Ooty

Doddabetta (தொட்டபெட்டா) is the highest mountain in the Nilgiri Mountains at 2,637 metres (8,650 feet). There is a reserved forest area around the peak. It is 9 km from Ooty, on the Ooty-Kotagiri Road in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu, India. It is a popular tourist attraction with road access to the summit. It is the fourth highest peak in South India next to Anamudi, Mannamalai and Meesapulimala. The peaks Hecuba (2375 m), Kattadadu (2418 m) and Kulkudi (2439 m) are the three closely linked summits in the west of the Doddabetta range near to Udagamandalam.

The Mudumalai National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary also a declared tiger reserve, lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), in Nilgiri District, about 150 kilometres (93 mi) north-west of Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu. It shares its boundaries with the states of Karnataka and Kerala. The sanctuary is divided into five ranges – Masinagudi, Thepakadu, Mudumalai, Kargudi and Nellakota.

The Pine Forest in Ooty is a tourist place. This is a truly a good place for a nature lover to relax in.

Theppakadu is a village in Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It has a reserve forest which is part of the Mudumalai National Park in northern Tamil Nadu touching south of Karnataka. Theppakadu is 240 km (150 mi) from Bangalore, via Mysore through SH17 and NH 212 (Ooty road).

The Government Botanical Garden is a botanical garden in Udhagamandalam, near Coimbatore(Ooty), Tamil Nadu state, India laid out in 1848. The Gardens, divided into several sections, cover an area of around 55 hectares, and lie on the lower slopes of Doddabetta peak. The garden has a terraced layout. It is maintained by the Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department. The Government Botanical Garden, Udhagamandalm was established in 1848. Its architect was William Graham McIvor. The Marquis of Tweedale prepared the initial layout during the late 1840s. The gardens were established by a subscription of Rs 3 per month amongst the European residents for the purpose of supplying vegetables at a reasonable cost. During the time that Ootacamund was under British control, considerable cultivation of vegetables for the market was carried on by the European settlers and others. Captain Molyneux of the 2nd European Regiment managed the vegetable cultivation. The subscribers received vegetables free of cost. But this arrangement did not work out and in early 1847, a fund was raised by means of donations and subscriptions with a view to forming a horticultural society and a public garden.The first Flower Show was organised in the year 1896 by the Chairman of Nilgiris Agri-Horticultural Society, Mr.J.H.Tremenhere, the then Collector of Nilgiris. The Government has taken over the flower show from the Nilgiris Agri-horticultural society in 1980 by forming a committee called the Nilgiris Flower and Fruit Show Committee. The flower show attracts about 150,000 tourists each year from all over the world.

Pykara is the name of a village and river 19 kilometres (12 mi) from Ooty in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu. The Pykara River is considered very sacred by the Todas. It rises at Mukurthi peak, flows northwards, and then turns to the west after reaching the edge of the plateau. The river flows through Murkurti, Pykara and Glenmorgan dams, and forms part of an important hydro-electric power project. The river flows over a series of waterfalls, the last two of 55 metres (180 ft) and 61 metres (200 ft) being known as Pykara Falls. The falls are approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) from the bridge on the main road. There is a forest rest house at Pykara. A boat house on the Pykara reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. Pykara boasts well-protected, fenced sholas, Toda settlements, large grassy meadows and good wildlife habitat. The Pykara Dam, falls and reservoir attract many tourists. Pykara features a subtropical highland climate (Cwb) under Köppen climate classification.Pykara,due to its location in the Nilgiris gets rain from both the monsoons.The wet season runs from April to December and the dry season from January to March. The dam is near the main Ooty–Gudalur road and includes a power station. One of the oldest power plants in south India, the Pykara station still functions, generating about 60 megawatts. The first unit of 6.65 MW was commissioned in October 1932. Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, Diwan of Travancore, worked with the British regime in 1920s and 1930s in the setting up of the Pykara project. A team of engineers led by H.G.Howard, a chief engineer in the then electricity department, was responsible for carrying out the project. The Bengaluru-Chennai industrial region is highly dependent on the Pujara hydroelectric plant. The Pykara Station, declared as a heritage plant in September 1997, triggered the establishment of more hydro-electric power stations in the state. Today, the Nilgiris district alone boasts hydro-electric stations with an aggregate installed capacity of 837 MW. Five decades after establishment of the old plant, the Electricity Board (EB) authorities came up with a plan for the Pykara Ultimate Stage Hydro Electric Plant (PUSHEP), containing three units of 50 MW each. The construction of an underground powerhouse, 17 tunnels and the hydraulic head of 1,039 metres (3,409 ft) are the special features of the new plant. According to the EB, the hydraulic head is the highest in Asia. The access to the powerhouse is a tunnel 1.5 kilometres (0.9 mi) long. A boat house on the Pykara Reservoir is an added attraction for tourists. The boat house with restaurant is maintained by Tamil Nadu Tourism and Development Corporation. It consists of several boats and has motor boats which are allowed for 20 minutes and speed boats which are allowed for 10 minutes.