Ooty

About:

Ooty is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian state of Tamil nadu, 86 km (53 mi) north west of Coimbatore, and the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. 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.

Geography:

Ooty is located in the Nilgiri hills, which form a 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 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 km² (11.72 sq mi). Doddabetta  is the highest peak (2,623 km or 1,630 mi) in the Nilgiris, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from Ooty.

Tourism:

There is a boat house  established alongside the Ooty Lake, which offers boating facilities to tourists and is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. A boat house is also located at the Pykara falls and dam. The Government Rose Garden, situated on the slopes of Elk Hill at an altitude of 2,200 metres (7,200 ft), has more than 20,000 varieties of roses from 2,800 culivars and is the largest rose garden in India. The 22 acres (8.9 ha) Government Botanical garden, laid out in 1847, has many species, both exotic  and indigenous, of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, herbal and bonsai plants, and hosts an annual flower show in May. The garden also has a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree. Established in 1986, the Deer Park is located on the edge of Ooty Lake. It hosts a number of species of deer and is the second-highest altitude zoo in India.