About:

Ooty, officially known as Udhagamandalam (also known as Ootacamund abbreviated as Udhagai), is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 86 km (53 mi) north west of Coimbatore and is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. Located in the Nilgiri Hills, it is known as the "Queen of Hill Stations" and is a popular tourist destination. Originally occupied by the Toda people, the area came under the rule of the East India Company in the 18th century. It later served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency. The economy is based on hospitality industry serving tourism and agriculture. The town is connected to the plains by the Nilgiri ghat roads and Nilgiri Mountain Railway.

History: The earliest reference to Nilgiri hills is found in the Tamil Sangam epic Silappathikaram from the 5th or 6th century CE. The region was a land occupied by various tribes such as Badagas, Todas, Kotas, Irulas and Kurumbas. The region was ruled by the three tamil kingdoms of Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas during various times. The Todas are referenced in a record belonging to Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana and his general Punisa, dated 1117 CE. It was also ruled by various dynasties like Pallavas, Satavahanas, Gangas, Kadambas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas and the Vijayanagara empire. Tipu Sultan captured Nilgiris in the eighteenth century and the region came into possession of British in 1799. It became part of Coimbatore district of the Madras Presidency.

In 1818, J. C. Whish and N. W. Kindersley, assistants to John Sullivan, then collector of Coimbatore district, visited Kotagiri near Rengaswamy peak. Sullivan established his residence there and reported to the Board of Revenue on 31st July 1819. He also started work on a road from Sirumugai which was completed in May 1823 and extended up to Coonoor between 1830–32. In August 1868, the Nilgiris was separated from the Coimbatore district and James Wilkinson Breeks was appointed its commissioner. On 1 February 1882, Nilgiris was made a district and Richard Wellesley Barlow who was the then commissioner became the first collector of Nilgiris. The region serves as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and was visited by British officials as a summer retreat. Soldiers were sent to the nearby Wellington to recuperate. After Indian Independence, the town developed into a popular hill resort and Wellington became the home of the Defence Services Staff College of the Indian Army.

Best Time Visit: March and June

Transportation

Road: Ooty is well connected by roads known as the Nilgiri Ghat Roads. It is situated on NH 181. The municipality maintains roads in the town. Public bus services operated by Coimbatore division of TNSTC. SETC, KSRTC (Karnataka) and KSRTC (Kerala) connect to distant towns in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states.

Rail: Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 1,000 mm (3 ft 3+38 in) metre gauge railway in Nilgiris district connecting Udagamandalam and Mettupalayam. 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 the Madras Railway until 31 December 1907 and was handed over to South Indian Railway. The line from Coonoor to Ooty was completed in 1908. Operated currently by the Southern Railway zone of Indian Railways, it is the only rack railway in India and operates on its own fleet of steam locomotives between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Mountain Railways of India.

Air: The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport, located 96 kilometres (60 mi) from the town. The airport has regular flights from/to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore. Ooty has three helipads, one at Theettukal and two at Kodanad with the Theettukal helipad, approved by Airports Authority of India for defence and VIP services. Pawan Hans planned to start commercial services with Bell 407, but the plan has been shelved.

Bangaluru to Ooty: 5 hr 44 min (271.0 km) via NH 275

• Accommodation in hotel for 02 nights.
• Breakfast complimentary.
• All taxes of hotels and vehicles.
• All sightseeing and transfer by Dzire AC/ similar.
• Toll, Parking, Driver Allowance, Fuel Charges.

• Monument Entrance fee at places.
• Personal expenses like shopping and Laundry.
• Travel Insurance.
• GST 05% extra on the total amount.
• Lunch & Dinner at all places.