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ooty is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Originally occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of the East India Company at the end of the 18th century. Today the town's economy is based on tourism and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also present.
The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists.
Etymology The origin of the name Udhagamandalam is obscure. The first mention of the place occurs in a letter of March 1821 to the Madras Gazette by an unknown correspondent as Wotokymund. In early times it was called OttaikalMandu "mund" is the Tamil word for a Toda village, and the first part is probably a corruption of the local name for the central region of the Nilgiri Plateau. Another likely origin of the stem of the name (Ootaca) comes from the local language where Otha-Cal literally means Single Stone. This is perhaps a reference to a sacred stone revered by the local Toda people. The name probably changed under British rule from Udhagamandalam to Ootacamund, later shortened to Ooty
History Ooty, which is deep within the Nilgiri hills, is also known as The Blue Mountains. It is unknown whether this name comes from the blue smoky haze given off by the eucalyptus trees that cover the area, or because of the kurunji flower, which blooms every twelve years giving the slopes a bluish tinge. Unlike any other region in the country, no historical proof is found to state that Ooty was a part of any kingdoms or empires. Tippu Sultan was the first to extend his border by constructing a hideout cave like structure.
It was originally a tribal land and was occupied by the Todas along with other tribes who coexisted through specialisation and trade. Frederick price in his book Ootacamund, A History states that the area which is now called as the 'Old Ooty' was originally occupied by the Todas. The Todas then handed over that part of the town to John Sullivan, the then Governor of Coimbatore. He later developed the town, and encouraged the establishment of tea, chinchona, and teak trees. Like many of the settlers, Sullivan was highly impressed by the way the tribes cooperated, and sought to maintain this balance. He later campaigned tirelessly to ensure land rights and cultural recognition for these tribes and was financially and socially punished for this by the British Government
Climate
Month Record high C (F) Average high C (F) Average low C (F) Record low C (F) Jan 24 (75) 20.3 (68.5) 5.6 (42.1) -2 (28) 20.5 Precipitation (0.807 mm (inches) ) Feb 24 (75) 20.9 (69.6) 6.5 (43.7) 2 (36) 10.2 (0.402 ) Mar 24 (75) 22.2 (72) 8.8 (47.8) 5 (41) 25.8 (1.016 ) Climate data for Ooty Apr May Jun Jul Aug 25 24 22 20 20 (77) (75) (72) (68) (68) 22.6 22 18.3 16.9 17.4 (72.7) (72) (64.9) (62.4) (63.3) 10.7 11.4 10.2 11 10.9 (51.3) (52.5) (50.4) (52) (51.6) 8 9 8 9 8 (46) (48) (46) (48) (46) 75.4 147.5 136.7 181.1 123.7 (2.969 (5.807 (5.382 (7.13) (4.87) ) ) ) Sep 21 (70) 18.5 (65.3) 10.4 (50.7) 7 (45) 134.9 (5.311 ) Oct 21 (70) 18.8 (65.8) 10.1 (50.2) 6 (43) 189.2 (7.449 ) Nov 22 (72) 18.7 (65.7) 8.6 (47.5) 3 (37) 139.9 (5.508 ) Dec 21 (70) 19.7 (67.5) 6.7 (44.1) 2 (36) 52.8 (2.079 ) Year 25 (77) 19.69 (67.44) 9.24 (48.64) -2 (28) 1,237.7 (48.728)
Demography
As of 2001 India census,[Udhagamandalam had a population of 93,921. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50% (sex ratio of 1000).Udhagamandalam has an average literacy rate of 80%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 84%, and female literacy is 75%. In Udhagamandalam, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age. Tamil is the lingua franca of Udhagamandalam. Languages native to the Nilgiris like Paniya are also spoken by the tribes. Due to its proximity to the neighbouring states and it being a popular tourist spot, English, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam are also spoken and understood to an extent
of roses in the country like Hybrid Tea Roses, miniature rose, Floribunda, Ramblers, roses of unusual colours like black and green are some of the more than 17,000 varieties of roses that are planted in the park. The rose varieties planted in this park were assembled from different sources. The 'Nila Maadam' is located in a spot from where viewers can see the entire rose garden.
Ooty Lake
Ooty Lake is an artificial lake built by John Sullivan. It used to be much larger than its present size of 4 km2. It is 2.5 km long and encompassed the present bus stand and race course as well as much of the present market. Boating is the major attraction at the lake. The boat ride allows visitors to enjoy the serene environment at a laid-back pace. The lake is bound by groves of eucalyptus trees which augment the scenic beauty of the area. Next to the lake there is a Mini Garden with an amusement park for children.
Stone House
Stone House was the first properly built house in Ooty (at the area called old Ooty), built by John Sullivan. It is inside the premises of the Government Arts College. It now houses government offices.
Toda huts
There are a few Toda huts on the hills above Botanical Garden, where Todas still dwell. There are other Toda settlements in the area, notably Kandal Mund near Old Ooty.
Tribal Museum
The Tribal Museum is part of the campus of Tribal Research Centre which is in Muthorai Palada (10 km from Ooty town). It is home to rare artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Nadu as well as Andaman and Nicobar Islands and anthropological and archaeological primitive human culture and heritage. The Tribal Museum also displays houses belongs to Toda, Kota, Paniya, Kurumba and Kanikaran.