Every crevice of every slope of every hill is a potential waterfall. But denudation of forests for tea and potato cultivation has drastically reduced the amount of rainfall. In spite of this, there are a number of perennial waterfalls, some a mere trickle in summer. But one, which is not so small, is the Cathadahalla, also called Kotagiri Aruvi (waterfall in Tamil), a stream south of Kotagiri. This is the Catherine Falls seen from Lamb’s Rock and Dolphin’s Nose on the other side of the valley. It drops 250ft., making it the second highest falls in the Nilgiris after the 400 feet falls in Kulakombe. It is 6 km. On a winding road, going down and down and from Aravenu (aria- rocky in the Badaga language), an important centre for tea

Aravenu is 5 km. form Kotagiri on the Kotagiri Mettupalayam Ghat Road, surrounded by vast tea estates. One road from Aravenu goes to Kotagiri, one to Jakkanarai, and one to Chtherine Falls, which can be seen after traveling down a steep road to Mavukarai where a two minute walk to the view point and a 10 minute walk to the falls can be easily reached. The 80m. (250 ft.) falls drops into the Coonoor River, which becomes the Kallar River as it nears Mettupalayam. He viewpoint on Dolphin’s Nose showed you the falls, now you can see Dolphin’s Nose from here. The road is newly laid, excellent, motorable, and a 2 minute walk through a tea estate takes you to the falls. The whole rock face is covered with water after the northeast monsoon rains in November. It is well worth visiting

Eik Falls is 7 km. from Kotagiri below Uyilhatti. John Sulivan’s house at Dimhatti is enroute. But these falls have water only in the monsoon. From here one has a good view of Kookal, once famous for its oranges. The whole hillside used to be green and orange. But because of pest infestation, organges are not grown here anymore

Longwood Shola is 2 km. from Kotagiri. Earlier known as Doddashola (big forest), it is pure primeval forest of 116 hectares. A major water source for 15 villages, plenty of birds can be found here

Another road leads to Betlada. Here there is a Silaikallu temple. Two huge stones carved with figures of horsemen and men with axes are presumed to be more than 10,000 years old. Betlada is a well- to- do Badaga village. The temple itself if fairly new as a result of a Badaga elder’s dream that he should build the athaimane here. As the temple is considered very powerful no woman is allowed to go near the temple. The locals say that there are many silaikallus and virakallus in the near by shoals. The place is out of bounds to both young and old except once a year. In March, on amavasai ( the new moon), villagers from miles round sacrifice goats in the shoals, one for each village, or more if someone has made a vow to do so. Dressed in pure white, only dhotis and shirts are allowed. No trousers and no footwear. Non- vegetarian food is not allowed to be eaten that day. The whole idea is to be pure in mind and body

You are in the Kotagiri (Kota- a tribe and giri- mountain) area at a height of 6511 ft. (1983 m.). while the direct road from Ooty to Coonoor is only 19 km., the winding road via Kotagiri is 53 km. in an easterly direction. Kotagiri to Mettupalayam is 33 km. All vehicles use this road to Mettupalayam when landslides block the Coonoor Mettupalayam Road. Traffic is also diverted to this road when VVIPs travel by road to Oot. The compensation for traveling the extra distance is very little traffic and enchanting views of tea estates and forests

In 1823 the bridle path to Kotagiri and Dimhatti from Sirumugai near Mettupalayam was completed. The ghat road was built in 1872 but not used much. Dimhatti in Kotagiri is the first place where Europeans built houses in 1821. John Sullivan, the moving force in developing the Nilgiris, built his house here in 1819 in Kanerimuku before he built his stone house in Ooty. The house is now dilapidated and supposedly used to store potatoes. The cemetery in Kotagiri has the graves of Catherine (of Catherine Falls fame) and her husband M.D. Cockburn. They were amongst the earliest European settlers in this area

Kotagiri remains a poor cousin of Ooty and a step sister of Coonoor in spite of having the best climate in the Nilgiris, and the best climate in the world after Switzerland. There is a saying that Coonoor people die at 80, Ooty people die at 100, but Kotagiri people never die

