Table of Contents
Ooty
“It resembles Switzerland, more than any country of Europe”. wrote John Sullivan, the collector of Coimbatore in a letter addressed to Sir Thomas Munro who was the then Governor of Madras.
The year was 1819 and the place being referred to would go on to become a popular hill station and be dubbed as the Queen of Hill Stations, Ooty.
Udhagamandalam was anglicized to Ootacamund and further shortened to Ooty was once the abode of the Toda tribe who worshipped a sacred stone.The stone was probably referred to as Otha-Cal in the local language while Mund referred to ‘village’, in the Toda dialect.
Returning to John Sullivan and how Ooty enthralled him, he was so smitten with love for the place that he constructed a house that he aptly called, “Stonehouse” on land that he purchased from the Todas. In a couple of years his wife, the first European woman in the Nilgiris moved into the new house with an infant son. Soon others followed including Sir Thomas Munro and Ooty soon became a thriving community. The famous Ooty Lake which is the epicenter of the town was created between the years 1823 and 1825 by John Sullivan as a water source for irrigation of the various horticultural produce they introduced in the region.
Ooty is a town nestled in the Nilgiri Hills of the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is situated at an elevation of 7,350 Ft. The nearest airport is Coimbatore at a distance of about 88 Kms., while the city of Bangalore is about 295 Kms. away.
Ooty Then
It was about two centuries later that we had our first tryst with Ooty. Though Ooty is a place where people flock to in the summer months to escape the heat of the plains, we were there in the winter month of November.
It was a cold morning when we got down at the Ooty Bus stand. A silvery cloak of mist enveloped the hills. To get a little bit of warmth into our bodies we decided to have some hot and steaming tea from a tea stall that was doing a brisk business in the early hours of the morning. Our hands shivered and the cups rattled as we steadied them in their saucers. The hot beverage warmed us up and we casually blew “smoke rings”, in the cold air.
Much later after some rest and breakfast, we emerged from our hotel to explore Ooty. The mist had cleared just enough to enable us to look at the picturesque land that had once enthralled John Sullivan. As we walked by the side of the lake that John Sullivan had engineered years ago we understood why he loved the place so much.
We spent a couple of days in Ooty and were mesmerized by its pristine beauty. We went for long walks and encountered no one, it was just us, the sound of our own footsteps, and the rustling of the wind as it caressed the long leaves of the eucalyptus trees.
We also found a lake which was magical. It hypnotized us with its charm. We sat by the lake staring at its still waters shaded by tall groves of eucalyptus trees. We must have spent hours by the side of the enchanted lake as time itself seemed to have stood still in the purity of that sublime moment. Not a soul was in sight, just us, the lake, and the birds that chirped away in the trees of what seemed to be like a garden of Eden to us.
These were indeed some indelible memories of Ooty that weaved an inextricable pattern in our collective psyches and made us fall hopelessly in love with Ooty, just like how John Sullivan must have when he first set eyes on this beautiful land.
Ooty Now
“Please get down here, I will park my car down the road, call me when you are done”. These were the words uttered by an apparently hassled driver as he dropped us off at the Ooty Botanical Gardens. We sprung out from the car with alacrity and weaved our way through milling crowds to the ticketing counter at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens.
We were back in Ooty after more than a decade. The pristine and virginal beauty of the land that had endeared itself to us on our first visit had drawn us back, but alas what we saw all around broke our hearts. Not that Ooty was any less attractive. It was, otherwise it would not have been able to draw the huge crowd of revelers from the cities that it did. But there was something missing, an inexplicable vacuum seemed to gnaw at our hearts. Ooty seemed to have lost the tenderness and beauty that was so much akin to the innocence of first love.
We, of course, had an inkling of the things to come when we set off to Ooty on a weekend in the summer month of April. Ooty being easily accessible from the urban centers of Bangalore, Mysore, Chennai, and Coimbatore was bound to be crowded. But still, our hearts were not prepared for what we thought was the desecration of the purity of the land. It was as if a knife was being twisted in our hearts as we saw groups of people sitting by the roadside in the forests picnicking and spoiling the land with their plastic wastes. As our car sped through the winding roads of the Nilgiris, this sight was a blemish that marred the beauty of the land frequently. Tears streamed down our eyes as we seemed to sense the anguish of the land called Ooty being exploited by vested commercial interests and callous visitors alike.
