Top 5 Places to visit in Ooty

For every mountain lover, the very idea of travelling to the city known as the Queen of the Hills holds an allure like no other Ooty.
the Queen of Hill stations, welcome you with mesmerising meadows, soothing environment, cool weather and a wide array of sightseeing places to visit.
Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu also known as Blue Mountains is one of the most beautiful hill stations in India.The places to visit in Ooty are:-

1. Nilgiri Mountain Railway



The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Tamil Nadu, India, built by the British in 1908. In 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the site then became known as "Mountain Railways of India".

The past several years diesel locomotives have taken over from steam on the section between Coonoor and Udhagamandalam. It covers 45.8 kilometres (28 mi), 108 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges.

Each of the new engines weighs a little over 50 tonnes and cost Rs.10 crore. The new engine has been provided with pilot and primary burners with separate tanks to hold about 850 litres of diesel and 2,250 litres of furnace oil.
A summer special service is also run during the months of April and May, starting from Mettupalayam at 09:30 (AM) and from Ooty at 12:15 (PM). Between Coonoor and Udagamandalam, there are four daily trains each way.

2. Botanical Gardens



The Government Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Udhagamandalam, near Ooty, Tamil Nadu state, India laid out in 1848.The Gardens, divided into several sections, cover an area of around 22 hectares, and lie on the lower slopes of Doddabetta peak.
The garden has a terraced layout. It is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department.The slopes of the hill at an elevation of 2250-2500 metres above Mean Sea Level. The garden enjoys a temperate climate, with an average rainfall of 140 cm, the most of which is received during south-west monsoon, with frosty nights from November to February. The maximum and minimum temperatures are 28C and 0C.

The Gardens have around a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous of plants, shrubs, trees, herbal and bonsai plants. In the centre of the Gardens lie a fossilized tree trunk estimated to be 20 million years old.
The Gardens consist of several lawns with flowering plants, ponds with lilies, beds of flowers and ferns laid out in an Italian style.

3. Avalanche Lake



Alanche Lake (Avalanche lake) is located 28 kilometers from Ooty in the Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu.
The lake derived the name avalanche because of a huge landslide (avalanche) that occurred in the region in the early 1800s.

he lake is surrounded by a rolling landscape with blooming flowers like magnolias, orchids and rhododendrons. Tourists can traverse beside the lake through winding paths around the lake. Tourists visiting the lake can also engage themselves in Trout fishing.

Other tourist activities in the area include rafting across the lake and trekking the nearby hilly regions like Upper Bhavani where there are thick forests.

4. Needle Rock View Point



Needle Rock View Point is a tourist spot in Gudalur, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu. Where the Gudalur is located 51 km on the west of Ooty and the Needle Rock viewpoint is about 8 km from Gudalur on the way of Gudalur-Ooty National Highway 67.

The view point gives you a 360 degree view. The view point is also known as Soochimalai and got its name from its conical shape.

5. Murugan Temple



Elk Hill is the place in Udagamandalam (Ooty) South India. Famous for Lord Murugar Temple. It is a Replica of Batu caves Malaysia. Approximately 40 feet statue of Lord Murugan constructed and placed in the form of Suthai in a standing posture out side this temple open space.

Side view of the Temple from Top The Moolavar is very much pretty .Other than Lord Murugan, Lord Ganesha, Lord Shiva, Goddesses Shakthi, Nava Kanikas and Navagraha sanithanams are there in the hill.