Into the Blue Mountains - Ooty

View of the hill town

Traveling, an act of going to different places in search of moments that inscribe a permanent romantic impact in our memory cells. These memory cells provides the much needed energy and motivation when your esteem and strength goes extremely low. If you appreciate your motherland, then you will find beauty in many romantic aspects of our country, and hills have always been a target of many tourists that finds these places a facet of romantic escapes. In India, impressive mountainous destinations are recognized in Himalayas, the Vindhychals, the Aravalis, the coastal ghats and many other destinations. 

 

Let's walk into the Blue mountains ... 

Udagamandalam or Ooty is one of the most beautiful hill station in our country. It is located in Nilgiri Hills of Western Ghats in the state of Tamil Nadu. The hills are known for their local tribes the "Toda", whose settlements and villages are still in existence. It is one of the most famed summer destination from British times. The word Nilgiri means "Blue Mountains", and is the name given because of the seasonal blooms of the "Neelakurunji" flowers, which beautifies the valley every 12 years. Ooty is also famous for its fantastic Tea estates and Nilgiri Tea is accepted internationally for its fragrance and aromatic feel. The hills are also famous for UNESCO World heritage railways, "Nilgiri Mountain Railways".

 

Things to Explore

I. Lakes around the area:

 

1. Ooty Lake:

The one image from Ooty that is most seen in travelogues, movies, and visited by almost everyone in Ooty is the Ooty Lake. It is beautiful lake covering 65 acres, famous for boating and is developed with all travel comfort like gardens, children park, food stalls etc. It gets extremely crowded during seasons. The place was initially developed by John Sullivan in 1824. 

 

Ooty Lake and boating zone

2. Pykara Falls and Lake: 

Pykara is a sacred river for the Todas, which is a local tribe of Nilgiri hills. It originates in the Murkurti area and travels through gaps and valleys. It forms two falls of 55m and 61m. The place is around 21 km from Ooty town.  The river is dammed and the reservoir formed is well developed as boating spot. 

 

Dam on Pykara River and reservior

 

3. Emerald Lake

Emerald Lake is located in the silent valley area,about 25 km from the Ooty. The lake is important tourist and picnic spot in the region.The lake is famous for variety of fishes and birds, and notable for the scenic sun rise and sun set views.

 

Emerald lake area

4. Avalanche Lake

Avalanche Lake is located 28km from Ooty. It is said that the area got formed due to a landslide in 1800's. The area is famous for orchids, and other flowering landscape and Trout fishing. 

 

Avalanche Lake views from hill

5. Kamraj Sagar Dam and Sandynalla Lake

It is located 10km from Ooty. It is a favorite for the tourists and a wonderful picnic spot. An ideal place to go and chill with your family, it is often frequented by a lot of bird watchers.

II. Valleys and Gardens

 

1. Ooty Botanical Garden

Established in 1848, the garden with terrace type layout is developed on the slopes of Dodabetta Hill. It is one of the most popular spots for tourists. Many unique tree species are available here, with most popular attraction is the Fossil Tree Trunk that is said to be around 20 million years old.

 

A beautiful area in Botanical Garden

2. Deer Park

A beautiful garden by the lake which has a lot of caged and semi-caged Deers. The visitors can walk around the area and have a playful time with deers, but should be done with respect.

 

Area around the Deer Park

 

3. Ooty Rose Garden

Established in 1995, The Government Rose Garden is situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill at an altitude of 2200 meters. The flowers are arranged in five curving terraces covering four hectares. It has large collection of roses.   

 

Gardens of Rose Garden

 

4. Wenlock Downs 9th Mile Shooting Point.

The meadows offers excellent views for the visitors. The place is open during day time, with a small entry fee. Many activities are available for visitors, like hiking, horse riding. The location was a hunting site during British rule.