Memories of an emerald lake. Timeless moments are frozen in a dimensionless space. Still, waters reflecting tall eucalyptus trees drew us to the lake that had cast a spell on us years ago.
The eucalyptus trees were still there, silent and helpless witnesses to the ravage of the lake. What had been a large expanse of clear water was now a shallow pool of unclean water. A couple posed for a selfie against the backdrop of this “lake”, while some stray dogs played in the mud on the fringes of the waterbody. As we looked at the scene in front of us we wondered if the lake had really existed or was just a figment of our imagination. Was it a dream that we had dreamt and woken up to this harsh reality? We wondered.
At that moment we cried silently for an Ooty that was lost. An Ooty that had charmed the likes of John Sullivan, Sir Thomas Munro, and a million others. An Ooty that seemed to have been molded with love and painted with brushes made of rainbows by a divine hand.
What can be done to save Ooty and other such places
The world over beautiful places is getting trapped in a Catch-22 situation. In the race for development, commercialization is eroding away the natural environment and the pristine nature of these places. All stakeholders need to wake up and take cognizance of the situation. Governments and other agencies are trying to do their part by focusing on sustainable tourism without degrading the environment. But the question is how can we as individuals, travel bloggers, or plain travelers or tourists contribute in sustaining and preserving the environment in places like Ooty that we visit for a few days and head back to our home cities. Yes, there are many things that one can do to contribute our mite which may seem like a drop in the ocean but has the potential to snowball into a revolution.
A few steps for Man can be a giant leap for mankind, So this summer when we leave our towns and cities and head towards cooler climes for a vacation, let us vow to bring about a small change in ourselves and the environment.
Be The Change And You Will See Change
Our mountains, hills, rivers, beaches, are crying, let us extend our hands to wipe their tears.
- Say no to plastic and do not leave any litter in the places you visit
- If someone else had dropped trash pick it up and dispose of it appropriately, there is no shame in that, the shame is on the person who dropped it in the first place
- Minimize the use of pollutants emitting vehicles, walk, cycle, or use electric vehicles wherever possible
- Respect wildlife and not encourage the abuse of animals, say no to that camel, elephant, or horse ride
- Respect the lakes, rivers, and other water bodies and do not pollute them
- Always encourage the local handicrafts, arts, and culture through commerce and by creating awareness
- Write about the environmental issues and create awareness of what is at stake
Earth is a gift, let us preserve and cherish it.
Do you want to be a small part of a big revolution to save our beautiful world? How do you think that we as travel bloggers can contribute towards sustainable tourism and environmental protection? Do let us know your thoughts through the comment section.
If you liked this post, below are few posts that might interest you:
The Earth is a gift, lets cherish it
World Environment Day – Connecting People to Nature
A Candid Interview of an Unique Couple
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It is so sad how little by little the beautiful places on this planet are getting ruined. That makes me sad about OOTY, too!
I’ve never heard of Ooty before but have heard of this happening to many places. It is a shame that people cannot respect the space of the earth they are occupying and ruing it for everyone else.
We have been to Switzerland and I have family in Indiana where your talking about. It is beautiful but nothing like the mountains in Switzerland.
Oh no, I hate when gorgeous places like this are ruined. Some places need to be left alone and taken care of. I hate when people just dump their trash wherever they want.
I am very sorry to hear of the environmental challenges being felt in Ooty. The world is in trouble through climate change and poor environmental practices in so many places. We do as much as we can by increasing awareness through our writing. I am grateful for that opportunity. Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
We live in a tourist location, and I am all too familiar with people coming to vacation and leaving a trace of themselves behind. I hate that Ooty is being trashed by the tourists, and I wished that more people cared about the beauty that they are visiting.
Development extracts a heavy toll on our landscapes and natural tourist spots. People should take care; there’s no other way.
I’ve honestly never heard of this place before. It looks breathtaking and it does resemble Switzerland. Such a beautiful place to explore!
