Ooty Hills Tamil Nadu

Called the Queen of Hill Stations picturesque, green Udhagamandalam better known, as Ooty is the most popular hill station in the South. Located in the Western ghats at a height of 2240m, Udhagamandalam is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district where the two ghats ranges meet. Nature has been generous with this region, which is by far the most beautiful in the state. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like confiers, eucalptus, pine and wattle dot the hillside in Udhagamandalam and its encirons. Summer temperature is rarely higher than 25°c with a minimum of 10°c and winter is are distinctly cooler with a high of 21°c and a low 5°c. Curiously enough, this slice of paradise remained unknown to the great southern dynasties and it took the British to discover it in the early 1800s. They were, however, not the first inhabitants of this land as a tribe called Todas had been living there long before the British came, claiming that the Nilgiris had been their home since time immemorial. But the credit for modernising Udhagamandalam and making it accessible goes to the British who constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Madras Presidency./p>

oty with smaller hill stations of Coonoor - 19 kms and Kothagiri 31 kms from Ooty are the other hill stations of this district. Nilgiri is India's first biosphere. It has been declared as one of the 14 'hotspots' of the world because of its unique bio-diversity. Nilgiri presents a truly breath taking kaleidoscope of visual treats and soul stirring experience.

Ooty or Udagamandalam (the Tamil version of the original name) rightly described as "Queen of Hill Stations" by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, now sprawls over an area of 36 sq km with a number of tall buildings cluttering its hill slopes. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level.

Udhagamandalam, this Queen of hill stations, otherwise known as Ooty, is in the Nilgiri mountain ranges of Tamil Nadu. At a height of 2,268 meters, Ooty is known for its salubrious climate and scenic beauty. For residents of the south it is a delightful place to escape from the oppressive summer heat.

Ooty is characterized by rolling meadows, gardens and lakes vaguely reminiscent of England. It still retains something of the Raj in its cottages and stone churches. The Botanical gardens, with 2,000 species of plants of a magnificent flower show was landscaped and established in 1847 by the Marquis of Tweepdale. A fossil of a tree trunk is a unique exhibit here for it is belived to be 20 million years old. There is also an artificial lake where facilities for boating are available. Pony rides, minitrains rides, and quiet walks amidst the forest roads are other temptations. The highest peak in the Nilgiri range is Doddabetta, 2.623 mts in height and 10 km from the main town. From here one can have a fine view of Ooty city, Gundalpet, Coonoor, Wellington and and Mysore on a clear day. Ooty can be reached by a toy train from Mettupalayam which is connected by main rail and highways from Coimbatore, Bangalore and Mysore.