Ooty Udagamandalam | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Ootacamund | |
 .jpg)  | |
| Nickname: Queen of hill stations[1] | |
  Ooty | |
| Coordinates:11°25′N76°42′E / 11.41°N 76.70°E /11.41; 76.70 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| Region | Kongu Nadu |
| District | Nilgiris District |
| Established | 1821 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Special Grade Municipality |
| • Body | Udagamandalam Municipality |
| Area | |
• Total | 30.36 km2 (11.72 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2,240 m (7,350 ft) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
• Total | 88,430 |
| • Density | 2,913/km2 (7,544/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Ootian, Ootacamandian, Udaghaikaran |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 643001 |
| Tele | 91423 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-43 |
| Climate | Subtropical Highland(Köppen) |
| Precipitation | 1,100 mm (43 in) |
| Website | tnurbantree.tn.gov.in/ |
Ooty (Tamil:[uːʈ(ː)i]ⓘ; officiallyUdagamandalam (Tamil:[uðɐhɐmɐɳɖɐlɐm]),anglicized:Ootacamundlistenⓘ, abbreviated asUdagai,Tamil:[uðɐhɐi]) is a town andmunicipality in theNilgiris district of theIndianstate ofTamil Nadu. It is located 86 km (53 mi) northwest ofCoimbatore, and is the headquarters of Nilgiris district. Situated in theNilgiri hills, it is known by the epithet "King of all theHill Stations", and is a popular tourist destination.
Originally occupied by theToda people, the area came under the rule of theEast India Company in the 18th century. It later served as thesummer capital ofMadras Presidency. The economy is based on thehospitality industry serving tourism and agriculture. The town is connected to the plains by theNilgiri ghat roads andNilgiri Mountain Railway.
The region was earlier known asOttakal Mandu, withOtta-kal meaning 'single stone' inTamil, a reference to a sacred stone revered by the localToda people and Mandu, aToda word for 'village'.[4] This later became Udagamandalam which was anglicised to Ootacamund by theBritish, with the first part of the name (Ootaca), a corruption of the local name for the region and the second part (Mand), a shortening of the local Toda wordMandu.[5][6][7] The first known written mention of the place is given asWotokymund in a letter dated March 1821, written to theMadras Gazette by an unknown correspondent.[8]Ootacamund was later shortened toOoty. Ooty is in theNilgiri hills, meaning the "blue mountains", so named due to theKurunji flower, which used to give the slopes a bluish tinge.[9]
The earliest reference to Nilgiri hills is found in the TamilSangam epicSilappathikaram from the 5th or 6th century CE.[9] The region was a land occupied by various tribes such asBadagas,Todas,Kotas,Irulas andKurumbas.[2] The region was ruled by thethree Tamil kingdoms ofCheras,Cholas andPandyas during various times.[10][11] The Todas are referenced in a record belonging toHoysala kingVishnuvardhana and his general Punisa, dated 1117 CE.[12] It was also ruled by various dynasties likePallavas,Satavahanas,Gangas,Kadambas,Rashtrakutas,Hoysalas and theVijayanagara empire.[13][14]Tipu Sultan captured Nilgiris in the eighteenth century and the region came into possession ofBritish in 1799.[15] It became part ofCoimbatore district of theMadras Presidency.[8]
In 1818, J. C. Whish and N. W. Kindersley, assistants toJohn Sullivan, then collector of Coimbatore district, visitedKotagiri nearby and reported on the region's potential to serve as a summer retreat.[9] Sullivan established his residence there and reported to the Board of Revenue on 31 July 1819. He also started work on a road fromSirumugai which was completed in May 1823 and extended up toCoonoor between 1830 and 1832.[9] By 1827, it was established as asanatorium of the Madras Presidency and developed further at the behest of then Governor of MadrasStephen Lushington. TheGovernment Botanical Garden, covering 51 acres (21 ha), was established in 1842 and a library was established in 1959.[16]
Ooty was made a municipality in 1866, and civic improvements including roads, drainage, and water supply from the Marlimund and Tiger Hill reservoirs were added through Government loans.[16] In August 1868, the Nilgiris was separated from theCoimbatore district, andJames Wilkinson Breeks was appointed its first commissioner.[9] On 1 February 1882, Nilgiris was made a district, and Richard Wellesley Barlow, the then commissioner, became its first collector.[8] By the early 20th century, Ooty was a well-developed hill station, with an artificial lake, various parks, religious structures, and sporting facilities forpolo,golf, andcricket.[16] It served as the summer capital of theMadras Presidency and as a retreat for the British officials.[17]
