The name Udhagamandalam is shortened to Udhagai. It is the capital of Nilgiri district in the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. The city is also known asOoty derived from Ootacamund. The hills were mostly owned by British Citizen during the 18th century and served as the summer capital during the Madras presidency.
The land covers 36 square kilometers consisting of small and rolling hills. It is 2,240 meters above sea level with a maximum temperature of 24.3o Celsius. The main products of the land are Paddy and Sorghum and also produce tea, areca, coffee and many more. Hotels and tea shops help in the livelihood of the people.
One can go there by air through the nearest airport, Coimbatore, 105 kilometers from the city. There are railways that connect to the city through Chennai-Coimbatore-Metupalayam stations. One can also go there through a bus ride from Coimbatore.
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The city has 93,921 populations as of 2001 Census, which is divided among males and females. The languages used are Badaga, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and English. On the month of January, they celebrate Tea festival and a show of flowers and fruits on May.
The city has many attractions. It has a 22 acre garden called Ooty Botanical Garden. The fist stone house n Ooty is worth a visit and it is in the Government of Art College. The Railway Station offers the unique glimpse of the British railways. Ooty Lake is an artificial lake made by the British governor John Sullivan. The Fernhill Palace has a fee of Rs .50. Dodabetta Peak is the highest point in Nilgiri. Kettey Valley is found on the way to Coonoor.
There are also lakes for attraction including Pykara Lake, Kamraj Sagar Lake, Emerald Lake, Avanlanchi Lake, and the Porthimund Lake. Parks to visit are Mudumalai and Mukurthi National park. Visitors are not allowed to go to Parsons Valley because it is a reserved forest.
The reserved forests has tea and eucalyptus tees. Mundumalai is a bird sanctuary. Coonoor is perfect for trekking and hiking.
Ooty has several institutions like GHSS, Hebron School, CSI College and the Government Art College. It also has Hindustan Photo film, the Cosmic Ray Laboratory and a Radio Telescope.
