Area : 36-sq-kms
Population : 8,1763 (1991 Census)
Altitude : 2,240 metres above sea Level
Clothing Light woollen in summer and heavy woollen during winter
Languages Spoken: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and English
STD Codes : 0423
Ooty - Intrduction :
Ooty, located on the blue heights of the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, is a very popular summer destination in South India. Situated at a height of over 2200 meters, Ooty offers a cool and relaxing getaway, to a green and refreshing environment.Holiday in Ooty Ooty is known for its beautiful botanical gardens, which are a delight to the eye. Rows of fragrant flowers, exotic plants and rare flora from around the world can be seen at the botanical gardens in the summer destination of Ooty, which are a treat to the eye. There are also many tea gardens in and around Ooty, which add to the verdant ambience of the countryside. Ooty is the venue of an annual tea and tourism festival, which brings together tea tasters from around the world. You can enjoy tasting the many different varieties of tea grown in Ooty on summer destinations tours of India.Located 105 Kilometers from Coimbatore, Ooty, is a scenic hill station, with many beautiful viewpoints and hills, from where you can see the surrounding countryside. The mini garden, Rose Garden, Ooty Lake and Kalahasti Falls are other popular tourist attractions in Ooty India. The summer festival in Ooty is a very popular tourist event, with flower shows and cultural events making this laid back hill station come to life.Ooty is a great venue for adventure activity, such as trekking, nature walks, bird watching, hang gliding and angling.
History of Ooty :
Ooty passed hands from Tippu Sultan to the East India Company from Tipu Sultan by the treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Though it was in 1603 that the first European visited the Nilgiri hills by the name of Rev. Jacome Forico who was a priest, it was not until 1822, that Ooty was finally founded. John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore, is credited as its founder who encouraged settlement here by building a Stone House, today known as 'Kal Bangla'.
Accessibility :
By Air : Coimbatore, 105 km from Ooty, is the nearest airport. Indian Airlines has flight to Coimbatore from Bangalore, Cochin and Chennai. The Blue Mountain Express to Ooty is from Mettupalayam (47 km).
By Rail : Mettupalayam at a distance of 40 kms is the nearest railhead. Ooty has its own railhead at a distance of 8 kms, which receives only toy trains.
By Road : All the important towns of Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka are connected to Ooty by road.
Places to See :
Botanical Gardens : Laid out in 1847, the Government Botanical Gardens is the most beautiful jewel on the crown of the "Queen of Hill Stations". There are over 650 species of plants housed in the garden. The fossil of a tree trunk believed to be 20 million years old is preserved here. The garden spread over 22 hectares possess lush green lawns, six sections comprising varieties of tree species, variety of ferns, fashioned beds, an Italian formal garden, flowering plants, house ferns, orchids and nurseries.
Ooty Lake View : The lake is another major attraction and boating is very popular here. The artificial lake, shimmering under the gentle sun is a popular site for the tourists. Pony rides are available along the road skirting of the lake.
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary : Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary offers a leisurely ride on elephant-back through its forest trails, with a view of varied flora and fauna, as well as ever-changing symphonies of birdsong.
Botanical Gardens : Ooty Art Gallery : It is situated about 2 km from Ooty on way to Mysore. The Art Gallery has various collections of contemporary paintings, items of tribal objects, district's ecological details and representative sculptural arts and crafts of Tamilnadu.
Nasiyan Jain Temple : Nasiyan Jain Temple is located on Prithvi Raj Road and devoted to the first Jain Tirthankara, Rishabhdeoji. The temple is greatly revered by the Digambar sect of Jains. There is a museum alongside the temple. The construction of the temple began in 1864 and opened to the public in 1895.
