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Ooty

''Ooty, is also known as "Udhagamandalam". It’s been rightly titled as the as Queen of Hills. Ooty, the headquarters of The Nilgiris district is one of the famous hill stations in India. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above mean sea level. The word Nilgiris means Blue Mountains.
It is a land of picturesque picnic spots and had been a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days. There are plenty of interesting tourist spots like Botanical Gardens, Lakes, Boat houses, water falls, shooting spots, Wildlife Sanctuary, Tea estates and many more. ''

Ooty nestles in an amphitheater created by four majestic hills-Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill. These hills are part of the Nilgiri ranges that are really the meeting point for the Western and the Eastern Ghats.

Ooty has become more of a 'honeymooner’s paradise' and a de-facto filming location. Apart from coffee and tea plantations, trees like conifers, pine and wattle dot the hillside of Oooty and its environs. While visiting you will also come across many eucalyptus trenches . The fresh smell of eucalyptus trees in a trendy and clement breeze will make you psychedelic for sure. The funnel-shaped blossoms covering the hills in floral profusion and the lavender-blue flowers spread over the mountains will pack you with memories for a lifetime.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Ooty is November and March, however you can also visit Ooty during April-June, but during this period the hill station remains a bit crowded.

PLACES AROUND OOTY

Mariamman Temple - Located near the Ooty Market, this temple is dedicated to a local deity- goddess of rain. The art work on the temple is admirable.

Botanical Garden - Botanical gardens are a major tourist attraction for those who visit Ooty, one of the most popular hill stations of India. Dodabetta peak, which is the highest point in Ooty.

Government Museum- The Government Museum At Ooty The government museum, Mysore Road, Ooty has items of tribal objects, district's ecological details and representative sculptural arts and crafts of Tamil Nadu. It was set up in 1989, with a view to provide education benefits to the residing.

Ooty Lake - This beautiful lake was constructed in the year 1825 by the then collector of Coimbatore to provide better irrigation facilities to the people. This charming lake offers boating and fishing activities for its visitors.

St. Stephens Church - Built during 1830, it is probably the oldest in the Nilgiri region. The cemetery close to the church houses the grave of founder of Ooty, John Sullivan and is important for historic point of view.

Dodabetta Peak - Standing at an altitude of 2,623 meters, it is the highest point in the district. This offers some amazing views of the picturesque valleys and Nilgiri hill ranges.

Summer Festival - The Summer Festival is held every year during the month of May in the beautiful Botanical Garden. Various cultural events and flowers shows are the prime features of this festival.

CLIMATE

The hill resort experiences pleasant weather throughout the year. Its summer are generally cool with a temperature variance 25 and 10 degrees C. During winters the average temperature varies between 21 and 5 degrees C. The hill town receives an average annual rainfall of 121 cms. The most ideal time to visit is between February to May and September to November.

HOW TO REACH THERE

Air: Coimbatore Airport is the nearest one at a distance of 105 km from Ooty.

Rail: Ooty Railway Station is on the narrow gauze railway line and is at a distance of 2km from the city centre. The other major railhead is at Mettupalayam(46km). The famous Toy Train also connects Ooty with Mettupalayam and Coonoor.

Road: A network of roads and national highways connects the hill resort with all major destinations of Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. City buses, taxis and auto rickshaws are available for travelling within the city.