52-573: The Pykara is a river 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Ooty in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu with a village by the same name nearby. The Pykara River is considered very sacred by the Todas . It rises at Mukurthi peak, flows northwards, and then turns to the west after reaching the edge of the plateau. The river flows through Mukurthi, Pykara and Glenmorgan dams, and forms part of an important hydro-electric power project. The river flows over
104-687: A subtropical highland climate (Cwb) under Köppen climate classification . Pykara, due to its location in the Nilgiris, gets rain from both the monsoons . The wet season runs from April to December and the dry season from January to March. The dam is near the main Ooty– Gudalur road and includes a power station . One of the oldest power plants in South India, the Pykara station still functions, generating about 60 megawatts. The first unit of 6.65 MW
156-475: A 20-million-year-old fossilized tree. The Government 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 2,800 cultivars and is the largest rose garden in India. A deer park was established along the edges of the lake in 1986 and is the second-highest altitude zoo in India. There are a few traditional Toda dogles (huts) on
208-727: A feature of Ooty since the British Raj and continue to operate currently, including some of the most expensive schools in India. A boat house located alongside the Ooty Lake offers boating facilities to tourists and is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. Similar boating facilities are also available at the Pykara falls and dam. The Government Botanical Garden, laid out in 1842, has several species indigenous and exotic plants , and hosts an annual flower show in May. The garden also hosts
260-783: A heritage plant in September 1997, triggered the establishment of more hydro-electric power stations in the state. Today, the Nilgiris district alone boasts hydro-electric stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 837 MW. Five decades after establishment of the old plant, the Electricity Board (EB) authorities came up with a plan for the Pykara Ultimate Stage Hydro Electric Plant (PUSHEP), containing three units of 50 MW each. The construction of an underground powerhouse, 17 tunnels and
312-652: A letter dated March 1821, written to the Madras Gazette by an unknown correspondent. Ootacamund was later shortened to Ooty . Ooty is in the Nilgiri hills , meaning the "blue mountains", so named due to the Kurunji flower, which used to give the slopes a bluish tinge. The earliest reference to Nilgiri hills is found in the Tamil Sangam epic Silappathikaram from the 5th or 6th century CE. The region
364-499: A river located 19 km (12 mi) from Ooty, rises at Mukurthi 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. Kamaraj Sagar Dam is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from the Ooty. Emerald Lake , Avalanche Lake and Porthimund Lake are other lakes in the region. Ooty features a subtropical highland climate ( Cwb ) under Köppen climate classification . Because of its high altitude,
416-473: A sacred stone revered by the local Toda people and Mandu , a Toda word for "village". This later became Udagamandalam which was anglicised to Ootacamund by the British , 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 word Mandu . The first known written mention of the place is given as Wotokymund in
468-509: A series of waterfalls, the last two of 55 metres (180 ft) and 61 metres (200 ft) being known as Pykara Falls. The falls are approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) from the bridge on the main road. There is a forest rest house at Pykara. A boat house on the Pykara reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. Pykara boasts well-protected, fenced sholas, Toda settlements, large grassy meadows and good wildlife habitat. The Pykara Dam, falls and reservoir attract many tourists. Pykara features
520-583: A summer retreat. Sullivan established his residence there and reported to the Board of Revenue on 31 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. By 1827, it was established as a sanatorium of the Madras Presidency and developed further at the behest of then Governor of Madras Stephen Lushington . The Government Botanical Garden , covering 51 acres (21 ha),
572-760: A tea factory and museum displays the process of tea processing and the machines used. The Ooty Radio Telescope was completed in 1970 and is part of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), funded by the Government of India through the Department of Atomic Energy . Snooker originated on the billiard tables of the Ootacamund Club, invented by Neville Chamberlain . There
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#1732780048599624-536: Is a 11th-century hill station that was developed by the Ganga dynasty in present-day Karnataka , India. Tipu Sultan (1751–1799) notably used it as a summer retreat. Hill stations in British India were established for a variety of reasons. One of the first reasons in the early 1800s, was for the place to act as a sanitorium for the ailing family members of British officials. After the rebellion of 1857 ,
