beautifully laid out in terraces with rose tunnels, pergolas and bowers with rose creepers. To commemorate  the  centenary Flower   Show,   the  Rose   Park  was  established  at  Vijayanagaram in Udhagamandalam  covering  an  area  of   4  hectares   in  five  terraces.  Today this garden has the largest collections of roses in the country   like  Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colours like black and green are some of the more than 3,000 varieties of roses that will captivate your senses. The   Rose  Garden  is  situated  in  slopes  of  the  Elk  Hill.   The   rose  varieties   planted   in  this  park were  assembled  from  different sources.    The  'Nila  Maadam'  is  located in  a   spot   from   where  viewers   can   see   the   entire   rose   garden.  This  garden  is  maintained  by  Tamil  Nadu   Horticulture   Department.  It has also received the award of Excellence for  the best rose garden in entire south Asia from the International Rose society in 2006.

 

 OOTY LAKE:

The  Ooty  Lake  is  the  pride   of   the   Blue   Hills.   It  is    the   central   and   strategic  attraction.  Mr. John  Sullivan  formed  this  artificial  lake  in   the   year   1824,   the   then   Collector  of  Coimbatore. The  Ooty  lake  which  extends  to   an  area  of   65   acres.  Earlier  the   entire  lake  was  used  for  fishing.   The  Tamil Nadu  Tourism  Development  Corporation  on  behalf  of  the  Tourism  Department  took  the  possession  of  the lake  for  pleasure  boating  facilities  in  the  year  1973.  Another added  attraction  of  the  Ooty  lake is  the  Mini  Train  and  an  amusement  park.

 DODDABETTA:

 At 2,623 mts above MSL, Doddabetta     is  the  highest  Peak  in  the  Tamil Nadu  and   is   about  10  kms.  from  Ooty  bus  stand.  The name  Doddabetta  literally  means  'BIG  MOUNTAIN' in the Badugu Language,  which  is  so  in  reality.  It  is  at  the   junction  of Western  and  Eastern  Ghats  and  offer  beautiful  vistas  of  Nilgiri  Hills  range.  It  is  surrounded  by dense  Sholas.  One  can  have  a   magnificent   panoramic  view  of  landscape  and   the  whole  of  the District  and  even  beyond  through  the  Telescope  House   run   by   T.T.D.C.,   which   is   an   added attraction . The Sunset is spectacular from this view point. 

 THE OOTACAMAND CLUB:

 This   club   ranks   one   of    the   leading   clubs    in    the   state   of   Tamil   Nadu   and   is hardly   a  KM   from   the   Udhagamandalam   railway   station.   It   is   admirably   situated in   the   heart   of   the   town   at   the   base  of  the  hill  adjoining   the   St.Stephen's   Church  and is   located   on   the   Udhagamandalam  -  Gudalur   road,   near   Taj   Savoy   Hotel.  The  building occupied   by   the   present   Ootacamund   club   was  constructed   as  a   hotel  by  Sir,  W. William Rumbold  (Bart)   in   1831-32  and  inaugurated  in   1833.  It is said that snooker was invented at this club.

RAJ   BHAVAN:

Government House (Raj Bhavan) is situated on a ridge of the Western Slopes of Doddabetta on the outskirts of the South Eastern Quarter of Udhagamandalam.

Before Udhagamandalam became the virtual summer capital of the state, it was visited periodically, by the Governors of Madras for a few months to -make a good escape from the hot sultry weather of Madras.

Built in 1877 by the Duke of Buckingham when he was the Governor of Madras, Government House, Raj Bhavan today, is used only occasionally during the  Governor of Tamil Nadu's visit to ooty.  Otherwise, the sprawling cream-coloured mansion, overlooking the Botanical Gardens stands a silent reminder of the pomp and grandeur that it had seen in the days of the Raj.

A fine ballroom added by Sir Arthur Havelock in 1900 and in 1904 the entire building was electrified. The well-kept lawn and the beautiful gardens is the residence of the Governor for most of the summer months of April, May and June. Portraits of Governor and their ladies, of Queen Victoria, George V, George Marry, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos and many others decorate the walls of the house.

