Mar 22, 2002 06:39 AM
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(Updated Mar 22, 2002 06:40 AM)
Ooty or Ootacamund or Udhagamangalam is a Queen among Queens, because it is totally different from the other Hill Stations like Mussorie, Nainital or even Kodai, which is not very far from Ooty.
Ootacamund's population is 89,000. This famous Hill Station in the Nilgiri Hills was founded by the British in the early part of the 19th Century to serve as the Summer Headquarters of the Madras Government. Before that time, the area was inhabited by the Todas, the tribal people, of which only about 15oo remain. The Ooty environs are dotted with Toda Huts. The Todas are polygamists and they worship buffaloes. You see their animist shrines in various places.
Ooty resembled some years ago some parts of southern England and Australia because of its single-storey cottages, winding lanes and tall eucalypt stands. The other main reminders of the British period are the Stone Churches.
All in all Ootacamund is best avoided these days unless you can afford to stay at one of the palaces. In winter the temperature is about Zero Degree C.
The Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is not very far from Ooty. So also the Monarch Safari Park.
Ooty is famous for very good Public Schools. The standard of education in these Public Schools is excellent.
I had visited Ooty with my family way back in 1960, when I was in Mysore. We had come to Karnataka's Bandipur Game Sanctuary, and from there we had come to Ooty by road. The best way is to come to Mettupalayam from Chennai and from there ride the small train to reach your dream destination. I have a friend in Chennai who belongs to Kotagiri in the Nilgiris. May be some day I will visit ooty with her.