Post-independence, the town developed into a popular recreational resort and the nearby Wellington became the home of theDefence Services Staff College of theIndian Army.[18][19]
Ooty is located in the Nilgiri hills, which are part of theWestern Ghats in theNilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is separated from the neighboring state ofKarnataka by theMoyar river in the north and from theAnaimalai andPalani hills in the south by thePalghat Gap.[20] It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level.[2] The total area of the town is 30.36 km2 (11.72 sq mi).[2]Doddabetta is the highest peak (2,623 m or 8,606 ft) in the Nilgiris, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Ooty.[21]
Ooty Lake is an artificial lake covering 65 acres (26 ha) created in 1824.[22] ThePykara, a river located 19 km (12 mi) from Ooty, rises atMukurthi peak and flows through a series of cascades with the last two falls of 55 metres (180 ft) and 61 metres (200 ft) known as Pykara falls.[23]Kamaraj Sagar Dam is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Ooty.[24]Emerald Lake,Avalanche Lake and Porthimund Lake are other lakes in the region.[25]
Ooty features asubtropical highland climate (Cwb) underKöppen climate classification.[26] Because of its high altitude, the temperatures are generally lower than the surrounding plains with the average between 10–25 °C (50–77 °F) during summer and 0–21 °C (32–70 °F) during winter.[2] The highest temperature ever recorded was 29.4 °C (84.9 °F) on 30 April 2024,[27] and the lowest temperature recorded was −5.1 °C (22.8 °F).[28] The town gets heavy rainfall during both south-west and north-eastmonsoons and the average rainfall is about 1,100 mm (43 in) of precipitation annually.[2]
| Climate data for Ooty (Udagamandalam) 1991-2020 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.5 (81.5) | 27.3 (81.1) | 27.5 (81.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 28.0 (82.4) | 26.1 (79.0) | 24.4 (75.9) | 23.0 (73.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.2 (77.4) | 27.4 (81.3) | 28.5 (83.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) | 21.9 (71.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.8 (73.0) | 18.8 (65.8) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.5 (63.5) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.0 (66.2) | 19.1 (66.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 20.4 (68.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 6.5 (43.7) | 7.3 (45.1) | 9.5 (49.1) | 11.1 (52.0) | 11.8 (53.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.0 (51.8) | 10.8 (51.4) | 10.6 (51.1) | 9.6 (49.3) | 6.9 (44.4) | 9.8 (49.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.1 (28.2) | 0.0 (32.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | 4.0 (39.2) | 4.4 (39.9) | 2.2 (36.0) | 2.5 (36.5) | 4.6 (40.3) | 4.4 (39.9) | 0.0 (32.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | −2.1 (28.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 4.9 (0.19) | 5.1 (0.20) | 22.4 (0.88) | 84.0 (3.31) | 123.9 (4.88) | 147.6 (5.81) | 152.3 (6.00) | 116.5 (4.59) | 117.1 (4.61) | 189.2 (7.45) | 144.5 (5.69) | 49.9 (1.96) | 1,157.4 (45.57) |
| Average rainy days | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 5.6 | 8.6 | 11.1 | 12.4 | 9.4 | 8.9 | 11.4 | 7.8 | 3.2 | 80.9 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 69 | 67 | 61 | 70 | 75 | 85 | 88 | 88 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 73 | 77 |
| Mean dailysunshine hours | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Source 1:Indian Meteorological Department[29][30] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:Weather2Travel for sunshine[31] | |||||||||||||
Ooty forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected forest area in India.[32] It was declared as a protected reserve in 1986 and is part ofUNESCO'sMan and the Biosphere Programme.[33]Mudumalai National Park andtiger reserve lies on the north-western side, about 31 km (19 mi) from Ooty and was established in 1940 as the first wildlife sanctuary in India.[34]
_by_N._A._Naseer.jpg)
