Places to visit in the Nilgiris

It's really very very hot here in Chennai now. How I envy my folks back home at this time when the weather there is simply marvelous!

Anyway, in continuation to my earlier posts, I thought I will share some more information to help you plan your vacation in the Nilgiris this summer.

Places to visit in and around Ooty:

• Botanical Garden. 
• After you have seen the main locations in the Botanical garden, walk further up the garden to see some Toda establishments. The Todas are one of the tribes in the Nilgiris, and you can take a first hand look at their culture, tradition, lifestyle etc. Their hamlets themselves are unique. Their lifestyle is rapidly changing though and many of them live in concrete homes these days. Their hand woven clothes are very famous. The Toda women traditionally butter their hair and curl them up differently.

• Centenary Rose Garden
• Dodabetta peak
• Ooty lake
• Avalanche
• Glenmorgan
• Pykara Power plant at Singara
• Traveling in the trolley on the mechanical rope way from Glenmorgan to the power  house at Singara is a thrilling experience.

• Kalhatty falls
• Pykara lake where boating is allowed
• Kandal Cross
• There is a portrait of Jesus here and when you look at it closely for sometime, the eyes of Jesus will appear to blink!
• Kasi Vishwanathan Swamy temple in Kandal
• The Kumbabishekam of this temple was held on 24th April 2011
• This is a beautiful temple for Lord Shiva.
• There is a separate temple for Lord Sani Bagvan inside the main temple, in addition to the Navagrahas
• There are samadhi's of some Sithar's as well inside the main temple. Please do not miss this when you visit. You can also spend sometime in meditation.

Places to visit in and around Coonoor:

• A new park at Runneymade enroute Mettupalayam to Coonoor.
• Please visit this park on your way to Coonoor/Ooty, because the return route is via Kotagiri only. Generally, this traffic arrangement is in place the during peak season.
• Sims park
• Don't miss the Rudraksha Tree in the park
• Laws falls
• Lambs Rock
• Dolphin's Nose. Both Lambs Rock and Dolphin's Nose are spectacular view points, but please ensure to visit these places when there is bright sunlight. Mist and fog will obstruct the breathtaking view 
• Silk rearing station near the Pasteur Institute. 

Places to visit in and around Kotagiri

• Catherine Falls
• Kodanad View Point
• Again, try to visit this view point in bright sunlight. The view of the Moyar river, Thengumarada and Bhavanisagar dam from the peak is breathtaking

• Rangasamy Pillar and Rangasamy Peak

Do check out my earlier posts for more information.Please also visit this link for further details http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in/OOTY.HTM

Cheers!