 

Wenlock Meadows

 

5. Dodabetta Peak and View Point

The name signifies "Big Mountain" in local Badaga language. There are 24 main peaks in the Nilgiris, whereas Doddabetta is the highest peak at a height of 2637 meters. The summit area is flat, allowing travelers to sit and enjoy the relaxing ambience and nature’s green gift. Tourists move up to the summit to enjoy the inspiring sunrise and sunset.Visitors can avail use of telescopes in the Telescope House maintained by Tourism Development since 18 June 1983 to gaze over the ideal town of Ooty. 

 

Over the peak and by the edge - Dodabetta

III. Heritage Buildings

 

1. St. Stephan Church
The building was established in 1830, with beautiful stained-glass windows, depicting beautiful painting representing the scenes of the Last Supper.

 

Outside the church

2. Ooty Stone House

It is said to be the first construction in Ooty valley, by John Sullivan in 1822. The locals used to term it as Kal Bungalow. The land was purchased from Toda tribes. It has an antique and ghostly feel, which stones which are dark, but the structure is intact. There are many stuffed skins and models of animals hunted by Sullivan.

From outside the house of John Sullivan

 

3. The Post Office, Ooty

In 1826, postal services got started in Ooty. The services were carried on Government bungalow, Ooty until 1833 when the services were shifted to Mount Road. The office that houses the Head Post office of Ooty is identified as a heritage building and can be seen in picture below. This office serves as collection centre for other seven branches of the area.

 

The beautiful Late evening snap of Head Post-office of Ooty

There are many other colonial building, heritage houses, colonial style guest houses that beautifies the whole city of Ooty and gives it an old British lookout feels.

 

Experiences in Ooty

 

1. Nilgiri Mountain Railways

The romance of Nilgiri toy train started in 1899, and it has been in the hearts of visitors ever since. This quaint journey was declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.  It covers a distance of 46 km in 5 hours. It chugs from Mettupalayam, drives along flat planes for 5km initially, then ascends rapidly in the next 12 km to a height of 4,363 ft. It makes it way through dark and winding tunnels, sepia feel forests, gorgeous slopes. It crosses few charming locations like Kellar, Coonoor, Wellington, Lovedale, and finally makes its stop at Udhagamandalam. The lovely feel cannot be exxplained in words, but can only be experienced. The station of Ooty is itself a tourist spot with small museum, photography area and garden.

My Say: Just have a ride through Nilgiri Toy Train. You can skip the visit to city. No regret.

Train at station

The chugging train through valley

 

 

2. The Tea Factory and Tea Museum

The good portion of the Ooty and Conoor valley is covered with Tea plantation. Tea of Ooty is deliciously fragrant and exquisitely aromatic tea, with high tones of delicate floral and golden yellow liquor. The place will provide a lovely experience for Tea lovers. A visit to Tea Industry is recommended.  A Tea Factory and Museum is operated by many factory owners, and is a well managed tourist visit which engages the visitors to enjoy a walk amidst Tea plantations, experience the processing of Tea leaves, and can enjoy the Tea tasting opportunity at  Factory outlet.

 

 

Tea Factory and Processing area

How to reach

Ooty is a hill station which can be reached from either Tamil Nadu via the Coimbatore route of 85km or from Karnataka via the Mysore route of 125km. Wildlife lovers prefer the Mysore route as it takes you through Bandipur National park. Both Coimbatore and Mysore have good connectivity through railways and airways. 

If traveling from Coimbatore side, reach Mettupalayam, a suburban railway station in outer Coimbatore, which is the origin of  Nilgiri Mountain Railways. The journey costs Rs 145 (2nd Class) and Rs 470 (1st Class). Unreserved seats are available in some trains costing Rs 75. Do check the timetable when you are traveling.

Where to Stay

Ooty is a well developed hill station with numerous options of stays and resorts. Depending on your pocket capacity, you can have stays of Rs 1500 to sky limit. For better experience, book your stay a little outside the city which may cost Rs 3000 per night. Few good once like King's Cliff, Sterling Ooty Elk Hill, Woodberry are good but can cost you 4000-6000/- but well to do.

Who should Visit

No choices here, anyone can visit. A perfect family destination.

