A travel story ushering unexplored escapades of the Blue Mountains. The Udhagamandalam or Ooty blog entwined with Nilgiri's beautiful landscape photo frames.
The car was rolling down the hairpin bend. Each turn bought vast swathes of lush green cultivation. The next turn turns out to be the turning point of the trip. The valley on the right became wide open. The rolling blue mountains were shining in the glow of the afternoon sun. The terrain looked like a palette of green. Deep at corners, mild at the centre, and with changing intensities everywhere else.
My eyes got glued onto a silver-coloured star-shaped waterbody. The thick coniferous trees along its perimeter decorated the water's bank. The far-flung tiny houses with orange, white, blue, and grey roofs were adding quintessential hues to the entire landscape. I requested Muneer to park the car by the side of the road to get a closer look at the outstanding beauty of the landscape.
The surreal landscape of Emerald Lake captured on the lens was no less than an award.
The Ooty journey
I had fond memories of visiting Ooty in 2007. It was a typical sightseeing trip to the Queen of Western Ghats. Fast forward fourteen years, I chose this wonderful hill station to restart solo expeditions as a novice Landscape Photographer. Experiencing the unspoken escapades of the Nilgiri region was the impetus for the choice. Reachability, affordability, and COVID-safety were the other essential parameters.
Ooty got flanked by two major plain towns - Mysore on the northern side and Coimbatore on the southern (southeastern to be precise) side. My approach this time was from Mysore, a major rail and road hub.
The famous Mysore - Ooty Road connects the two towns. The route passes through a vast reserve forest. The forest limits of Bandipur - Mudumalai National Parks straddles the border between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Buses usually take the longer 158 KM road via Theppakadu - Gudalur - Pykara (124 KM for smaller vehicles via Theppakadu - Masinagudi - Kallati).
Eighty minutes into the journey the road became narrower. This marked the start of the dry deciduous forest range. This region holds the second highest population of tigers in India. There's a high possibility of catching a glimpse of the big cat and other wild animals behind tall bushes. Traffic is not allowed to make a pit stop. Well-marked trails will take you to the forest interior. These are accessible through safaris conducted by the forest department.
The forest ends at Tamil Nadu's Theppakadu village. The landscape drastically changes from here. You see the beautiful eucalyptus trees in different shades of brown and white on both sides of the road. The woodland cast deep shadows filtering out all the excess heat of the hot afternoon sun. The road turns serpentine, the air gets cold and filled with the malodorous aroma of eucalyptus.
Moments later the bus was negotiating the sharp curves of Gudalur Ghat. The air became colder. The tall trees are now replaced by carpets of forest-green tea plantations. This was like nature announcing the arrival of Nilgiri Hills.
The town of Gudalur got dotted with tea plantations. Thirty minutes after exiting the town the landscape changed one more time. The slopes looked prominent, spreading themselves by the side of the winding road. Vast meadows kept popping here and there. You're now passing through Pykara, one of the famed excursion locations of Ooty. It's popular in the tourist circuit as the Shooting Point.
A few miles later you see the water of Pykara Lake (another favourite) running parallel to the road. The lake's end marks the final ascend towards Ooty.
I disembarked at the Ooty bus stand into a haze of clouds. The air was nippy. A lot has changed in fourteen years but the façade of the railway station perched on the hill looked familiar.
I started walking towards my hotel, a 140-years old British-era bungalow. The property got decent reviews on the internet. Affordable at the price point of INR 532/day for a double-bedded room. Conveniently located at a distance of 600 metres from the bus stand.
An endless unpaved path in the backdrop of a sloppy step field forms the entrance of the hotel. The path bends sharply towards the right providing the first glimpse of property. The façade was completely covered with tiny dark-green plants. The slanting red roof supported by chocolate-brown columns formed the entrance. Rendezvous with Hotel Sweekar was delightful.
Walking is the best possible option to soak into the vibes of a place. The slowness often allows you to witness the symphony of nature in its purest form. I was fortunate enough to capture one such scene a little ahead of the Ooty railway station. I saw a herd of horses was feeding on the grass of the catchment area. The narrow stream gleaming at the edge complemented the landscape.
Reminicising the magic of Ooty Train
The century-old Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) was the prime reason for travelling to Ooty in the past. A short ride to the town of Coonoor marked the onset of the 2021 Ooty expedition. A perfect option to relive the nostalgic moments of the past.
NMR is a narrow-gauge mountain railway that connects the downhill town of Mettupalayam to Ooty. Built-in 1908, the 46 KM route has 108 curves, 16 tunnels, and 250 bridges. The uphill journey takes 4.8 hours, the downhill 3.6 hours. This is the only rack-and-pinion railway in India. Also, the steepest track in Asia with a maximum gradient of 8.33%. Last but not least, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The journey from Coonoor to Mettupalayam is more exciting thanks to haulage by the chugging steam locomotive. The second only Steam Train in the entire Indian Railways network.
Between Ooty and Coonoor, four daily trains run each way. The hour-long journey is a good option to get the feel of the bygone era at a gallop. While on this voyage watch out for the tunnel before Lovedale station. Look out of the window to see the sprawling tea fields and lofty valleys near Ketti. Get amazed by the sight of the tall curved bridge near Wellington station.
The train has General Class & First Class seating arrangements. Online ticket booking is available through the Indian Railways website.
Admiring the Churches of Nilgiris District
The buildings of the bygone era found all over the hills depicts the rich colonial past of Nilgiris. The churches of the Blue Mountains seem to tell the history through their blissful architecture and bright colours. Many of them got constructed with the noble intention of bringing the communities together.
