Ooty,
short for Ootacamund (an anglicized name for Udhagamandalam), is a popular
hill resort in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. The name
Udhagamandalam is derived from the TODA word "othakal-mund" which means
"house in mountains". Ooty stands at 7,347 feet above sea level in the
Nilgiri mountain range. It was founded in the 19th century by the British,
and served as the summer headquarters of the Madras Presidency. Located in
the mountainous range called the Nilgiris ("Blue Mountains"), it draws
swarms of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasant at a mean of
15-20°C around the year, dropping to lows of 0°C during winter. The
landscape is marked by rolling hills covered with dense vegetation,
smaller hills and plateaus covered with tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees.
Many portions of the hills are preserved as natural reserve forests, and
special permits will be needed to camp in noncamp sites. Ooty is not the
destination in itself, as much as it is the focal point of attraction.
Auto touring the surrounding country side is certainly a must do.
Unfortunately, the hill town suffers from overcrowding and erosion of
natural resources. Tourism has placed an enormous strain on the natural
resources resulting in pollution, water shortage and roads. The hilly
region also houses smaller towns like Coonoor and Kotagiri. These smaller
towns are a better choice to visit and spend time in, since they are off
the beaten path, yet less than 1 hour away from Ooty. They enjoy the same
natural climes and prices are a lot cheaper.