Number of Days

Ooty has lots of activities to experience. So, a minimum 2-day visit is required. But for a comfortable stay, 3-4 days can be planned which can include a day at nearby Coonoor. 

 

 

Hill stations offers a visitor with an escape plan, if you choose to accept it by giving you an opportunity to leave behind every thought, every moment of stress and let you indulge in a tranquil moment decorated amidst nature with a little salt from human architecture. Ooty is not a regular tourism destination. It is complex blend on natural escape, a lot of colonial setup, an urban outdoor in between high hills with all required facilities, making this place a suited spot for minds of all desires. If you have the courage to get it out of the hills, it can deliver you with plentiful options. 

 

 

 

I always say this in most of my blogs, Hills, Beaches, Valleys, and other scenic areas are mesmerizing due to the 100% involvement of nature, and any interference in the ration will damage its pristine value. So, whenever you put your steps on such outstanding environment, do take utmost care that you don't leave your marks behind. Let nature Nurture it and maintain it for you to have a revisit ! 

Keep Traveling.. and Built Memories !

Southern Tip of Indian Mainland - Kanyakumari

Monuments at the tip of India

The mind of a traveler is a multi-disciplinary brain who learns history to understand the culture of a place. It learns Geography to appreciate the natural aspects of the region. It also learns Biology, to understand the regional growth and wildlife of the area. A traveler finds joy in every aspect of a place and appreciate all attributes the place has to offer. This open mindedness also plays a healthy role in life lessons as well.

In this journey, I will take you to a place at the very end of Indian mainland, which is a well known topic of many historical stories, site of pilgrimage and a very unique geological situation. 

Welcome to Kanyakumari !

Kanyakumari or Cape Comorin, belongs to the state of Tamil Nadu, is significantly termed as "The Land's End" and is positioned as the "Southern-most Town of India". The place is considered heaven for beach lovers, a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and a historical treat. The geological significance is the merging of three oceanic bodies of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal, and Arabian Sea. Historically, this area was ruled by many south indian hindu rulers, like the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Cheras and others. The place also witnessed Dutch rule during colonial times before British occupancy. The demo-graphical aspect shows that the people here follow Hindu culture. Islamic beliefs reached the area through Arab traders who were involved in Spice trades across this area. Christianity too is quite dominant in this area with St. Francis stepping in India through Kanyakumari, with estimate of around 45% of city population spread.

 

Places to Visit

The few famous tourist spots of Kanyakumari town area are as scripted below:

1. Vivekananda Rock Memorial

A huge marvelous architectural structure build on a huge rock, 500m from the shoreline dedicated to nation in the year 1970. The memorial spreads the life and words of Swami Vivekananda. Ferry rides are available which carries tourists to the rock. There is a dark political and religious history during the planning of this structure, which even went into judicial battle. But after years of efforts, the construction of the memorial was done. Much of the funds for the construction was actually collected from nation-wide donation process launched by social activist, Eknath Ranade, who was involved with Rashtrya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and was a disciplined follower of the teachings of Swami Vivekananda.

Vivekananda Memorial

 2. Statue of Thiruvalluvar

A 95 feets statue of famous Tamil poet "Maharshi Thiruvalluvar", which is placed on a base which is around 38 feet in height, which is placed on a rock. The total height of the setup is 133 feets, denoting the 133 chapters of Tirukural. The base of 38 feets height represents 38 chapters of Virtue, and the statue represents Wealth and Love. The statue is beautifully carved by sculpture artist, Vaidyanatha Ganapati Sthapati, and was dedicated to nation on 1 January, 2000. The statue can be visited by ferry rides and tourist can reach upto the feet of the statue.

3. Devi Kanyakumari Temple

Bhagavathi Amman Temple or Devi Kanyakumari Temple is a beautiful coastal temple, which is considered as one of the 108 Shakti Peethas constructed in dedication to Goddess Parvati. The temple is considered 3000 years old, and it presents mesmerizing coastal lookouts. 

