Officially known as Udhagamandalam,this Queen of the Hill stations was originally inhabited by the Todas. The Blue Mountain narrow gauge train terminates here.The Nilgiri Mountains are also known as the Blue Mountains because the hills turn blue every 12 years when the Shrub Kurunji flowers and transforms the landscape.Ooty is a hill station located where the Eastern and Western Ghats merge. This merger is marked by Dodabetta, the highest point in South India.
In 1823 John Sullivan the then collector of Coimbatore built the first stone house in Ooty on land purchased from the Todas. Today Ooty sprawls over an area of 36sq km with tall buildings prominent on its hill slopes. Short Excursions around Ooty offer many opportunities to explore the Nigiri Mountains.
There are scenic trails in the grassland around Mukurthi an extinct volcano known to the Todas as the “Gateway to the Dead “The Todas one of 18 tribal groups in the Nilgiris. They can be distinguished from other tribes as they are a fair-skinned, curly haired and are a unique pastoral community. They are strictly vegetarian.Their elders are treated with great respect as they are greeted by kneeling and lifting of their right foot and putting it on one’s head for their blessing. They have barrel shaped huts made from bamboo and grass. Entry into the hut is through a carved wooden door but the huts have no windows. Their dress is also distinctive as it is made up of homespun cotton shawls that are worn in a toga like fash