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Ooty
or Udagamandalam (the Tamil version of the original name) rightly
described as “Queen of Hill Stations” by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,
now sprawls over an area of 36 sq km with a number of tall buildings
cluttering its hill slopes. It is situated at an altitude of 2,240
meters above sea level. Ooty still woos people from all over India
as well as foreign countries right through summer, and sometimes
in the winter months too. An added attraction for the tourists
to Udagamandalam is the mountain train journey on a ratchet and
pinion track which commences from Kallar, near Mettupalayam and
wends its way through many hair-raising curves and fearful tunnels
and chugs along beside deep ravines full of verdant vegetation,
gurgling streams and tea gardens.


The scenery, as it unfolds during the trip, is breathtaking, awe-inspiring
and fantastic. One can notice a marvellous change in vegetation,
as one goes from Kallar to Coonoor. At Kallar it is tropical and
at Burliar-the next bus-stop as one proceeds from Mettupalayam-it
is sub-tropical. Near Coonoor, it is humid with pines, blue gum
(Eucalyptus globulus) and cypress trees. As we go from Ooty to
Gudalur, the change in vegetation is striking. What a splendid
interaction between climate and vegetation ! It is therefore very
appropriate that Mount Stuart called the whole road leading to
Ooty from Mettupalayam, “One long botanical debauch.”

This
beautiful botanical paradise was first brought to the public eye
by John Sullivan, Collector of Coimbatore district in 1819. But
prior to this in 1812, the first Englishmen who were sent up the
Nilgris by the Collector of Coimbatore, were Mr. Keys, Assistant
Revenue Surveyor, and his Assistant, McMahon. They made their
way via Dananayakan Kottai to Aracad and the existing village
of Denad, and penetrated as far as Kallatti, the lower level of
North Ooty, but never set their eyes on the beautiful valley in
which Ooty lay. After Keys’ visit there was no further expedition
until 1818 when J.C.Whish and N.W.Kindersly (Asst. and second
Asst. to the Collector of Coimbatore respectively) went up by
the Dananayakan Kottai-Denad route, crossed the plateau in a south-western
direction and descended by the Sundapatti pass from Manjakombai
to the Bhavani valley and then went back to Coimbatore. The purpose
of their visit is not known.

In March 1819, John Sullivan obtained Rs 1,100 (Rupees of those
days not to be compared with the present-day rupee) from the Board
of Revenue for laying a bridle path up the hill from Sirumugai
to Kotagiri and its neighboring village, Dhimatti. The work was
executed by McPherson in a period of 2 years starting 1821. This
was the only route to the Nilgris from Coimbatore until 1832,
when the first Coonoor ghat road was laid, thanks to the then
Governor, S.R. Lushington, who got the work executed by Lehardy
and Capt. Murray. The present metalled ghat road from Kallar to
Coonoor, a distance of 25 km which has 14 hair-pin bends and a
gradient of one 18 ft, which facilitated carriage traffic from
Madras to Ooty, was mainly constructed by Colonel G.V. Law in
1871. It is gratifying to note that the cascade of the Coonoor
river near Wenlock bridge on the Coonoor-Mettupalayam road named
after Law, continues to bear the same name.

The Coonoor-Mettupalayam road was extended to Udagamandalam, covering
a distance of about 15 km. The Kotagiri-Mettupalayam road (about
34 km long) which was 8 ft wide to begin with, was widened to
17 ft in 1872-75 with a gradient of one in 17 by the Dist. Engineer,
Major Morant R.E. and handed over to the District Board in 1881.
During the period from 1819 to 1830, John Sullivan’s contribution
was, apart from laying the route to Ooty, that he built the first
house called Stone House in this place. This formed the nucleus
of Government offices. Further, at his own expense, he conducted
experiments on agricultural and horticultural crops and in animal
husbandry to find the most suitable crops and breeds of milch
animals for future settlers.Next to the magnificent task of laying
the road to Ooty, the British took up, around 1880, the stupendous
task of connecting Mettupalayam to Ooty by rail. A Swiss engineer,
M. Riggenback and Major Morant of Kotagiri road fame prepared
an estimate of 1,32,000 pounds (currency) for laying the rack
railway and floated a company called The Rigi Railway & Co Ltd.
Since capital was not forthcoming, Mr. Richard Wolley of Coonoor
came forward to advance money on the condition that the contract
would be entrusted to Mr. Wolley by the Government of Chennai.

