subject: Ooty: Summer Capital Of India [print this page] Amidst the beautiful mountains and picturesque scenery sits the tableland Ooty. Jawaharlal Nehru rightly coined it as the queen of hills. It was also the summer capital of the British Empire during their reign over India. It has been attracting honeymooners, nature lovers, adventures & movie makers alike from across the world for over 200 years now. The cosmopolitan town is the ideal a true delight for historians as well.
Honeymooners and nature lovers flock to Ooty for its serene & isolated attractions that, with its modern day facilities and connectivity are the best in the country. Almost every hill that makes this town is virtually connected to the valley down below and is populated with a diverse set of people including the North & South Indians and foreign citizens. Its circle of mountains and valleys present the adventurers a number of activities like trekking, mountaineering, fishing, paragliding etc
The town has two national parks in its vicinity, which is also a reason for its never-ending demand. As the district capital, Ooty serves as the hub for Coonor, Kotagiri, Gudalur and hundreds of villages that make the district of Nilgiris.
Ooty also has takes pride in its colonial look that is gifted by the great structures built by the British. It has churches and other public buildings that are more than hundred year old, some even date back to the 18thcentury. Structures like the Stone House, The Collectorate, Breeks Memorial School, The Old Library, The Nilgiri Library, Raj Bhavan, Selbourne House, St. Stephens Church, The Government Higher Secondary School, The Government Arts College, Emerald Heights College, Lawley Institute, The Assembly Rooms, etc and various other buildings that are private owned add glamour to its vintage.
Ooty is one of the places where horseracing is done and has one of the biggest courses in India. The Ooty racecourse sits right in the middle of the town and sprawls out for a mind-blowing 99 acres! Races are conducted during the summer when the weather is warm. Ooty also brags pride with its magnificent and glorious golf course, which sits on an isolated, yet not remote hill near the Emerald Heights College. It is very famous for education. Particularly for its international residential schools most of which were established by Christian missionaries and British officials and they stand tall for their heritage and history.
Ooty is connected with almost every nearby city and town with buses. The UNESCO heritage NMR is the train that connects Ooty. It connects, Love Dale, Wellington, Aruvankadu, Coonoor & Mettupalayam with Ooty and is famous for its scenic route. Ooty does not have an airport; however, the government has been planning to have Helicopters serve the travelers.
