BOTANICAL GARDEN

BOTANICAL GARDEN

AT

OOTY

One of the most beautiful attractions in Ooty is the Botanical Garden,situated on a hillock. Spread over 55 acres the Botanical Garden was laid out in the year 1847 by the Marquis of Tweedale. The garden is taken care of by the Horticulture Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The Ooty Botanical Gardens captures a massive area of 22 hectares with the spectacular Blue Nilgiris Mountain Range as the perfect backdrop setting. It is placed on the lower slopes of the stunning and magnificent Doddabetta Peak, the highest point in South India and hence lends one of the most unforgettable panoramic sights to view for all visitors.

The botanical gardens in Ooty is home to many rare species of trees. Chief among them are the cork tree, the only one of its kind in India. The paper bark tree, the monkey puzzle tree and an old fossilized tree (estimated to be 20 million years old) round out the other rare species. The monkey puzzle tree has been named so because even monkeys fail to climb it.

The Summer Festivals is an annual event held at the gardens in May. The highlight is the flower show where several rare species of plants are exhibited as well as various cultural programs showcasing the talent of the locals and renowned artists.

Presently, the Ooty Botanical Gardens features 5 sections named as the Lower Garden, Fountain Terrace, Italian Garden, New Garden, The Conservatory and Nurseries Section

In order to create better awareness amongst flower growers about the flora of Ooty and the Nilgiris region, a garden competition is organised prior to the Flower Show Festival that involves Public Gardens, Estate Gardens, Private Cottage Gardens and various other Garden categories to partake. About 200 Gardens compete in this event every year, held within the Ooty Botanical Gardens, where the best gardens are awarded with prizes and trophies.

Ideally, the month of May is thebest time to visit the Botanical Garden, as there are several exhibitions and other programmes organised, which draws many tourists to the venue

Entry fee for Adults : 20 Rs. 
Entry fee for Children : 10 Rs.

Visiting Hours - 8.00 AM - 6.30 PM

By Air

Approximately 88 kilometres away, Coimbatore is the nearest domestic airport from Ooty which is well-connected with most of the Indian cities. You can also take a flight from Bangalore (which is 295 kilometres from Ooty) as Bangalore airport is connected with most of the cities across the globe. There are regular flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai connecting Bangalore and Coimbatore. Once you reach the airport, you can take a taxi or bus from there to reach Ooty.

By Train

The nearest railhead is Mettupalyam, 40 kilometres from Ooty. There are trains from Chennai, Coimbatore, Mysore and Bangalore connecting Mettupalyam. Some of the popular trains are Ooty Udagamandalam Passenger train, Mettupalyam Udagamandalam Passenger train, Mangalore Mail and Mangalore Express. From here on, you can also board the heritage train known as the Nilgiri Mountain train which takes you uphill on an exciting journey. However, if you wish to reach faster, take a taxi from the railway junction.

By Bus

Ooty is a major tourist attraction of South India. You will get both government and luxury buses from Bangalore, Mysore and Chennai to Ooty. These are overnight buses and the journey is quite comfortable. Note that a special government bus leaves daily at 5pm and 7pm from Calicut and it takes just 6 hours to reach Ooty.

Vannarapettai, Ooty, The Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu - 643002