676-633: Is a crispy and crusty cookie snack popular in Ooty. A number of films have been shot in Ooty. The town was used as a setting in David Lean 's 1984 movie, A Passage to India , which was based on E. M. Forster 's novel of the same name . Hill Station A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The English term was originally used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa (albeit rarely), for towns founded by European colonialists as refuges from
728-511: Is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is located 86 km (53 mi) northwest of Coimbatore , and is the headquarters of Nilgiris district. Situated in the Nilgiri hills , it is known by the epithet "Queen of Hill Stations ", and is a popular tourist destination. Originally occupied by the Toda people , the area came under the rule of
780-572: Is about 1,100 millimetres (43 in) of precipitation annually. Ooty forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected forest area in India. It was declared as a protected reserve in 1986 and is part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme . Mudumalai National Park and tiger reserve lies on the north-western side, about 31 km (19 mi) from Ooty and was established in 1940 as
832-547: Is part of the Udagamandalam Assembly constituency which forms part of the Nilgiris Lok Sabha constituency . The town is administered by Udagamanadalam municipality which was established in 1866 and the town is divided into 36 wards. The municipality is responsible for water services, sewage disposal and maintenance of public infrastructure. Ooty is a market town for the surrounding area, which
884-533: Is still largely dependent on agriculture . Vegetables cultivated include potato , carrot , cabbage and cauliflower and fruits include peach , plum , pear and strawberry . There is a daily wholesale auction of these products at the Ooty Municipal Market . Dairy farming has long been present in the area, and there is a cooperative dairy manufacturing cheese and skimmed milk powder . Floriculture and sericulture are also practised, as
936-422: Is the cultivation of mushrooms . The local area is known for tea cultivation. Nilgiri tea is a black tea variety unique to the region. The Human Biologicals Institute , established in 1999, is involved in vaccine manufacturing. Other manufacturing industries located on the outskirts include Ketti (manufacture of needles) and Aruvankadu (manufacture of cordite ). Ooty is connected by roads known as
988-580: The East India Company in the 18th century. It later served as the summer capital of Madras Presidency . The economy is based on the hospitality industry serving tourism and agriculture. The town is connected to the plains by the Nilgiri ghat roads and Nilgiri Mountain Railway . The region was earlier known as Ottakal Mandu , with Otha-Cal meaning "single stone" in Tamil , a reference to
1040-692: The Nilgiri Ghat Roads . It is situated on NH 181 . The municipality maintains roads in the town. Public bus services are operated by the Coimbatore division of TNSTC . SETC , KSRTC (Karnataka) and KSRTC (Kerala) connect to distant towns in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states. Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a 1,000 mm ( 3 ft 3 + 3 ⁄ 8 in ) metre gauge railway in Nilgiris district , connecting Udagamandalam and Mettupalayam . The Nilgiri Railway Company
1092-533: 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 nearby and reported on the region's potential to serve as
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#17327800485991144-958: The hydraulic head of 1,039 metres (3,409 ft) are the special features of the new plant. According to the EB, the hydraulic head is the highest in Asia . The access to the powerhouse is a tunnel 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) long. A boat house on the Pykara Reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. The boat house with restaurant is maintained by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation . It consists of several boats and has motor boats which are allowed for 20 minutes and speed boats which are allowed for 10 minutes. 11°27′17″N 76°35′50″E / 11.4547°N 76.5972°E / 11.4547; 76.5972 Ooty Ooty ( listen ; officially Udagamandalam , anglicized : Ootacamund ( listen ), abbreviated as Udagai )
1196-555: The 1870s as having "such beautiful English rain, such delicious English mud." Shimla was officially made the "summer capital of India" in the 1860s and hill stations "served as vital centres of political and military power, especially after the 1857 revolt." As noted by Indian historian Vinay Lal , hill stations in India also served "as spaces for the colonial structuring of a segregational and ontological divide between Indians and Europeans, and as institutional sites of imperial power." William Dalrymple wrote that "The viceroy
1248-583: The British "sought further distance from what they saw as a disease-ridden land by [escaping] to the Himalayas in the north". Other factors included anxieties about the dangers of life in India, among them "fear of degeneration brought on by too long residence in a debilitating land". The hill stations were meant to reproduce the home country, illustrated in Lord Lytton 's statement about Ootacamund in