The Doddabetta Range protects Kotagiri from the heavy monsoon rains. It has not developed much since the days of John Sullivan who built the first bungalow here, and is still a very small town. The house is almost impossible to locate and is supposedly used by the Badagas to store hay and potatoes

The Kamataraya temple at Aggal village, 2 km. from Kotagiri, is still open for worship every month, the annual festival in January being a very important event for all the Kodas

The Kodanadu View Point, on the same road as the falls, is 16 km. from Kotagiri through the Kodanad tea estate. You can see the river Mayaru or Moyar, the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka borders and the plains, the eastern slopes of the Nilgiri mountains, the Thengumarahada Valley northeast of Ooty (one of the sanctuaries for the endangered black buck), the Bhavanisagar dam, the Rangaswami Peak and the Rangaswami Pillar with its footprints and depression where a small plane crashed into the mountain several years back. Do not try to climb down from the viewpoint though there is a path and the descent looks easy. Many lives have been lost due to dehydration eating poisonous berries etc

There is a small Toda settlement here, mostly modern houses with their original temple right on the side of the road. The Kotagiri- Kodanad town bus goes right up to the view- point almost every hour on the half hour from6 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. The fare is Rs. 5 Travel time is 3 hours going up and 2 and a half hours coming back as it is mostly downhill. Badly maintained buses with torn seats and littered interiors are jam packed. The last bus is at 7.30 pm. The road is excellent

The telescope at the viewpoint will cost you Rs. 5. The telescopic view is of the Rangaswami pillar, which can be seen with the naked eye, the Rangaswami temple, the Kodanadu waterfalls and the Thengumarada cooperative village where each family is given 4 acres to cultivate. It is better to carry your own binoculars. The real view below is marvelous and free especially if you have chosen a mist free day

The Rallia Hill midway between Ooty and Kotagiri is 2248 m. high in a reserved forest area. The Rallia Dam on the Kotagiri- Coonoor Road, just off Banthimai village, is a good picnic spot. There is a Muncipal Rest House here. The main source of water supply to Coonoor, the water flows by gravity to the Gray’s Hill and Mount Pleasant reservoirs. Another road is more direct downhill. On the Wellingtorn Road, either from Upper Coonoor or Lower Coonoor, turn left after going 3 km. This road joins the Kotagiri- Mettupalayam Road and goes to Rallia Dam. The casual visitor will have a problem reaching the place as the sign has been painted over. It is 13 km. from Sim’s Park. Take a left at the arch of the Yeddapalli High School, 5 km. from Sim’s Park. The road is narrow but newly laid. After 1.5 km. this road joins the Kotagiri- Mettupalayam Road where the milestone says Kotagiri 16 km., Mettupalayam 49 km. The drive to the dam is through reserved forests. It is better to go in large groups as the road is deserted. The road climbs up, then goes down to the dam. Supposedly you need permission from the Coonoor Muncipal Office to see the dam, but there is no one to check there. A left turn just before the dam takes you to the grassy edge of the dam. Though the road is not too good in stretches, it is still a worthwhile place to visit

The dam’s foundation was laid in 1935 and it was inaugurated in 1941. A number of fighting scenes in the film Roja were shot here. There is a Toda settlement here within a fairly short distance but you have to walk through a very lonely path

The conical Rangaswami Peak at a height of 5855 ft. can be seen clearly from the plains and from the Kodanadu View Point. Legend has it that the God Rangaswami who lived in Karamadai, between Mettupalayam and Coimbatore, quarreled with his wife and came to live here alone. It is the most sacred peak in the Nilgiris, sacred to the Irulas, Badagas and Kurumbas. There are two shrines, one for Lord Ranga and the other for his consort. Two footprints can be seen on the rock. The hereditary priest is an Irula. Two stonebasins filled with ghee are lighted on May 1st the right of the annual festival. The flames can be seen for miles around. Rangaswmai pillar, which is a sheer rock pillar 400 ft. high, standing all by itself, is northwest of Rangaswami Peak. It is possible to reach the bottom of the pillar but you will have to be unusually adventurous