ADAM'S FOUNTAIN

  This, which is a memorial to a Governor who made himself in every way popular during a brief tenure of office terminated by his death at Ootacamund, was erected, by public subscription, some time in 1886, at a total cost of between Rs.13,000/- and Rs.14,000/-.

        It was at first intended to place it in front of the market, but it was subsequently decided that the site in front of the Collector's Office was better, as being a more public place. It having been found, however, that there was not a sufficient head of water at this point to allow of the fountain playing freely, it was, at the end of 1898, moved by the municipality, to its present position, which is that formerly occupied by the old mealnoxylon tree that used to mark the centre of “Charing Cross”.

HONEY & BEE MUSEUM

‘The Honey & Bee Museum’ is a novel project at Ooty  by the NGO,  Keystone Foundation. It  depicts information on indigenous honey bees and traditional indigenous tribal people who harvest them.  It also has a children’s activity room and a small knowledge resource unit on bees, environment and people. The Bee Museum is  first of its kind focusing on traditional knowledge and practices. The museum aims to be a vibrant space with live demonstration units of bees, specimens and tools – both traditional and modern used in beekeeping and honey gathering.

THE OOTY RADIO TELESCOPE:

TRIBAL RESEARCH CENTRE & TRIBAL MUSEUM

        Radio   telescope   has   been   installed   at   Muthorai   which   could   be   reached  via.  Fernhill on   the   Udhagamandalam - Avalanche   road.   This   being   the   largest   telescope   in  Asia  was constructed    between    1966    and    1968.    It  was  generated  with  indigenous   capabilities   in   antenna design   and   fabrication   as   an   offshoot.   The  Radio Astronomy Centre (TIFR) is using the telescope for astronomical investigations. 

                        The  Tribal  Museum  is  functioning in the campus of Tribal Research Centre  which is  located  at  Muthorai  Palada,  10  kms.  away  from  Ooty  town.  Tribal  Museum  is  placed  on  the  hillock  depicting  rare  artifacts  and  photographs  of  primitive  tribal  groups  of  Tamilnadu  as  well  as  Andaman  and  Nicobar  Islands  and  developed  on  the  interests  of  Anthropological  and  Archaeological  primitive  human  culture  and  heritage.  Tribal  Museum  is  also  having  an  open  air  tribal  houses belongs  to  Toda,  Kota,  Paniya,  Kurumba  and  Kanikaran.  Popular  six  sculptures  are  exhibited  inside  the  museum  depicting  the  life  size  physical  anthrop  models  of  Todas,  Kotas  and  Paniya

KAMARAJ SAGAR (Sandynallah Reservior):

 The  Kamaraj  Sagar  Dam  is  a good  picnic  spot  and  can  be  reached  via  kandal  amidst  very  old  trees   and  green  shrubs  of  various  terrains.  It  is  a  very  good  picnic  spot  on  the  slopes  of  the  Wenlock  Downs.  Apart  from  studying  nature  and  environment,  fishing  provides  excellent  game  in  Kamaraj  Sagar  Dam.

GLENMORGAN

At 25 km North west of Ooty is situated Glenmorgan which was then very famous for the Tea estate. The Glenmorgan tea estate is one of the oldest estate of the place and it was there even before the Pykara Hydro Electricity scheme was taken up for execution. The beautiful lake at the foot of this estate constitutes the fore bay for the Pykara power house which is above 3 km down the hill at Singara. The Pykara power plant is the highest plant so far installed in the whole of Asia and is situated at a height of 938.78 meters. There is a haulage way (Mechanical Rope Way) leading to the power house and it takes nearly one hour to go by the trolley from the Glenmorgan head works to the power house at Singar

The Incline near the German point is so perpendicular that this stretch of the track, have, to a length of 300 meters, makes difficult ascent and descent. The Inclination is 41 at this point and the total length of the haulage is 3000 meters. A trip to Singara by the Haulage is certainly a thrilling experience. Rest houses are available both at Glenmorgan and Singara for the use of the Officers of the Electricity Board and also for other viGlenmorgan and Singara are of great importance to the tourist as delightful picnic spots. The view from the point above the rest house at Glenmorgan is panoramic. A picturesque view of the Pykara power house at Singara, the Moyar valley, The Mudumalai Wild life Sanctuary and the distant places of Mysore can be had from here.