Ooty, or using its full official name, Udhagamandalam, has been described as the Queen of Hill Stations, and is located in the state of Tamil Nadu, Southern India, and is over 2,000 meters above sea level.
Origins of Ooty
Although the historic origins of this town go back many centuries, it most recently came to prominence in the nineteenth century when British administrators, based in Madras (now Chennai), which was one of the main regional power-bases in India, built their summer city. Madras was far too hot for the senior officers and civil servants in the summer, and so they encamped up to the mountains, leaving the junior officers and administrators to hold the fort.
Getting to Ooty
There are several ways of getting to Ooty. There is small train station (Mettupalayam) where there is a slow mountainside train that that eventually reaches Chennai: however the Indian railways are a treat for those that like leisurely travel, being the largest network in the world, and the most common long distance method of transport, some trains taking days to reach their destinations. The nearest mainline train station and airport are in Coimbatore, to which it is also possible to fly from international destinations.
From there Ooty can be reached via a mountain road, passing numerous tea plantations, forests, and curious monkeys that sit on the roadside looking at passengers – don’t get out of the car to say hello to these monkeys as they may well pinch your purse and run off into the jungle; however they rarely reach the top of the road as it is too cool. Interestingly enough, if you are a party of several people, it is not too expensive to hire a taxi from Chennai to Ooty and you can then stop off at interesting sites on the way. When in India, enjoy the leisured travel.
Ooty, in its current incarnation, was planned primarily by the British. There are many beautiful views and the town is a welcome haven from the hot and crowded cities. Many houses are in Victorian style. Churches compete with temples. Goats and Oxen roam the streets. There are bustling markets and cafes where one can have tiffin. The town is well reputed as a centre for education with several highly regarded boarding schools. It is a very clean and affluent town. A special treat is the fully operational so-called “English club” in Ooty – preserved almost as left by the former administrators: it is necessary for gentlemen to wear a jacket and tie to enter, and you will be served drinks on a silver tray as you wait for your meal.
Don’t complain if a log fire is burning near you when you eat your four course meal in the magnificent dining room with bespoke cutlery, the walls decorated by old black and white hunting, riding and fishing photos and plaques of past presidents and treasurers. However entry and membership is strictly by invitation only, so don’t expect to turn up on the door and demand entry, so if you want you need to find someone that is a member first. There is a large botanical garden and also a lake. The surroundings are in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and there are many wonderful forests, plantations and lakes to visit, although some are off limits to visitors to preserve the ecosystem.
This beautiful town is a fantastic oasis of peace, temperate weather, and beautiful buildings and nature, that is well worth visiting for several days.
