28-789: Doddabetta ( Tamil pronunciation: [toʈːabeʈːaː] ) is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Mountains at 2,637 metres (8,652 ft). There is a reserved forest area around the peak. It is 9 km from Ooty , on the Ooty-Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu , India . It is a popular tourist attraction with road access to the summit. It is the third highest peak in South India next to Anamudi and Meesapulimala . The peaks Hecuba (2375 m), Kattadadu (2418 m) and Kulkudi (2439 m) are
56-504: A Shiva linga , vishnu , gaja lakshmi or jain tirthankara , the middle panel depicts the hero sometimes seated in a palanquin or a shrine being lifted toward the heavens by apsaras (heavenly nymphs), and the lower panels would display battle scenes. One of the largest Viragallu, about 12 feet high is found in Betageri , Karnataka . In Tamil Nadu , Department of Archeology found several hundred hero stones that had been erected in
84-600: A galloping horse beautifully dressed and carrying a spear. Another was recovered at Pappapatti in Usilampatti taluk and probably dates from the 18th century. This stone shows a warrior posed heroically, accompanied by his wife who holds a flower. Creating hero stones had been prevalent since the Sangam period dating back 2600 years, and continuing until the Nayaka and post-Nayaka period to about 19th century. In March 2014,
112-658: A hero stone dating to the 8th century Pandya country, with a Tamil inscription in the Vatteluttu script was found in Vellalankottai in the Thoothukudi district . and another that was installed by a woman in memory of her husband who killed a leopard preying on cattle that strayed into the hamlet. In 2017, two rare hero stones raised in honour of warrior-women riding to a battle were found, dating back 13th century. Hero stones were not always made in honour of
140-553: A large number of artifacts unearthed by excavators. A particularly important collection from the region can be seen in the British Museum , including those assembled by colonial officers James Wilkinson Breeks , Major M. J. Walhouse and Sir Walter Elliot . The first recorded use of the word Nila applied to this region can be traced back to 1117 CE. In the report of a general of Vishnuvardhana , King of Hoysalas , who in reference to his enemies, claimed to have "frightened
168-433: Is about 8 km southeast of Udhagamandalam. Vellangiri (Silvery Hill) (2,120 metres (6,955 ft)) is 16 km west-northwest of Udhagamandalam. The highest waterfall, Kullakamby Fall, north of Kolakambai hill, has an unbroken fall of 400 ft (120 m). Nearby is the 150 ft (46 m) Halashana falls. The second highest is Catherine Falls , near Kotagiri , with a 250 ft (76 m) fall, named after
196-659: Is an observatory at the top of Doddabetta with two telescopes available for the public. It was opened on 18 June 1983 and is run by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). The average number of viewers in 2001-2002 was 3500 per day in the season and 700 per day in the off-season. Nilgiri Mountains The Nilgiri Mountains form a part of the Western Ghats in northwestern Tamil Nadu , southern Karnataka and eastern Kerala in South India . They are located at
224-737: Is in the south of Doddabetta range. Kulakombai (1,707 metres (5,600 ft)) is east of the Devashola. The Bhavani Valley and the Lambton's peak range of Coimbatore district stretch from here. Muttunadu Betta (height: 2,323 metres (7,621 ft)) 11°27′N 76°43′E / 11.450°N 76.717°E / 11.450; 76.717 ( Muttunadu Betta ) is about 5 km, north northwest of Udhagamandalam. Tamrabetta (Coppery Hill) (height: 2,120 metres (6,955 ft)) 11°22′N 76°48′E / 11.367°N 76.800°E / 11.367; 76.800 ( Tamrabetta )
252-519: Is interesting due to its association with the engineer Major G. C. Law who supervised building of the Coonoor Ghat road . Over 2,800 species of flowering plants, 160 species of fern and fern allies, countless types of flowerless plants, mosses, fungi, algae, and land lichens are found in the sholas of the Nilgiris. No other hill station has as many species. It is also home to mammals like