Queen of Hill Stations, Ooty is such a lovely place. Even if I haven’t been there, i can feel the authentic atmosphere that you have described. That train looks fabulous and I’d love to take a ride with it. the horse, too.
I have never heard of it myself but I do love to travel. I hate when places get ruined by people being so inconsiderate and throwing stuff just wherever they want on the ground. I hope it is something that will be fixed because it is beautiful there.
Sustainable travel is necessary to keep treasures like Ooty around for generations to enjoy. It’s so important we do our part to preserve this and other beautiful destinations.
Ooty is such a beautiful place and I hope it stays that way forever. It saddens me to learn of the degradation of some place that used to have a lush natural landscape. If we don’t take care of our world, the future generations will suffer. I came across a quote before and it stuck to me like glue – “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”
WHat a beautiful, beautiful countryside. You’d figure we’d have already learned about destroying what is left. Ooty looks so gorgeous.
This is a beautifully written piece and very moving. It’s so important today to try and preserve places like this with such a rich history and beauty.
Traveling responsibly is so important. I always try not to produce too much waste, and limit my use of plastics while traveling.
I feel we face a similar problem in the US with our national parks. We visited 10 parks last summer and they were all grossly overpacked. I think we can all play a part in preserving our favorite natural spaces!
Oh this is such a sad post to read, it is sad how things change and become something similar in many ways but so different in others. I hope one day they swing back and people once again care for everything around us.
I’ve never heard of Ooty, but it is interesting to learn about places like this. Sounds like it is evolving quite a bit, and it has a fascinating history.
This was really sad. I probably would have cried myself if I came back to such a scene. The way you described how it once was paled in comparison to what it seems to have become. It’s up to the responsible travelers to pick up the slack for those who aren’t, I guess 🙁
It’s really important that we take good care of the Earth and all the beings that live in it. It deserves so much more than what we’re doing now. I think Ooty is such a beautiful place!
I am so in love with this hill town and I yearn to take the ‘Ooty Train Ride’. This summers, I will not delay it any further.. 🙂
Thank you for that lovely post.. All eyes on Ooty
Even though I haven’t heard about Ooty yet, I am aware of this kind of problem – I love that you raise attention to this kind of topic and could not agree more! We should respect nature much more as we do now.
The sad thing is that this is happening pretty much all over the world, the problem is that people should start to be more respectful, we are loosing a little of good social behaviour when it comes to travelling.
India can open your eyes and mind and be a life changer.
Respect the planet.
Good article!
As a Keralite, growing up, Ooty was the go to vacation destination for my family. I fully agree with and understand your emotions at seeing such an amazing place being wantonly desecrated. Nowadays, I’ve lost all hope and stop at Coonoor, not even daring to go up to Ooty.
Ooty is a beautiful, beautiful place. The husband and I took our first real vacation together in Ooty, and the hill station will always remain special to us. Like you, we were charmed by Ooty the first couple of times we visited. Lately, though, the plastic waste, the crowds, the commercialisation of the place, the exploitation of tourists have been making our visits to Ooty less than enjoyable. It has been a long, long time since we visited Ooty.. I am not sure if I really want to go.
It is sad when you see a beautiful place being replaced by commercial stuff. It’s a shame when this happens but we can’t stop industrialization.
I could see myself wanting to stay here forever! It looks lovely. It is so sad how it changes though.
Ooty seems like such a beautiful place, despite the crowds. I think that as times change and more and more of these hidden gems become more popular, we’ll see an increase in tourism. It’s hard because we long to have places stay the same forever, evoke the same emotions, but as times change, it’s harder to hang onto the romantic notions of the past.
That’s great that you are trying to encourage people to think more about the environment with this post. Places like Ooty should be treasured and respected for the natural wonders that they are. I had never heard of Ooty before but I love your photos and I can certainly see why the place speaks to you so much. The colors of the leaves are amazing!
Sounds so interesting. I havent heard of Ooty before, but would love to check it out. I love visiting sacred places like that. It looks so colorful and lush 😀 Thank you for letting me know about it 🙂
This is something we all hate to see. Nature really needs to be treated with much more respect than we give it.
It is definitely sad how development encroaches on such beautiful places. It does look like a lovely place.
This is such a beautiful place. I hope something can be done to save it.
