Tourist Details of Ooty - Udhagamandalam - Ooty, Tamil Nadu

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.

Ooty also known as Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of hill stations" and the capital of Nilgiris district. It is one of the most popular tourist resorts in India. Nilgiris means "Blue Mountains". It is a land of picturesque picnic spots. Used to be popular summer and weekend getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level.

An added attraction for the tourists to Udagamandalam is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and wends its way through many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens.

Head for the hills! Ooty, or Udhagamandalam as it is now officially known was founded by the British in the mid - 19th century. Located at an altitude of 2,240 metres above sea-level, Udhagamandalam has salubrious weather all around the year. It's no wonder then that thousands of tourists flock here, year after year.

One can notice a marvellous change in vegetation, as one goes from Kallar to Coonoor. The establishment of numerous tea estates made Ooty famous. Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the passengers on most routes. The annual Tea and Tourism Festival attracts crowds in huge numbers.

Lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles and miles of tea gardens greet the passengers on most routes.

Udhagamandalam (Ooty), the capital of Nilgiri district, is popularly known as the "Queen of hill stations' among the tourist circuits. It is situated at a distance of 105 km away from Coimbatore. The height of the hills in the Nilgiri range varies between 2280 and 2290 metres, the highest peak being Doddabetta at a height of 2623 metres.

If you want to find a cove simple and charming enough for a romantic getaway, there is hardly any place to match the beauty of Ooty. This is one of the most beautiful places that you will ever have the fortune of visiting.

Ooty is situated in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Many of the forested areas and water bodies are off limits to most visitors in order to protect this fragile ecosystem. Some areas of the Biosphere Reserve have been earmarked for Tourism Development, and steps are being undertaken to open these areas to visitors whilst conserving the area. Generally tourists are encouraged to observe any local signage and not to enter reserved forests and protected areas. Much of Ooty has already been damaged by rampant commercialisation as a result of tourism. Some steps are being introduced to limit the impact of pollution by tourists in the biosphere reserve such as making the area a plastic-free zone. This largely applies to plastic bags.

Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam or Nilagiri, which stands 7,349 feet above sea level in the Nilgiris, is known as the Queen of southern hill resorts of India. Ooty, as it is popularly known, spreads over 36 square miles and offers a picturesque green feast for the eyes. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, eucalyptus, pine and wattle line the hillside in Udhagamandalam and its environs.

It is believed that the name Nila, has been in use for over 800 years since, the King of the Hoysalas Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled from 1104 to 1141 AD seized the Nilgiris Plateau. His general Ponisia recorded this fact in 1117 AD with mention of Todas. The name Nilgiri was due to the blue haze, which envelops the range with most distant hills of considerable size.

This Nilgiri territory came into possession of the East India Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest was the first European who visited Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place and people of Nilgiris.

In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the top of the plateau. In 1818, Wishand Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report to the Collector of Coimbatore Mr. John Sullivan. Settlement in Udhagamandalam began in 1822 with the construction of the Stone House by John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore. The bungalow, which is locally called "Kal Bangla", is one of the landmarks of Udhagamandalam and is now the Chamber of the Principal of the Government Arts College.

Ooty pronunciation, short for Ootacamund pronunciation (the official name is Udhagamandalam, sometimes abbreviated to Udhagai, is a city, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Ooty or Udhagamandalam, the capital of Nilgiri district, is popularly known as the "Queen of hill stations' among the tourist circuits. Situated at a distance of 105 km away from Coimbatore, Ooty is a lovely place with lofty mountains, dense forest, sprawling grasslands and miles of tea gardens. Situated at an altitude of 2,240 m above sea level, Ooty is a land of picturesque picnic spots.

An added attraction for the tourists to Ooty / Udagamandalam is the mountain train journey, which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and wends its way Nilgiri Hills - Ootythrough many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation, gurgling streams and tea gardens.

If you holiday in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, you will find the Queen of South India Hill resorts - Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam, commonly known as Ooty. Situated 7,349 feet above sea level in the Nilgiri Hills, Ootacamund extends over 36 square miles and is green with coffee and tea plantations, and various species of trees such as pine, eucalyptus and wattle. Originally inhabited by tribal people known as the Todas, Ooty was developed as a hill resort by the British in the early 1800's when it became the summer capital of Madras Presidency. even today retains a flavour of colonial times, with beautiful bungalows, quaint cottages, the Ootacamund Club, the Nilgiri Library, St Stephens Church and a cemetery. The Ootacamund Derby, which attracts the best racing talent in India, is a popular holiday attraction

Front of Ootacamund Club, 1905

The Nilgiri Hills were part of Chera Empire in ancient times. later it fell in to the hand of Ganga dynasty. and then Hoysala empire under king Vishnuvardhana in the 12th century. They then became part of the Kingdom of Mysore of Tipu Sultan who later surrendered them to the British in the 18th century.