The region is part of theSouth Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion.[35] Nilgiris harbours thousands of plant species includingmedicinal plants andendemicflowering plants.[33] Stuntedevergreen trees grow inshola forest patches above 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and are festooned withepiphytes.[36] The native vegetation consisted ofMeadows andgrasslands on the hillsides withshola forests in the valleys. When the British populated the town, invasive species ofpine,wattle andeucalyptus were planted along withtea plantations and they became the dominant species replacing the native vegetation.[37]
The region has one of the largestbengal tiger populations.[38] TheIndian elephant is the largestmammal in the region.[39] Thegaur is the largestungulate in the region that frequent grasslands in the vicinity of water sources.[40] Other mega-fauna includeIndian leopard andsloth bear.[41] Smaller fauna includeJungle cat,rusty-spotted cat,leopard cat,dhole,Golden jackal,Nilgiri marten,Small Indian civet,Asian palm civet,brown palm civet,ruddy mongoose,wild boar,Indian pangolin,Indian crested porcupine andIndian giant squirrel.[42]Indian giant flying squirrel,[43][44][45][46][47]Smooth-coated otter groups are observed along the Moyar River.[48] Deer includesambar deer,chital,Indian spotted chevrotain,Indian muntjac,four-horned antelope andblackbuck.[49]Monkeys, including the endangeredNilgiri langur,bonnet macaque andgray langur are also found in the region.[50]Nilgiri tahr is anendangeredungulate that isendemic to the Nilgiris and is the state animal of Tamil Nadu.[51]Bats are found in darker caves in the hills.[52] More than 200 species of birds are found in the region.[53]
According to the2011 census, Udagamandalam had a population of 88,430 with a sex-ratio of 1,053 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929.[3][54] A total of 7,781 were under the age of six, constituting 3,915 males and 3,866 females.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 28.98% and 0.30% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city in 2011 was 90.2%,[55] compared to the national average of 72.99%.[54] The city had a total of 23,235 households. There were a total of 35,981 workers, comprising 636 cultivators, 5,194 agricultural labourers, 292 in household industries, 26,411 other workers, 3,448 marginal workers, 65 marginal cultivators, 828 marginal agricultural labourers, 56 marginal workers in household industries and 2,499 other marginal workers.[56] As per the religious census of 2011, Udagamandalam had 64.36%Hindus, 21.25%Christians, 13.37%Muslims, 0.03%Sikhs, 0.3%Buddhists, 0.4%Jains, 0.28% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.[57]
Tamil is theofficial language of Udagamandalam. Languages native to the Nilgiris including Badaga,Paniya,Irula andKurumba.[58] Due to its proximity to the neighboring states ofKerala and Karnataka and being a tourist destination,Malayalam,Kannada andEnglish are also spoken and understood to an extent.[59] According to the 2011 census, the most widely spoken languages in Udagamandalam taluk were Tamil, spoken by 88,896, followed byBadaga with 41,213 andKannada with 27,070 speakers.[60]
Ooty is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district.[8] The town is part of theUdagamandalam Assembly constituency which forms part of theNilgiris Lok Sabha constituency.[61] The town is administered by Udagamanadalam municipality which was established in 1866 and the town is divided into 36 wards.[62] The municipality is responsible for water services, sewage disposal and maintenance of public infrastructure.[63]
Ooty is a market town for the surrounding area, which is still largely dependent onagriculture. Vegetables cultivated includepotato,carrot,cabbage andcauliflower and fruits includepeach,plum,pear andstrawberry.[64] There is a daily wholesale auction of these products at theOoty Municipal Market.[citation needed]Dairy farming has long been present in the area, and there is a cooperative dairy manufacturingcheese and skimmedmilk powder.[65]Floriculture andsericulture are also practised, as is the cultivation ofmushrooms. The local area is known fortea cultivation.Nilgiri tea is ablack tea variety unique to the region.[66]
TheHuman Biologicals Institute, established in 1999, is involved invaccine manufacturing.[67] Other manufacturing industries located on the outskirts includeKetti (manufacture of needles) andAruvankadu (manufacture ofcordite).