I never eard of Ooty before but after reading about it (it sounds and looks beautiful), I hope something can be done to save it. This is very sad and a great post to promote its plight.
Nice post.. tho it is always sad to see a beautiful place being transformed in a negative way as more and more visitors set foot there…
what a shame that such a beautiful place has been so compromised. it is so good that you have photos and memories of what it used to be like as i think this best brings to life the sad changes that have happened
Be The Change And You Will See Change – Couldn’t agree more! Some people just don’t care about the environment.
I can imagine what you must be feeling. I revisited Kodaikanal after 5-6 years and kept wondering where did the beauty which I saw 5-6 years back vanish!
It is really depressing to hear of how mankind is destroying the environment through acting in such an inconsiderable manner. We must definitely take charge and be the change we want to see so that our future generations will have a pleasant place to live in and have a beautiful world to explore.
I had the same emotions when I visited Hampi after a gap of 10 years. I had this dreamy image of Hampi – a photographer’s delight. It was now crowded with people – not interested in the ruins but the open spaces it provides. I cried for Hampi that day. Spaces are changing as we knew them, irreversibly.
The darn catch-22: we just came back from a town in Malaysia that’s experiencing a tourist boom, which is great for the job market and terrible for the environment. I really hope Ooty will see a change for the better.
To tell you the truth, didn’t even hear about Ooty, and it sure looks lovely. No wonder it was compared to Switzerland, right! 🙂
I can totally understand why people go there to cool down and escape the heat. It seems like one great place to rest and recharge.
And I love how you’ve incorporated thoughts on sustainable tourism in the post. You are so right, it should be considered by the society, but by the individuals as well. That’s the only way to preserve such natural beauties like Ooty.
Oh, what a heartbreaking experience! Having seeing Ooty in its peaceful glory, and to go back and discover the ravages of human beings. The serenity of the lake, ruined by tourists and commercialisation. There are so many stories like this, of places becoming a victim of their own popularity. You make some great points about responsible travel and not littering. Great post.
I feel every word you have written in this post. Like really. There are so many places that have been so commercially hit that the charm of the places is LOST. Sometimes our own memories of that place are lost in oblivion seeing the scenario. Sometimes I feel as travel bloggers one of the best things we can do is NOT reveal all the information in case of hidden gems. Give a fair idea but not make it public as a part of responsible travel blogging. That way we won’t see people flocking it and making it a picnic spot!
This post started out so peaceful and enlightening and then became sad. It is disheartening to see something so beautiful be turned around so quickly in a matter of years. I would like nothing more than to walk through the tea fields and hold my own cup of tea and enjoy the area.
So much changed only in a span of 10 years, it’s such a pity what human beings can do to a pretty place! Such is the consequence of too many people landing up at a place and not caring about the environment. Thank you for bringing into light the impact that our not caring about environment has on the environment, we all need to make sure to be more careful on all our travels.
I like the nice historical intro for ooty. Never knew the lake was man-made. Our own trip to ooty was quite enjoyable despite milling crowds during summer. I also loved the home-made chocolates , yummy. 🙂 When we went more than a decade back, it was plastic-free region, don’t know about it now.
Thank you for this article, I had never heard of Ooty before but it looks beautiful and I hope it doesn’t get destroyed by tourism like so many other popular destinations. The more we educate travellers the better!
Such an important message in this post. There are a few places I felt sad returning too because of “improvements” made in the name of progress. Nothing to the extent of what you’ve described with Ooty, but that’s always the worry i have.
It really is a sad situation, (a) when you return to a place you have such beautiful memories of, to have those memories ruined by the reality of what it has turned into, and (b) to have an originally beautiful place trashed and ruined by the tourists who have come to see it. It seems to be happening all over the world – our very presence as tourists is contributing to the destruction of the reason we want to visit in the first place. Mass tourism is a plague on any town, so I personally hope to see the moevement behind responsible travel, conservation and sustainable tourism take off really quickly.
I was there in Ooty before a week. I have enjoyed a lot with my family. Flower gardens, tea gardens and horse ride was so amazing. Thanks for this wonderful post.