1300-521: The Indian state of Himachal Pradesh , are two example of that misuse of Hill Station or more accurately deviation of its meaning. These two historical settlements existed prior to the British, and haven't been specially frequented by them or even extensively modified or shaped by them. However, the rise of internal domestic tourism in India from the eighties and the subsequent reproduction of Hill Station practice by urban middle-class Indians contributed to
1352-478: The Moyar River. Deer include sambar deer , chital , Indian spotted chevrotain , Indian muntjac , four-horned antelope and blackbuck . Monkeys , including the endangered Nilgiri langur , bonnet macaque and gray langur are also found in the region. Nilgiri tahr is an endangered ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiris and is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. Bats are found in darker caves in
1404-632: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Mountain Railways of India . The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport , located 96 km (60 mi) from the town. The airport has regular flights from and to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah , Colombo and Singapore . Ooty has three helipads, one at Theettukal and two at Kodanad with
1456-538: The Theettukal helipad, approved by the 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. Government Arts College , established in 1955, is one of the oldest institutions in Ooty and is affiliated with Bharathiar University . There are a few other colleges in the town. Boarding schools have been
1508-495: The evolution of hill stations in India: high refuge, high refuge to hill station, and hill station to town. The first settlements started in the 1820s, primarily as sanitoria. In the 1840s and 1850s, there was a wave of new hill stations, with the main impetus being "places to rest and recuperate from the arduous life on the plains". In the second half of the 19th century, there was a period of consolidation with few new hill stations. In
1560-531: The final phase, "hill stations reached their zenith in the late nineteenth century. The political importance of the official stations was underscored by the inauguration of large and costly public-building projects." The concept of Hill Station has been used loosely in India (and more broadly South Asia) since the mid-20th century to qualify any town or settlement in mountainous areas, which attempt to expand its local economy toward tourism, or have been invested by recent mass tourism practices. Kullu and Manali in
1612-495: The first wildlife sanctuary in India. The region is part of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. Nilgiris harbours thousands of plant species including medicinal plants and endemic flowering plants . Stunted evergreen trees grow in shola forest patches above 1,800 m (5,900 ft) and are festooned with epiphytes . The native vegetation consisted of Meadows and grasslands on
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1664-556: The hills above the Botanical Garden. 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 and Andaman and Nicobar , and other anthropological and archaeological finds on early human culture and heritage. The Stone House was the first bungalow constructed in
1716-403: The hills. More than 200 species of birds are found in the region. According to the 2011 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. 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
1768-421: The hillsides with shola forests in the valleys. When the British populated the town, invasive species of pine , wattle and eucalyptus were planted along with tea plantations and they became the dominant species replacing the native vegetation. The region has one of the largest bengal tiger populations. The Indian elephant is the largest mammal in the region. The gaur is the largest ungulate in
1820-538: The imperial hill station reflected and reinforced a framework of meaning that influenced European views of the non-western world in general." The historian of Himalayan cultures Shekhar Pathak speaking about the development of Hill Stations like Mussoorie noted that "the needs of this (European) elite created colonies in Dehradun of Indians to cater to them." This "exclusive, clean, and secure social space – known as an enclave – for white Europeans ... evolved to become
1872-476: The neighboring states of Kerala and Karnataka and being a tourist destination, Malayalam , Kannada and English are also spoken and understood to an extent. According to the 2011 census, the most widely spoken languages in Udagamandalam taluk were Tamil, spoken by 88,896, followed by Badaga with 41,213 and Kannada with 27,070 speakers. Ooty is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. The town
1924-488: The population respectively. The average literacy of the city in 2011 was 90.2%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. 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. As per