4. Gandhi Memorial Mandapan

The structure is constructed in 1956 using Odisha Architecture style to honor the grace of Mahatma Gandhi. After his demise in 1948, the ashes were carried to different parts of the country, and one was brought to Kanyakumari, and was kept at this place for people to pay their last homage. A memorial was constructed around this site, and now it is visited by tourist to witness various different angles of life of Mahatma Gandhi.The place is open for visitors from 7am to 7pm.

5. Kanyakumari Beach

A beautiful evening spot where you can spend your time to relax and have a peaceful time. The beach is properly developed with required amenities, food stalls and other stores. If you focus properly on the gushing waters, you can see three colors of three oceans as they don't mix directly, so layers of water having deep blue, Sea Green and Turquoise Blue colors can be seen. This mixing is better visualized from Vivekananda Memorial. 

Mixture of three seas

6. Thanumalayan Temple

A beautiful temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma but uniquely here, all the three deities are presented in the form of a "Lingam". This architectural beauty has huge gopurams (entrance) with one having 144 feets. There are numerous pillers, which you can't count but people say it is more than 1000 in numbers with intricate designs. A must visit for religious and architecture enthusiasts, and it is around 12 km outer of Kanyakumari.

Beauty of Thanumalayan Temple Area

7. Vattakotai Fort

A beautiful coastal fortification which was constructed by Travencore kingdom. The architecture was developed by Dutch invaders for military use and covers an area of 3.5 acre. The walls of fort are 25-26 feets in height. The sandy beach area around the fort is blank sandy patch. A must visit for photography lovers, with the area open for visitors from 8am to 5pm.

Walls of the Vattakotai Fort

8. Our Lady of Ransom Church

The church is beautiful, having 153 feet length, breadth 53 feet and height of the main tower is also 153 feet. This entire dimension depicts the beads of the Holy Rosary. There are 12 towers in the church which depict 12 disciples of Jesus Christ.The area has good percentage of christian community, with the fact that in 1542, St. Francis Xavier landed at Kanyakumari in his mission to spread the religion. It is said that the initial church was completed in 1700 with support from local rulers. The modern construction was initiated in 1900. 

The church front area

View of Church from Memorial

A Important Non-Touristic Place is "Vivekananda Kendra", which is a spiritual and cultural center of learning, which is working in close association with Ramakrishna Mission and Rashtrya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). It was founded in 1972 by activist, Eknath Ranade. 

How to Reach

As always, my preferred mode is Indian Railways and Kanyakumari has its own railway station with good connectivity with most Indian cities. Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Express and Jammu-Kanyakumari Himsagar Express which are two of the longest running trains in India starts from here.  Nagarcoil is another nearby station at 20km, and has good road connectivity with Kanyakumari via state buses. The nearest airport is Trivendrum, which is 91km from here. A road drive from Trivendrum to Kanyakumari is enchanting due to the Kerala backdrop.

Where to Stay

Being a popular tourist destination, it has well developed stay options in all price ranges. It is recommended to have a sea facing options. The Gopinivas, Hotel Seaview are good options. It also has multi-state food options as it receives visitors from many states especially West Bengal, due to its connection with Swami Vivekananda. Many home style food joints are available for visitors from West Bengal. 

Getting comfortable at Hotel (I am in the shadows.. Haha..)

 

 

Banana Chips in making

Who should Visit

Kanyakumari welcomes visitors from all categories of people.

No. of Days 

1 Night, 2 Days are sufficient  but you can extend for another day.

 

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Time on the memorial (Pic of 2012)

Kanyakumari is predominantly a multi-dimensional tourist destination which has something for everyone. Beach and nature lovers can have pristine beaches, beautiful ghats; cultural enthusiasts will be charmed with Vivekananda Memorial and Valluvar statue. The religious tourists can have their choices of many temples around the area. These kind of places are perfect hot-spots for cultural interchanges where visitors from various parts of India comes together, and this is where you can witness the true soul of India.

Keep Traveling ! Keep Enriching !