Think about Tamil Nadu and the first picture that comes to mind is that of ancient Dravidian temples and beautiful beaches. But the tourism side of this metropolitan city has much more to offer. Referred to as the ‘Queen of hill stations’, Ooty aka Udhagamandalam is situated 7,347 feet above the sea level in the Nilgiri Mountains of Western Ghats. Ooty can be reached via long winding forested road or by hopping on Nilgiri Mountain Railway that passes through scenic locations. The naturally rich terrains of Ooty are a visual treat and draw numerous travelers to this hill town.The hill station constitutes of plenty of tourist attractions other than its natural beauty.
Botanical Gardens
Built by Marquees of Tweedale, Botanical Gardens, located on the lower slopes of the Doddabetta Peak, were laid out in 1847. The picturesque gardens are replete with over 650 species of plants and trees and cover an area of 22 acres over the peak. One of the major highlights of this garden is a fossilized tree that is believed to be over 20 million year old.
Government Rose Garden
Located on the slopes of Elk hill, Government Rose Garden is the largest rose garden in Ooty. The garden features 20,000 varieties of roses such as Miniature roses, Hybrid Tree roses, Polyanthas, Floribunda, Yakimour, Papagena and Floribunda among others. The garden is maintained by the Horticulture department of Tamil Nadu.
Doddabetta Peak
The highest mountain peak in the Nilgiri hills, Doddabetta peak stands at an elevation of 2,623 meters. There is an observatory on the peak top offering bird’s eye view of the hill station and the valley below. Doddabetta peak is quite hit among the photographers owing to its picturesque view and breathtaking beauty.
Ooty Lake
Encompassing an area of 65 acres, Ooty Lake is an artificial lake that stretches in the shape of letter L and is a prime attraction of this hill station. The lake offers several recreational activities such as boating ride and mini train ride, fishing etc. It also features a garden and an amusement park which makes it an ideal picnic spot for the visitors.
Wax World
Housed in a 142 year old bungalow, Wax World constitutes of a wax museum and art gallery featuring life size wax statues of eminent Indian personalities.
St. Stephens Church
Dating back to 19th century, the foundation stone of St. Stephens Church was laid by the Governor of Madras ‘Stephen Rumbold Lushington’ on 23rd April, 1829. While the eastern walls of this church is adorned with stainless glass paintings depicting Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, the western side feature portraits of last supper.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Built by the British in 1908, Nilgiri Mountain Railway carries visitors from Chennai to Ooty and still runs through steam locomotives. The railway junction is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as ‘Mountain Railway of India’. The famous Bollywood song ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ featuring Shahrukh Khan was filmed on the roof top of Nilgiri Mountain Railway.
Besides aforementioned attractions, Ooty allows travelers to partake in various adventure sports which include trekking, Hang gliding and Para-gliding.
