Udagamandalam Things to Do

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As Ooty was established by the British, they have left their legacy in the form of architecture which you can see all over the town. It's not as impressive as in the large cities such as Mumbai or Chennai but a nice change all the same. Attractive buildings include a few churches such as St Stephen's Church, Holy Trinity Church and the Union Church and several public buildings such as the Head Post Office, Collector's Office, Court Buildings and several schools.

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I went on a half-day trek around the tea plantations and villages around Ooty through the Reflections Guesthouse which is said to offer some of the best. We first started by taking a 20 minutes bus ride to the north of Ooty and then walked up hills and through valleys passing by large tea plantations. After a while we stopped and had our packed lunches which were provided by the ladies at the guesthouse. Then we went through a small Toda village with single-storey houses and small Hindu shrines with everyone looking at us as we walked through. We then carried on and went past some bamboo huts which are used for religious ceremonies and up the side of a mountain where the views were wonderful. There was a sheer drop on the other side and we could see down the valley and onto the flat plains below. We then walked back to the village where we were picked up and taken back to the guesthouse in Ooty. A nice small trek that wasn't too demanding which cost me Rs300.

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This is a man made reservoir built between 1823 and 1825. The lake covers almost 4 sq km and is 2.5km in length. Boating is the major attraction at the lake and you can take out paddle boats and power boats from the Boat House on the lakes northern shore near the Thread Garden. There are also places to eat and drink here plus a small fun-fair with dodgems (electric bumper cars). Here's a list of boat prices taken from July 2008:

Pedal boat Rs.100 - 4 pax
Pedal boat Rs.60 - 2 pax
Row boat Rs.100 - 4 pax.
8 seater motor boats Rs.300
10 seater motor boat Rs.350
10 seater deluxe boat Rs.375
15 seater Rs.500

Open: 9am-5.30pm. Admission into Boat House area: Rs5 & Rs10 for camera.

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Signs indicate this place as "first time in the world" as you walk towards the Boat House and indeed it was a first in the world for me! Strange place that is certainly unique and quite quirky! Over 150 species of flowers and plants from all around the world have been recreated using coloured thread and really look real on first glance but none of them are! The whole display is said to have taken 12 years to complete.

Open: 8:30am-7:30pm. Admission: Rs15 & Rs10 for camera.

Ooty's very own amusement park is located on the north bank of the lake, just over the road from where I was staying at the Reflections Guesthouse. It has stalls, sideshows, rides and a go-cart track (Rs60).

Open: 9am-7.30pm. Admission: Rs5.

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The Toda (Tudavar) people are a tribe living in the Nilgiri Mountains of Tamil Nadu in southern India. They are nature worship ers and have a language ("Drawida") and culture separate from that of other ethnic groups in India, (they e.g. do have polyandry).

Todas have their own secretive customs and regulations. They are nature worshipping tribes. Most worshipped deities are hill-gods. Among them, Lord Amnodr (the realm of the dead) and Goddess Teikirzi are important.

The community is known for its Toda embroidery garments. This art-work, practiced exclusively by the women, is done using red and black threads on a white background, producing a rich effect.

Most of the members have large herd of buffaloes. They manage livelihood from milk products. Todas are also expert in silver-smithy.

"In the days of old, the Todas had a tradition. They believe they are descendants of the Pandavas. True to that belief, they followed polyandry. Just like Draupadi, one woman would be married off to all the male members of the family, and they would all become her husbands. As a result, only around a few thousands of them still remain in the mountainous terrains, facing the threat of complete extinction. Some place their numbers at around three thousand, while others are not as optimistic. Yet, there is hope, as the polyandry tradition has been slowly replaced by monogamy.

These buffalo breeders worship the Pandavas. The language they speak is passed on from one generation to the next by sheer practice, as it has no script and sounds; oddly melodious to the untrained ears.

The Toda have a rich art heritage that is highly collectible. There are some claims that they are the direct descendants of the remnants, of Alexander the Great's Macedonian army, which invaded India about 327 B.C.

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The Longwood Shola Forest is 3 km away from Kotagiri and the wild terrain offers an amazing trekking experience. Tourist require prior permission from the District Forest Officer (DFO) for taking the trekking route to explore Milidhane that leads you to the Shola Forest.

Dolphin's Nose (12-km from Coonoor) has spectacular views onto St. Catherine's falls on one side and Coonoor and Kotagiri streams, tributaries of the Bhavani, on the other. Located at a distance of 8-km from Coonoor, St. Catherine waterfalls are breathtakingly beautiful and are an ideal spot for a picnic.

The height of the falls is about 250 feet.

Nearby are the Laws falls situated along the Coonoor-Mettupalayam road at the distance of 7-km from Coonoor. The height of the falls is about 180feet. It is formed at the junction of the Coonoor and Katteri Rivers. There are vast stretches of undisturbed Shola forests around offering lots of variety for trekkers.