1976-501: The region that frequent grasslands in the vicinity of water sources. Other mega-fauna include Indian leopard and sloth bear . Smaller fauna include Jungle 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 and Indian giant squirrel . Indian giant flying squirrel , Smooth-coated otter groups are observed along
2028-423: 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. Tamil is the official language of Udagamandalam. Languages native to the Nilgiris including Badaga, Paniya , Irula and Kurumba . Due to its proximity to
2080-403: The seats of government and foci of elite social activity", and created racial distinctions which perpetuated British colonial power and oppression as Nandini Bhattacharya notes. Dale Kennedy observed that "the hill station, then, was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". Kennedy, following Monika Bührlein, identifies three stages in
2132-463: The south by the Palghat Gap . It is situated at an altitude of 2,240 metres (7,350 feet) above sea level. The total area of the town is 30.36 km (11.72 sq mi). Doddabetta is the highest peak (2,623 m or 8,606 ft) in the Nilgiris, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Ooty. Ooty Lake is an artificial lake covering 65 acres (26 ha) created in 1824. The Pykara ,
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2184-423: The summer heat and, as Dale Kennedy observes about the Indian context, "the hill station (...) was seen as an exclusive British preserve: here it was possible to render the Indian into an outsider". The term is still used in present day, particularly in India, which has the largest number of hill stations, most are situated at an altitude of approximately 1,000 to 2,500 metres (3,300 to 8,200 ft). Nandi Hills
2236-416: 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. The highest temperature ever recorded was 28.5 °C (83.3 °F) and the lowest temperature was −5.1 °C (22.8 °F). The town gets heavy rainfall during both South-West and North-East monsoons and the average rainfall
2288-849: The town developed into a popular hill resort and the nearby Wellington became the home of the Defence Services Staff College of the Indian Army . Ooty is located in the Nilgiri hills, which are part of the Western Ghats in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve . It is separated from the neighboring state of Karnataka by the Moyar river in the north and from the Anaimalai and Palani hills in
2340-405: The town. St Stephen's Church , built in 1829, is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district. St. Thomas Church, opened in 1871, hosts many famous graves in the churchyard including those of Josiah John Goodwin , William Patrick Adam , whose grave is topped by a pillar monument dedicated to St. Thomas , the tallest structure in Ooty. Spread over an area of nearly 1 acre (0.40 ha),
2392-457: 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
2444-611: Was also a cricket ground with regular matches played between teams from the Army and Indian Civil Service . There were riding stables and kennels at Ooty and the hounds hunted across the surrounding countryside and the open grasslands of the Wenlock downs . Horse racing is held at the Ooty Racecourse . Ooty Golf Course is at an altitude of 7,600 feet (2,300 m) and extends over 193.56 acres (78.33 ha). Ooty varkey
2496-504: Was commissioned in October 1932. Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, Diwan of Travancore , worked with the British regime in 1920s and 1930s in the setting up of the Pykara project. A team of engineers led by H.G. Howard, a chief engineer in the then electricity department, was responsible for carrying out the project. The Bangalore - Chennai industrial region is highly dependent on the Pykara hydroelectric plant. The Pykara Station, declared as
2548-540: Was established in 1842 and a library was established in 1959. 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. In August 1868, the Nilgiris was separated from the Coimbatore district , and James Wilkinson Breeks was appointed its first commissioner. On 1 February 1882, Nilgiris
2600-795: 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, when it was handed over to the 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 Udagamandalam. In July 2005, UNESCO added
2652-416: Was made a district, and Richard Wellesley Barlow, the then commissioner, became its first collector. By the early 20th century, Ooty was a well-developed hill station, with an artificial lake, various parks, religious structures, and sporting facilities for polo , golf , and cricket . It served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency and as a retreat for the British officials. Post-independence,
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#17327800485992704-468: Was the spider at the heart of Simla's web: From his chambers in Viceregal Lodge, he pulled the strings of an empire that stretched from Rangoon in the east to Aden in the west." Meanwhile Judith T Kenny observed that "the hill station as a landscape type tied to nineteenth-century discourses of imperialism and climate. Both discourses serve as evidence of a belief in racial difference and, thereby,
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