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.
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