What an interesting story! I didn’t know about John Sullivan and Ooty, but I can well see why he said it resembles Switzerland, so much green!
Power post. Especially as travel bloggers, our posts can help remind people the importance of loving the Earth. Also spreading an awareness of the damage and changes happening is powerful.
I have witnessed the change and unfortunately not just in Ooty, but in other places too. Like one of the commenters said it is a Catch 22 situation, where there is economic boom for a while and environmental degradation forever.
Wow, Ooty is such a gorgeous town, even in the winter. Sometimes I hate globalization and tourism, and other times I try and embrace it. I don’t know if there is an answer to this predicament, but I am glad you shared your story with us.
I love the way you have shared this.. From its origin to what you saw then and now. I can quite relate to that. It’s a pity to see how careless on the part of the tourists have led to this. Glad you shared your tips on how we can contribute to make this place better.
it’s a shame that despite being an Indian and a fan of hill stations, I have never been to Ooty. But after reading your post, I am also a bit relieved for not being a part of the problem. Carelessness of tourists can destroy any beautiful place. It’s really nice to know that you are bringing the not-so-good side of the travel too.
It’s a gorgeous place… and I think that overtourism is becoming a problem in many places. The problem is…we all want to see these places, and the Internet allows us to learn of many more spots. People are traveling more than ever – which is fantastic! Ah, I’m always so torn on this topic. Is there an off season there?
It’s such a heartfelt article and I can completely relate to you on this. I visited Ooty about 15 years back, and though it was crowded, it was a very pleasant trip. I’ve seen so many other places degenerate over time just as Ooty. Great suggestions too…would work for many destinations!
Such a passionate story, you sucked me in from the very beginning. I almost felt like I was right there as you so beautifully described Ooty, then my heart sank as you told about your recent visit and how it had gone downhill. I live part-time in Boquete, Panama (5 years now) and the trash on the streets would break your heart years ago. Now, with the efforts of some dedicated American expats, the Panamanians have caught on throwing away trash and not littering, plus the town has installed trash receptacles in several places. something unheard of 5 years ago. Still a lot to go, but your suggestions on how to save Ooty ring loud and clear.
It breaks my heart to read stories like this. And it seems to be happening all around the world. The places in the U.S. where my wife and I grew up have changed so much and have moved from being areas of natural wonder to areas of urbanization, auto exhausts, and concrete. We need to hold on tight to those places that have not seen the hand of industrialization.
Wasn’t that side of Ooty always there — the exploited side. Everybody wanted to holiday there (not surprising– just look at those landscapes!) and that had left a mark, didn’t it? Maybe it’s gotten worse, over the last few years. 🙁
Ooty is beautiful and very close to my heart. I kind of grew up there; I only went away during the holidays. 🙂
This is so sad to read and your hearts must have been broken. I can understand that – I too have experienced places once so innocent and pure, only to turn to something dirtier once everyone else discovered it. But I do believe the beauty never truly fades – sometimes you just need to scratch away the surface of the dirt to see the beauty beneath which still exists.
Never heard of Ooty before today. Alas, we are destroying our planet. Very few untouched spots. Great post!
Ooty looks really really lovely. Your pics are so beautiful too! Unfortunately its always like that – beautiful places – tons of people …
Modernization and commercialization can be such bane to a lot of places. But you are right, we can combat these threats to places by starting the change within us and becoming responsible travelers and advocates of it 🙂
Beautiful pictures. I still remember that telescope house at doddabetta. magnificient view. ‘The Queen of Hill Stations’ after observing the beauty of the place. Ooty is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills,Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri Hills which is also known as Blue Mountains because of the blue smoke haze caused by the kurunji flowers which bloom every 12 years giving the hills a bluish hue. The hills are covered with eucalyptus, pine trees and tea and coffee plantations.
Ooty is covered with wonderful natures. Tourists visit more places and enjoy their vacation days. It becomes the thriving community that nested in Nilgiri hills and best choice to spend holidays.
“Be a traveler, not a tourist!” a wise advise from fellow trekker on our recent trek to Har ki Dun. and I feel it is apt for every destination/place to maintain them in their purest beautiful form, leave only footprints, take only memories..Glad to read a sensible post, Thank you!
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