Hill Stations in Ooty
Western Union
Ooty, along with Kotagiri and Coonoor, is known as the 'Queen of Blue Mountains'. Settled at an elevation of 2240 m, the British developed this hill station. They shortened the name of Udhagamandalam to Ooty. Ooty is also the nerve center of the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.
The Government Botanical Garden was laid in 1847 AD by Marquis of Tweedale, the Governor of Madras. You will get to see more than 1000 species of plants, shrubs and trees together with orchids, ferns, alpines and medicinal plants in 20 acres of area. The major attraction here is the 20 million year old fossilized tree trunk. To see more than 1500 types of roses, you must visit the Rose Garden in Ooty. The Ooty Lake is an artificial lake built by John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore in 1824 AD. The lake is provides ultimate boating experience.
Kandal Cross, known as the 'Jerusalem of the East', is a Roman Catholic shrine and 3 km from the railway station in Ooty. The first church of Ooty, St. Stephen's Church was built in 1820's. Made of wood, the majority of the raw material came from the Lal Bagh Palace of Tipu Sultan in Srirangapatnam.
The highest peak of the Nilgiris, Doddabetta has an elevation of 2623 m and is 10 km from the town. The tourists can also go on excursion to the Udhagamandalam Mukurti Peak and National Park. 40 km from Ooty on the Nilgiri Plateau, the park is habited by the Nilgiri Thars. 24 km from Ooty is the valley of Avalanche. Besides the lovely rhododendrons, magnolias and orchids, the place is perfect for trout fishing and walking. River Pykara, 19 km from Ooty, is the place for picnic lunches and family gatherings. The place is famous for the dam, power plant and waterfalls.
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