John Sullivan, the British governor of neighbouring Coimbatore province, liked the climate of this forested land, and occupied it by taking land from the native tribes (Toda, Irumba and Badaga); often buying up many square kilometres in a day for the price of a few meals.

The hills were developed rapidly under the British Raj because they were almost entirely owned by private British citizens, unlike the rest of India. Ooty served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency, and had winding hill roads and a complicated rack railway system built by influential and enterprising British citizens with venture capital from the Madras government.

It is believed the Blue Mountains appear so because of the vast Nilgiri forest surrounding them.

One Man's Ooty

Gnarled, knobbed and twisted, Sullivan's oak is an appropriate metaphor for Ootacamund. On the one hand it is apparent that the tree has been much better years; a 1905 photograph capture it standing tall, robust and bushy before what were then the Secretariat offices. On the other, it has survived the ravages of time; look closer and you will discover that its branches have a tangled beauty and that its alternate leaves glow softly in the wintry sun.

John Sullivan, the man who founded Ooty, planted this oak over 150 years ago in front of what was then his residence, Stonehouse. Over the years, Stonehouse was subsumed in flurry of construction for the office of the Secretariat. And today, these offices have become the Government Arts College ? a tale of change and continuity that is very much the story of Ooty

John Sullivan

Identifying Stone House. When you are caught in the snarl and disorder that is Commercial Street; are suffocated settle on the town in a noisy swarm; or are looking at the 'morden' box-like houses that are strung out on the town in a pattern that resembles terrace cultivation; you can't help wondering whether Sullivan's Ooty has vanished forever. Yes it is lost. But yes, it also survives. If you are armed with a sketch of an original ground plan and elevation of Stonehouse, you can identify the exact portions of the old residence- the very first European house in Ootacamund' that were incorporated with the Secretariat office building. If you walk through the over ground and beautifully unkempt cemetery at St. Stephens, which lies on a small outcrop behind what must be one of the country's prettiest churches, you will find the graves of Sullivan?s wife, Henrietta, and his 16-year-old daughter, Harriet. They died within 10 days of each other in 1838.

The famous 'Ooty Lake' that serpentine stretch of water that has deteriorated in to a sewer-was Sullivan's creation too. He dammed a stream in order to collect water for the nearby fields, but somehow it never developed in to the headwater of an irrigation system. Half the lake was appropriate and filled in for the racecourse, but the other half still remains one of the remains one of the main tourist attractions in the hill station. But as Reverend Philip Mulley suggests, his real legacy goes well beyond a building that endures here or a crumbling grave that survives there. 'His impact is evident almost every where,' says Mulley, who has keen interesting the history and sociology of the Nilgiris.

It was Sullivan who revolutionised agricultural practice in these mountains, there by changing the face of the local economy. He did this not merely through the introduction of tea (which was commercialised only years after his death), but by freely distributing speed for a large assortment of cereals, fruit and vegetables. He brought in European varieties of wheat and barley (which the Badagas knew as Sullivan ganji), vegetables such as cabbage, radish and turnip and fruits such as peach, apple and strawberry. It was Sullivan who persuaded the initially skeptical Directors of the East India Company to develop the Nilgiris as a sanatorium for sick British troops. And it was Sullivan again who encouraged the construction of the early Ghat roads up in to the hills. As anthropologist and Nilgiris expert Paul Hockings has noted 'His impact was widespread and permanent.' Golf ( 100 years origin). The originator of golf at Ootacamund was Colonel Ross Thompson, R.E. who brought it in 1889,from banglore, when he had been transferred as Executive Engineer, Nilgiri district. He began with a few holes, partly in the ground of the A.B.C., and partly on the adjacent land belonging to the Hobart Park. These pioneer link were used principally by ladies but owing to one cause and another they did not find much favour. In consequence of this, Colonel Ross Thompson, brigadier - general Van Straubenzee,and Colonel Straker R.A., selected, some time in February of the following years, a site near the municipal rubbish depot and the road out to the Governor's Shola, on which links consisting of eighteen holes were laid out. the starting point of the course was on the slope above the turn on the road the lake, to the west of Woodstock.