280-478: Is the northern extent of the range. Club Hill (2,448 metres (8,031 ft)) and Elk Hill (2,466 metres (8,091 ft)) 11°23′55″N 76°42′39″E / 11.39861°N 76.71083°E / 11.39861; 76.71083 ( Elk Hill ) are significant elevations in this range. Snowdon, Club Hill and Elk Hill with Doddabetta, form the impressive Udhagamandalam Valley. Devashola (height: 2,261 metres (7,418 ft)), notable for its blue gum trees,
308-709: Is the only place in South India to have the white tiger . The dominant type of habitat is tropical rainforest . Montane forests and tropical moist forests are also found here. Much of the forest habitats have been much disturbed or destroyed by extensive tea plantations, easy motor-vehicle access, extensive commercial planting and harvesting of non-native eucalyptus and wattle ( Acacia dealbata , Acacia mearnsii ) plantations, and cattle grazing. The area also features one large and several smaller hydro-electric impoundments. Scotch broom has become an ecologically damaging invasive species . Threatened plants of
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#1732779953400336-625: Is thought that the bluish flowers of kurinji shrubs gave rise to the name. The Nilgiri Hills are separated from the Karnataka Plateau to the north by the Moyar River . Three national parks border portions of the Nilgiri mountains. Mudumalai National Park lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu meet, covering an area of 321 km (124 sq mi). Mukurthi National Park lies in
364-709: The Bengal tiger , Indian elephant , Indian leopard , chital deer , gaur , sambar deer , dhole , golden jackal , Indian boar , Nilgiri tahr , Indian spotted chevrotain , black buck , Asian palm civet , sloth bear , four-horned antelope , Nilgiri marten , Indian crested porcupine , Malabar giant squirrel , honey badger , Indian grey mongoose , Indian pangolin , Indian fox , smooth coated otter , and painted bat . The Indian python , king cobra , common krait , Indian cobra , Malabar pit viper , Nilgiri keelback , Oriental garden lizard , Eryx whitakeri and mugger crocodile are reptiles found here. Primates include
392-585: The Great Trigonometrical Survey , a sub-assistant named Keys and an apprentice named McMahon ascended the hills by the Danaynkeucottah (Dannayakana Kote) Pass, penetrated into the remotest parts, made plans, and sent in reports of their discoveries. As a result of these accounts, Messrs. Whish and Kindersley, two young Madras civilians, ventured up in pursuit of some criminals taking refuge in the mountains, and proceeded to observe
420-787: The Thodas , driven the Kongas underground, slaughtered the Poluvas, put to death the Maleyalas, terrified Chieftain Kala Nirpala and then proceeded to offer the peak of Nila Mountain.(presumably Doddabetta or Rangaswami peak of Peranganad in East Nilgiris) to Lakshmi , Goddess of Wealth. Neelagiri was ruled by Baduga King Kala Raja before 1117 CE." A hero stone ( Veeragallu ) with a Kannada inscription at Vazhaithottam (Bale thota) in
448-500: The lion tailed macaque , Nilgiri langur , gray langur and bonnet macaque . The birds found here are Indian peacock , Nilgiri laughing thrush , Nilgiri flycatcher , grey junglefowl , Malabar pied hornbill , Malabar parakeet , great hornbill , Nilgiri wood pigeon , Indian vulture , black-hooded oriole , grey-headed bulbul and Malabar grey hornbill . Amphibians on the list are the purple frog , Silent valley brush frog , Malabar gliding frog , Beddomixalus and many more. It
476-619: The Nilgiri District, dated to 10th century CE, has been discovered. A Kannada inscription of Hoysala king Ballala III (or his subordinate Madhava Dannayaka's son) from the 14th century CE has been discovered at the Siva (or Vishnu) temple at Nilagiri Sadarana Kote (present-day Dannayakana Kote), near the junction of Moyar and Bhavani rivers, but the temple has since been submerged by the Bhavani Sagar dam . In 1814, as part of
504-551: The Nilgiris and the southern extent of the range is Doddabetta Peak (2,637 metres (8,652 ft)), 4 km east southeast of Udhagamandalam , 11°24′10″N 76°44′14″E / 11.40278°N 76.73722°E / 11.40278; 76.73722 ( Doddabetta Peak ) . Closely linked peaks in the west of Doddabetta range and nearby Udhagamandalam include: Snowdon (height: (2,530 metres (8,301 ft)) 11°26′N 76°46′E / 11.433°N 76.767°E / 11.433; 76.767 ( Snowdon )
