This photo journal, which covers day 11 of our tour, features the Nilgiri hill station of Ooty. Sometimes called the "Queen of Indian hill stations", Ooty is the capital & the largest & most important of three hill stations in the Nilgiris district. It was established in 1821 by John Sullivan as a cool summer hill resort for the Madras (Chennai) Government during the British Raj.

Actually, Ooty’s former colonial name was Ootacamund, which was mercifully shortened to Ooty. The current official Tamil name is Udhagamandalam, which is even less pronounceable, so Ooty is still the popular nickname. Ooty (pop 88,000) is located 160 kms from Mysore & 270 kms from Kochi. Ooty was labeled “Snooty Ooty” during the days of the British Raj because only the well-heeled & privileged classes could afford to go there. The lesser mortals had to sweat it out down below on the hot plains of India in the torrid summer heat.]

Nature has been generous with this region which is by far the most beautiful in the state. The scenic drive up & down the steep mountain road with countless hairpin turns is breathtaking. The area offers lofty hills, sprawling grasslands, dense forests, & acres of tea & coffee plantations, & vegetable gardens. Ooty is famous for its tea estates & the annual Tea & Tourism Festival attracts crowds in huge numbers.

The Ooty of today is not what it once was. The hills surrounding the town are still charming, but they are beginning to show signs of deforestation & "urban sprawl". One of the main attractions is still the Nilgiri mountain ‘toy train’ which runs on a ratchet & pinion track. The train covers the distance of 46 kms in 4-5 hours, passing through 16 tunnels & rumbling over tall girder bridges on its way to Ooty. Apparently, the breathtaking views are not easily forgotten. Ooty has a challenging 18-hold golf course, one of the most sought after in India because of its scenic beauty & breathtaking views. There is also an artificial lake which encompasses an area of 65 acres which was used for fishing at one time, but now it is used for pleasure boating. The Ooty Lake complex has a mini train, lake gardens & an amusement park. Other attractions in the area include many scenic view points, waterfalls, trekking, & tribal Toda villages.

More info on Ooty can be found here: http://www.ooty.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooty

Footnote: I had high hopes but was disappointed in our stay in Ooty. We arrived late afternoon on day one & because of the isolated location of our hotel, the rest of that day was wasted. We did see the two churches & the botanical garden & what there is of the downtown the next morning before we left, but we missed several major sites such as the lake & couple important colonial buildings. It certainly was no Cameron Highlands (in Malaysia).