Golf Ground & Shooting Spot Ooty

In march 1891, Colonel Fane Sewell, then honorary Secretary of the Blue Mountains Tennis and Cricket Club, which was the result of the amalgamation of the revived the playing of golf on the Hobart Park, by obtaining the permission of the municipal council, as the custodian of the ground, onto form on it a course of nine holes. In his application he wrote "the royal and ancient Game of golf is now became a very popular one in which part of the community is nearly certain towish to participate" These links I can remember. For a time, these were used frequently by ladies and a few men, but also very lasting intrest was taken in them. Those seriously professing golf all went to the links on the downs, of which restriction has been made on the previous page, and that formed a club, which united with the present Gymkhana, in September 1896. The Municipal corner links as they were usually called by the polite the impolite had another, and perhaps more appropriate name for them were used until June 11 1899, when owing party to the annoyance frequently caused by the evil smells issuing from the rubbish depot, and partly to a wish to have a better course.

It was resolved, at the meeting of golfing member of the Gymkhana club to request the General Committee to permit removal of the golf ground to another part of the downs. The sanction sought was accorded, and the existing links, which until recently consisted of fifteen holes, were then constructed, the old course being abandoned. They start from the eastern end of the "Cockey's Course". Which is by no means level ground and are laid over some rather broken country. They are, I believe, considered by practiced golfers quite satisfactory. Whether they are or not, any one restoring to them obtaining plenty of fresh air, and a lovely view of the Kunda range, with a long sweep of shoals and rolling downs as a foreground. I can call to mind the outcry against the new links when they were first started and the abuse showered on the man a scot who was at the bottom of the move, on the ground that the course laid out, mainly at his suggestion was exceeding difficult, and at a terrible distance from Ootacamund.

Commencing from 1929, water was pumped by a hydraulic ram from the stream in the valley and storage tank and feeder pipes were installed in 1970 from when the pumping was done electrically and the browns gradually changed to greens.

From 1906, the amateur golf champion ship is held annually during the summer season. The first winner was major quinton and R.B. Carrick has the distinction of having won it nine time between 1914 and 1929. In recent years several major tournaments have been organized on the links. A leading golfer of the country after having won a major tournament here said that the Ooty golf course was one of the best course to practice in the country because of its peculiar conditions. The 18 holes courser is located at a height of about 7,4000 feet, width a par of 70 over 6,207 yard. The science beauty and breathtaking views make the course one of the most sought after in India. Hundreds of movies in several Indian language have been shot on these links too.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Udhagamandalam had a population of 93,921. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Udhagamandalam has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5% male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 75%. In Udhagamandalam, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.

The Government Gardens, Horticultural Societies
Introduction of some of the better known Trees and Plants.

The earliest gardens of any size or importance in Ootacamund were those attached to Stonehouse and Southdown, both originally owned by Mr. J. Sullivan. The former of these was, for over six years, held on lease by Government, and a latter was the property of the State for ten years, dating from December 1829. The Garden were maintained by Government, who employed a comparatively larger staff for this purpose. They appear however to have been more of an ornamental than useful character, and the general public derived no benefit from them.

During the time the Ootacamund was under military controls, considerable cultivation of vegetables for the market was carried on by so- called settlers and others, but towards the end of this epoch, which closed in 1841, there were a great falling off, due no doubt to lack of demand arising from the abandonment of the place as a military sanitarium. The present Government Gardens had their origin in one which was established in 1845, by subscription amongst the European residents, for the purpose of supplying themselves with vegetables, at a reasonable cost. The site occupied was, so it has been ascertained, the spot immediately below the ornamental pond close to the band stand, and now forming part of the lawn, planted with exotic trees, which faces one on entering the Gardens. Captain molyneux, of the 2nd European Regiment, managed it, The subscribers paying Rs.3 a month, and receiving their vegetables free of charge. In less than a couple of years times, however, this arrangement was found not to work so satisfactorily as had been expected, and, early in 1847, a fund was raised, by means of donations and subscriptions, with a view to form a Horticultural Society, and start a Public Garden.

Ooty is famous for its healthy climate and scenic beauty. For residents of the south it is a delightful place to escape to from the oppressive summer heat. The best thing about Ooty is that it combines the peace and serenity of a hill station with the comforts of urban life. Ooty's colonial legacy extends to very nook and corner, and nowhere is it more apparent than in the Ooty club that is beyond compare.

This region is entirely a group of mountains which are Natural sky scrappers. The Mountains are so high, such that we can see the clouds crossing the way when we Travel. Another important experience which every Traveler gets when they come here is the Dangerous, but thrilling Hair-pin Bends. Our mind would record an excellent scenic Beauty which is immortal when we Travel through this way.