532-556: The Nilgiris include: Hero stone A hero stone ( Vīragallu in Kannada , Naṭukal in Tamil ) is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle. Erected between the second half of the first millennium BCE and the 18th century CE, hero stones are found all over India. They often carry inscriptions and a variety of ornaments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures in carved stone. Usually they are in
560-518: The earliest in Karnataka is dated to the 5th century CE. The custom of erecting memorial stones dates back to the Iron Age (400 BCE) though a vast majority were erected between the 4th century BCE to 13th centuries CE. A hero stone was usually divided into three panels, but occasionally, into four or five panels depending on the event. The upper panel depicts the subject worshiping a deity such as
588-500: The form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle. The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is more than 2400 years old that is 4th century BCE. According to the historian Upinder Singh , the largest concentration of such memorial stones is found in the Indian state of Karnataka . About two thousand six hundred and fifty hero stones,
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#1732779953400616-535: The interior. They soon saw and felt enough favorable climate and terrain to excite their own curiosity, and that of others. After the early 1820s, the hills were developed rapidly under the British Raj , because most of the land was already privately owned by British citizens. It was a popular summer and weekend getaway for the British during the colonial days. In 1827, Ooty became the official sanatorium and
644-405: The memory of warriors who sacrificed their lives defending their community or region. Those that are carved with inscriptions narrate the act of the hero, the battle, and the name of king who fought the battle. The stones are found alone or in groups, often near an irrigation tank or lake outside a village. One hero stone dating to the 9th century Pallava King Dantivarman, depicts the hero riding
672-547: The southwest part of the range, in Kerala, covering an area of 78.5 km (30.3 sq mi), which includes intact shola-grassland mosaic, habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. Silent Valley National Park lies just to the south and contiguous with those two parks, covering an area of 89.52 km (34.56 sq mi). The high steppes of the Nilgiri Hills have been inhabited since prehistoric times, demonstrated by
700-967: The summer capital of the Madras Presidency . Many winding hill roads were built. In 1899, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was completed by influential and enterprising British citizens, with venture capital from the Madras government. In the 19th century, when the British Straits Settlement shipped Chinese convicts to be jailed in India, the Chinese men settled in the Nilgiri mountains near Naduvattam after their release and married Tamil Paraiyan women, having mixed Chinese-Tamil children with them. They were documented by Edgar Thurston . The highest point in
728-472: The three closely linked summits in the west of the Doddabetta range near to Udagamandalam. The word Doddabetta is derived from Kannada , meaning 'big hill'. The area surrounding Doddabetta is mostly forested. Sholas cover the hollows of its slopes. Slightly stunted, rhododendron trees, in the midst of thick coarse grass, flowering sub-alpine shrubs and herbs are common, even very near the peak. There
756-625: The trijunction of the three states and connect the Western Ghats to the Eastern Ghats . At least 24 of the Nilgiri Mountains' peaks are above 2,000 m (6,600 ft), with the highest peak being Doddabetta at 2,637 m (8,652 ft). The word Nilgiri, comes from Tamil words neelam (blue) + giri (mountain), has been in use since at least 1117 CE. In Tamil literature it is mentioned as Iraniyamuttam It
784-495: The wife of M.D. Cockburn , believed to have introduced coffee plantations to the Nilgiri Hills. The Upper and Lower Pykara falls have falls of 180 ft (55 m), and 200 ft (61 m), respectively. The 170 ft (52 m) Kalhatti Falls is off the Segur Peak. The Karteri Fall, near Aruvankadu had the first power station which supplied the original Cordite Factory with electricity. Law's Fall, near Coonoor ,
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