Ooty is connected by roads known as theNilgiri Ghat Roads. It is situated onNH 181. The municipality maintains roads in the town.[68] Public bus services are operated by the Coimbatore division ofTNSTC.[69]SETC,KSRTC (Karnataka) andKSRTC (Kerala) connect to distant towns in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in)metre gauge railway inNilgiris district, connectingUdagamandalam andMettupalayam. The Nilgiri Railway Company was formed in 1885, and the Mettupalayam-Coonoor section of the track was opened for traffic on 15 June 1899. The railway was operated by theMadras Railway until 31 December 1907, when it was handed over to theSouth Indian Railway. The line from Coonoor to Ooty was completed in 1908.[70][71] Operated currently by theSouthern Railway zone ofIndian Railways, it is the onlyrack railway in India and operates on its own fleet ofsteam locomotives betweenCoonoor and Udagamandalam.[72] In July 2005,UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to theWorld Heritage Site ofMountain Railways of India.[71]
The nearest airport isCoimbatore International Airport, located 96 km (60 mi) from the town. The airport has regular flights from and to major domestic destinations and international destinations likeSharjah,Colombo andSingapore.[73] Ooty has three helipads, one at Theettukal and two at Kodanad with the Theettukal helipad, approved by theAirports Authority of India for defence and VIP services.Pawan Hans planned to start commercial services withBell 407, but the plan has been shelved.[74][75]
Government Arts College, established in 1955, is one of the oldest institutions in Ooty and is affiliated withBharathiar University.[76] There are a few other colleges in the town. Boarding schools have been a feature of Ooty since theBritish Raj and continue to operate currently, including some of the most expensive schools in India.[77]
Aboat house located alongside the Ooty Lake offers boating facilities to tourists and is a major tourist attraction in Ooty.[22] Similar boating facilities are also available at the Pykara falls and dam.[23] The Government Botanical Garden, laid out in 1842, has severalspecies ofindigenous andexoticplants, and hosts an annual flower show in May.[16][78] The garden also hosts a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree.[79] TheGovernment Rose Garden, situated on the slopes of Elk Hill at an altitude of 2,200 m (7,200 ft), has more than 20,000 varieties of roses from 2,800cultivars and is the largest rose garden in India.[80] A deer park was established along the edges of the lake in 1986 and is the second-highest altitude zoo in India.[81]
There are a few traditional Toda dogles (huts) on the hills above the Botanical Garden.[82] A Tribal Museum was opened in 1995 as a part of the Tribal Research Center, located about (10 km (6.2 mi) from the town and hosts rare artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Nadu andAndaman and Nicobar, and other anthropological and archaeological finds on early human culture and heritage.[83] TheStone House was the firstbungalow constructed in the town.[84]St Stephen's Church, built in 1829, is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district.[85] St. Thomas Church, opened in 1871, hosts many famous graves in the churchyard including those ofJosiah John Goodwin,William Patrick Adam, whose grave is topped by a pillar monument dedicated toSt. Thomas, the tallest structure in Ooty.[86][87] Spread over an area of nearly 1 acre (0.40 ha), a tea factory and museum displays the process of tea processing and the machines used.[88]
TheOoty Radio Telescope was completed in 1970 and is part of theNational Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of theTata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), funded by the Government of India through theDepartment of Atomic Energy.[89]
Snooker originated on the billiard tables of the Ootacamund Club, invented byNeville Chamberlain.[90] There was also a cricket ground with regular matches played between teams from the Army andIndian Civil Service. There were riding stables andkennels at Ooty and the hounds hunted across the surrounding countryside and the open grasslands of theWenlock downs.Horse racing is held at theOoty Racecourse.[91][92]Ooty Golf Course is at an altitude of 7,600 feet (2,300 m) and extends over 193.56 acres (78.33 ha).[93]
Ooty varkey is a crispy and crusty cookie snack popular in Ooty.[94] A number of films have been shot in Ooty. The town was used as a setting inDavid Lean's 1984 movie,A Passage to India, which was based onE. M. Forster'snovel of the same name.[95]
The location of the Nilgiris is unique that it was in the tri-junction of ancient Tamil kingdoms of Cholas, Cheras and the Pandyas. Hence, it was under Cheras, Cholas or local chieftains at various...
At their peak, the Cholas ruled over not just the whole of south India, but also conquered island nations..
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Not even the dynastic rulers—the Cheras, the Cholas, the Pandiyas, the Rashtrakutas, the Gangas, the Pallavas, the Kadambas and the Hoysalas—can be credited with discovering this jewel (Nilgiris) in their crown.
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