Southern Sojourn Part-2: Ooty
Coming to the fag end of my southern sojourn and what a better way to finish than a trip to Ooty, the queen of Nilgiris. This time I was determined though, not to be weighed down by the task of reporting the number of buses or the hotel with the most scenic view. Having relegated this onerous task to my fellow Business Development Executive friend, I wanted to just have a gala time with a real feel of Ooty at my own pace.
I boarded a long distance KSRTC bus from the Kempegowda(Majestic) Bus Stand in Bangalore at 9.30 pm in the night. After traveling around 7.50 hours and 280 odd kms I was dropped sharp at 5.30 am at Ooty Bus Stand. The Bus stand was at its cacophonic best with boisterous tourists jostling with auto drivers for the right prices and the best hotels. This reminded of the scene at New Delhi railway station and perhaps this is what it is at every other tourist spot in India.
(Ooty Bus Stand)
Ooty aka Udhagamandalam is ensconced by four majestic hills. They are Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill. The hills are part of the majestic Nilgiri ranges. Since I had no fixed itinerary in hand I decided to visit the Pykara Lake first. Pykara is around 20 from Ooty. It has a lake and Dam where the rocky waterfalls is a major attraction. The adjacent forest is the hub for trekking. The lake looked clean at first sight. Seating on the huge stones I enjoyed watching the enthusiasts taking boat rides.
(Pykara Lake)
My next destination was the Pykara Waterfalls. Having seen the falls in many bollywood and Tamil movies I always had a fascination to see them up close and personal. At this time of the year it was nothing spectacular, perhaps did in by the summer heat. To see it in full bloom one had to to come in the monsoons. Still many tourists were savouring whatever the scanty little waters offered as a sight. I relished clicking them. Another attraction was the endless number of shacks selling a potpourri of eatables lining up the road to the Pykara falls.
(Pykara Waterfalls)
The next item on my agenda which had the tag of “official visit” attached to it was a visit to the Seventh mile aka Shooting point. No it is not the place where Abhinav Bindra trained for his Olympics Gold rather it is a place favoured by our Film makers – Bollywood, Kollywood, Tollywood and the rest for filming regularly song and dance sequences. Remember the heydays of 80s, jumping Jack Jeetendra iin those white pants and white shoes dancing regularly with south Indian heroines in a vast meadow. Most of those were here. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak was another movie in which a young and restless Aamir Khan is supposed to have rolled here in one of the songs.
(Shooting point Ooty)
Shooting point is an elevated expanse of land with a steep climb. As you climb to the top the view of the valley below is just astounding. I made up my mind that if I ever made a movie I would cane all the shots here.
The Botanical Garden fresh from the 113th edition of the annual flower show was next on my list. Sprawling over 55 acres the garden boasts of more than 2000 species of plants and trees from all over globe. I took a slow stroll as far as my legs would permit around the magnificently landscaped garden.
(Botanical Garden, Ooty)
The Centenary Rose park with some of the rarest roses is also near by. Amid flattering comments and looks of delight Roses of different hues posed happily to the clicking of shutterbugs.
(Rose Park Ooty)
My last visit was to the highest peak in Tamil Nadu the Dodabetta which is 2,623 meters above sea level. This magnificent viewpoint is around 10 km from the town and regular buses are available. The hordes of tourists, endless hawkers selling roasted corns, carrots to a jewelery and bags made for some amazing moments on the way.
(Dodabetta Peak)
Though it was not a very clear day but boy! the peak really offers breathtaking views of the valley below and the expansive Nilgiri Hill ranges. There`s also a Telescope house that promises to give views of places lying far and away and even beyond the district. It`s a big draw with the visitors.
One thing which I regret having missed is the ride in the toy train of Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) a 46 Km to Mettupalayam (1069 ft) at the foot of the Nilgiris. Remember Shahrukh atop a train singing Chaiya Chaiya it was here.
To all those who say Ooty is grossly commercialized and overrated as a hill station here is my sermon: -the best way to approach Ooty is not to pack all the different tourist attractions in a tight time-line, instead explore Ooty in its long walks, moments in solitude, freshness of the healthy green landscapes and above all in the innate serenity of Nilgris which becomes imminent once you just decide to take off the beaten path.
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