Not only the sceneries But also the minute frame work of Tamil Nadu Roadways and valuable support provided by Tourism development corporation of Tamil Nadu is seen. Man's desires are endless, But the search of satisfaction and peace is what he seeks in this modern world. This place is definitely such a place where we can forget ourselves by loitering in lawns, fishing, playing Golf & tennis etc. Nature made Udhagamandalam is definitely a different place in this man made world of inventions.

It is believed that the name Nila, has been in use for over 800 years since, the King of the Hoysalas Vishnu Vardhana, who ruled from 1104 to 1141 AD seized the Nilgiris Plateau. His general Ponisia recorded this fact in 1117 AD with mention of Todas. The name Nilgiri was due to the blue haze, which envelops the range with most distant hills of considerable size.

This Nilgiri territory came into possession of the East India Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the treaty of Srirangapatnam in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest was the first European who visited Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place and people of Nilgiris. In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the top of the plateau.

In 1818, Wishand Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report to the Collector of Coimbatore Mr. John Sullivan. Settlement in Udhagamandalam began in 1822 with the construction of the Stone House by John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore. The bungalow, which is locally called "Kal Bangla", is one of the landmarks of Udhagamandalam and is now the Chamber of the Principal of the Government Arts College.

Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. The origin of the name Ootacamund is obscure, but "mund" is the Badaga word for a Toda village, and it is probably a corruption of the Badaga name for the central region of the Nilgiri Plateau. Another likely origin of the stem of the name ("Ootaca") comes from the local language Tamil where "Otta-Cal" literally means "Single Stone". This is perhaps a reference to a sacred stone revered by the local Toda people. Udhagamandalam is a more recent official Tamil name for the town. Ooty stands at an approximate height of 7,440 feet (2,268 metres) above sea level. Contents [hide]

Tourism Industry

Located in the mountainous range called the Blue Mountains or Nilgiris, Ooty draws a large number of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasant at a mean of 15 to 20 'C (59 to 68 'F) year round, dropping to lows of 0 'C (32 'F) during winter. The hill town suffers from rampant commercialisation and various other ecological and infrastructural issues.

The landscape is marked by rolling hills and plateaus covered with dense vegetation, tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests, and special permits are needed to camp outside of campgrounds. Ooty is more of a focal point of attraction for tourists, who also undertake auto tours of the surrounding countryside.

The hilly region also houses smaller towns like Coonoor and Kotagiri. These towns are less than an hour's drive away from Ooty and enjoy the same climate, but have fewer tourists and cheaper prices.

Local Economy

Ooty is also a district headquarters. Though much of the local economy is now dominated by tourism, Ooty still is a supply base and market town for the surrounding area which is still largely dependant on agriculture, notably the cultivation of "English Vegetables" which are grown here because of the cool climates. This primarily consists of potato, carrot, cabbage and cauliflower. There is a daily wholesale auction of these products at the Ooty Municipal Market. Dairy farming has long been present in the area and there is a cooperative dairy in Ooty manufacturing cheese and skimmed milk powder.

As a result of the local agricultural industry, some research institutes are based in Ooty. These include a soil conservation centre and a potato research farm. Efforts are being made to diversify the range of local crops and subsequently some Floriculture and Sericulture is being introduced in the local area, as well as the cultivation of mushrooms.

The only significant manufacturing industry is Hindustan Photo Films, the erstwhile photo film manufacturer in India. This is located on the outskirts of the town at Indu Nagar. Other manufacturing industries are located in the wider area. The most significant of these are in Ketti (manufacture of needles); Aruvankadu (manufacture of cordite) and Coonoor (manufacture of rabies vaccine).

There is some cottage industry activity in the area including chocolate manufacture and carpentry.

Though the local area is known for tea cultivation, this is neither grown nor processed in Ooty. Tea is grown at slightly lower altitude and hence Coonoor and Kotagiri are local centres of tea cultivation and processing.

The 'queen of hill stations', or 'Snooty Ooty' to generations of English, is not what it was. The Nilgiri Hills (nila, blue, plus girl, hills) around are still beautiful and the climate is as refreshing as ever. The Botanical Gardens are outstanding and the Chennai Turf Club organizes races during the season (mid- April to mid- June). Outdoor pursuits include fishing (carp in the lake and trout in the streams), golf and walking; details from the tourist office. Ooty is at an altitude of 2286m, and despite being so close to the equator temperatures drop nearly to zero at night in winter.