For instance, consider this piece of history. In 1863 a priest converted a barn in Coonoor into a place of worship for the benefit of the soldiers stationed nearby. Two decades later it got replaced by a bigger structure - the present-day St. Anthony's Church. Perched on top of a hill, the shining milky-white church draws attention as soon as one reaches the town square of Coonoor.
The town of Ooty has many pre-historic churches. In fact, the oldest churches of the Nilgiris - St. Stephen's Church, can be still seen on the Ooty - Mysore road. Opened to the public in 1831, the pale-yellow church got flanked by greenery all around.
The unique design features include stained glass panels and extensive wooden work interiors. The church doesn't have a bell. It relies on the four hammer-like structures tied to the inverted V-shaped wooden planks on the tower. Sound is produced when the wires get pulled from the ground floor.
By the mid 19th century the town of Ooty became a popular hill resort. British population down the plains started settling. The small-sized St. Stephen's Church wasn't enough for the growing population anymore. This called for an extension of the church and thus gave birth to St. Thomas Church. It got constructed 2 KM farther along the southern side of the famed Ooty Lake.
At present, the imposing church is famous for its sloppy graveyard that featured in the 1984 Oscar-winning Hollywood movie - 'Passage to India'. The gothic-styled church got situated at a distance of 350 metres from the Ooty Bus Stand.
Gardens of Ooty District
Way back in 1848, a garden got established to supply vegetables to the European residents which later got converted into a public garden - the present day's famous Ooty Botanical Garden. Since then numerous gardens and parks sprung across the length and breadth of the Nilgiri Hills. A few of them may not be as grand as the Botanical Garden, but, they're maintained quite well (by the Horticulture Department of Tamil Nadu), tastefully designed, and a lot less crowded.
Consider visiting the Arboretum Tree Garden. A garden of living collections of trees and other woody plants. Situated 750 metres from the St. Thomas Church. The garden remains open weekdays from 9 AM - 5 PM and attracts an entry fee of INR 10; INR 30 for carrying a camera.
The town of Coonoor has this garden set up on a steep slope. You'll realise the elevation soon after descending the steps at the entrance. The park-cum-botanical-garden got developed on the contours of the land in 1874. Welcome to Sims Park, an alluring natural garden. A beautiful terrace runs all along the park taking one through elegant flower beds, lawns, and rockeries.
The park is home to rare trees such as the Rudraksha-bead tree and many ornamental trees like Araucaria, Quercus, Phoenix, Magnolia, Pine, Turpentine. A small man-made lake (with a boating facility) at the very bottom is the star attraction of the park.
The park remains open weekdays from 7 AM - 6 PM and charges an entry fee of INR 40 and a camera fee of INR 50.
A trip to Ooty is incomplete without a visit to the Botanical Garden, a humongous park spread on 55 hectares of land on the lower slopes of Doddabetta peak. At the entrance, all your attention will be diverted to the two identical crimson-red brick wall heritage buildings facing each other. Their slanting white roofs and red chimney towers beaming in the afternoon sun impart architectural vibes of Europe.
The garden, through its six sections, is a treasure trove of numerous such photogenic subjects, and undoubtedly is the topmost local attraction.
It's home to a thousand species, both exotic and indigenous, of plants, shrubs, ferns, trees, herbal and bonsai plants. Take a look at the fossilised tree trunk tree located at the centre of the garden estimated to be 20 million years old. Visit the Italian Garden laid out by Italian prisoners of World War I.
The garden remains open weekdays from 7 AM - 630 PM and charges an entry fee of INR 50 and a camera fee of INR 50.
Falling in love with the surreal Nilgiri landscapes
Globalisation and over-commercialisation bought the cacophony of the urban quarters to the hills. But there're these far-off mountain regions that remained untouched by the maddening rush. One that fosters the calmness and pristine beauty of the landscape.
One such corner sit in Nilgiris near the village of Ithalar. Travel 16 KM south-west from the town of Ooty to reach a point where a green tract hangs around the star-shaped Emerald Lake. "These are carrot plantations, the main cultivation of the villages around here". Muneer quipped to an enquiry about the green crops that looked quite similar to the tea gardens seen elsewhere in Nilgiris.
We're headed to Avalanche Reserve Forest. The 25 KM journey from Ooty got interspersed with dense thickets of the imposing Kundah Forest along the slopes of the blue mountains. A true reflection of the cleaner-greener unfrequented Nilgiris seldom mentioned in the guidebooks and local travel brochures.
"The hotel will never mention about it. There're easy points on the Ooty-Coonoor stretch that gets covered in less than half the amount of fuel and time spent visiting Avalanche". Muneer confirmed the reason behind the lack of tourist rush.
"Thanks to the internet and movies the area is becoming popular". Muneer sounded concerned. Rightfully so, as the forest was earlier threatened by rampant deforestation, poaching, and, industrialisation. Tamil Nadu government now through its Forest Department has strict compliances and entry restrictions to the ecologically fragile natural environment.
We made a pit stop by the side of the road that provided a panoramic view of the catchment area of the Emerald Dam. The scene was a mix of blue and green; blue mountains in the backdrop of turquoise green waters branching around several tiny islands with thick green vegetation. There couldn't be a better way to call the day off.
Flipping through the images captured on the new camera made one thing clear - the Nilgiris got this inept ability to spell magic through its vibrant landscapes. Things changed a lot in fourteen years but the natural beauty!
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