Ooty's claim to a place in history is guaranteed, oddly enough, by snooker. The game was developed by bored British officers including Neville Chamberlain, later the British Prime Minister, in the club in the closing years of the 19th century. The name has recently been indianised to Udhagamandalam but will be at least 50 years before anyone other than civil servants and the most ardent nationalists call it anything but Ooty.

Laying the Foundation

Sullivan didn't 'discover' the Nilgiris, but he was the first to see its potential as a sanatorium and he laid the foundations that changed the social and economic face of these hills. Other European had been up before. An enigmatic Jesuit priest, father Fininicio, made The first expedition in 1603. He made the journey up from Calicut, but all that remains of his visit to Todamala is a small fragment that reveals he tried to converse with the Badagas about Christianity and that he gave 'Toda women looking glasses and hanks of thread, with which they were very much pleased'. Two centuries later, after the British had annexed Mysore, There were other expeditions by men such as Buchanan, Mackenzie, keys and MacMohan, some of them reaching only the lower slopes.

It was in 1818 that two youthful Assistant collectors of Coimbatore, Whish and Kindersley, made it to the made it to the Nilgiris plateau. It is not clear what took then up. One story goes they may have been on a shooting expedition, another that they chasing tobacco smugglers. Their account of their explorations, which were of a place that was cool and teeming with the game and wildfowl, stoked the interest of the boss. Sullivan, who was then the permanent Collector of Coimbatore, made the ascent the following year. The letter he wrote from the 'Neilgherry hills' to Thomas Munro, who went on to become Governor of Madras, is ecstatic. 'This is the finest country ever'. It resembles I suppose Switzerland more than any other part of Europe the hills beautifully wooded and fine strong spring with running water in every valley..Within a few months, Sullivan had constructed a small cottage a Dimhutti, near Kotagiri. It had gone to ruin over the years, being used, among other things, as a cowshed; only recently was it restored by the district administration, thanks to the efforts of the environmental forum, the save Nilgiris Campaign, and the enthusiasm of an energetic Collector. Some years ago, D. Venugopal of the save Nilgiris Campaign, which has been at the forefront of keeping Sullivan?s memory alive, organized a trek that retraced the route he took up to the hills.

By 1822, Sullivan had started building stone house in what was then known as Wotokymond, acquiring land from the Todas at one rupee an acre. He would quickly corner huge tracts of land, many times more than all the other European settler put together. All the while ,Sullivan was peppering his superiors in Madras with letters about the unusually temperate and healthy climate in the Nilgiris and its suitability as a sanatorium. By 1828, there were some 25 European houses, not to mention churches and the houses of immigrants from the plains. This was also the year that Ooty was made a military cantonment. Sullivan?s dream of making it a sanatorium for British troops had been fulfilled, but the governments action meant that Ooty would no longer be in his control but in that of his rival Major William Kelso.

But Sullivan wasn't through with Ooty. After he finished his tenure as Collector of Coimbatore, he returned in his capacity as the Senior Member of the Board of Revenue of the Madras Presidency.

Liberal Views

What kind of man was he? The only surviving photograph presents a somewhat portly person, who seems both sad and sullen. The only way of piecing his personality together is from scanty official records. We know, for instance, that he was extremely well disposed towards the tribal population an attitude that brought him into conflict with senior Government officials. He argued, as early as 1832, that the 'natives should be entrusted with a great share in the administration of their own affairs'. Remarkably, he also advocated the view that the Todas had total proprietary rights over the lands in the Nilgiris plateau and that they must receive compensation for any land acquired from them. Considering the times he lived in, Sullivan's views suggest that he was an extraordinarily liberal man. H.B Grigg, in his A Manual of the Nilgiri District in the Madras Presidency (1880),describes him as a 'friend of the native'.

At the same time, Sullivan laid himself open to charges that he had used his position in government to acquire enormous personal wealth. He retired and left to England in 1841 and died unsung on January 16,1855 exactly 150 years to this day. 'Most people in Ooty do not even know he existed,'says lawyer and environmental activist B.J Krishnan'. But the important thing for the future of these hills is that we retain the spirit and energy of Sullivan'. The Save Nilgiris Campaign had planned a procession of tribals and a public meeting on January 16, 2005 open the occasion of his 150th death anniversary.

Udhagamandalam, the 'Queen of Hills' perched at an altitude of 7,500 feet, amidst the verdant Nilgiris or Blue Mountains was first discovered in 1819, by John Sullivan, the then collector of Coimbatore. The ambient beauty of Ooty, the most popular hill station of the South, lies in its peaceful ranges surrounded by a misty blue haze. The colonial legacy of this British developed hill resort is still reflected in its terraced Botanical Garden, private schools, Ooty club and churches.