The agreement between the 2 was signed in 1886, and the company
called The Nilgri Railway & Company came into being with a capital
of Rs 25 lakhs. The work on the line was started in August 1891
by Lord Wenlock, Governor or Madras, but the company was liquidated
in 1894. Later, a new company was formed in 1894, and the work
was completed in 1899. The line was worked by Madras Railway,
to start with. Though the Nilgris formed part of Coimbatore district,
it was separated into an independent district in 1868. For a period
of 13 years from 1830, it remained part of Malabar district. This
was to prevent tobacco smuggling from Coimbatore. From John Sullivan’s
days to this date, more than 170 years have rolled by. Udagamandalam
considered a sanatorium and hill resort by the Europeans, has
come to be like any other district. The devastation was so much
that a ban on fresh construction was belatedly imposed by the
Government. 

Nearest
broad gauge railway head is Mettupalayam (46 kms). Major
broadgauge railway junction is Coimbatore. It is connected
with all major cities. Mettupalayam to Ooty, is connected
by a Mountain Railway which is 4 hours journey.
At
a height of 2,600m stands Udhagamandalam (Ooty) the Queen
of Hill Stations. The ‘Nilgiri toy train’ connects Ooty
to Mettupalayam, at the foot of the Nilgiris.

The
construction of this line was a big challenge as the terrain
is rather tricky. It was in 1854 that the first plans were drawn
to build a mountain railway from Mettupalayam to the Nilgiri
Hills. But it was a good 45 years later in 1899 that the first
train chuggd up this track. This itself is a charming blue and
cream with wooden coaches and large windows. It is hauled uphill
by steam engines, designed and built by the Swiss Locomotive
Works. Twelve of such locomotive engines survive even today.

The train covers the 46 km to Udhagamandalam in four - and -a
half hours. There are five stations between Mettupalayam and
Coonoor - Kallar, Adderely, Hill Grove, Runnymede and Kateri
- and, at one time, there were five between Coonoor and Ooty
too. Though Wellington, Aruvakkadu, Ketti, and Lovedale are
still functional, Fern Hill, the last one, was closed down a
few years ago.

Extensive rice fields surround the 7km stretch between Mettupalayam
and Kallar. Soon after is an impressive 21 km section through
truly rocky terrain. The track passes over 26 viaducts, and
twists and bends through 13 tunnels. After a steep climb, the
train enters Coonoor, the little hill station known for its
tea plantations. From here, the track is uphill till you reach
Fern Hill at a height of 2,218m, the highest point on the railroad.
Shortly before Ooty, the line dips downhill. If you enjoy taking
pictures, keep your camera ready for a few shots of the viaduct
between Kallar and Adderley.

This ride is sure to turn the most hardened rail critic into
an avid fan. You’ll delight in the edge - if -the - seat twists
and turns as the train runs across tall girder bridges, and
over green hills before gently meandering through rolling tea
estates. The exhaust beat of the loco never falters, maintaining
a deafening staccato which can be heard for miles around. Truly
a journey to remember.

Ooty
is well connected by good roads. It is 535 km from Chennai (via
Salem), 89 km from Coimbatore, 18 km from Coonoor (via Gudalur),
155 km from Mysore, 187 km from Calicut, 290 km from Bangalore,
281 km from Kochi (via Coimbatore and Palakkad), 236 km from Kodaikanal
(via Coimbatore and Palani)

There
is a regular bus service from Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Calicut,
Kanyakumari, Thanjavur, Tirupathi and Cochin. Buses ply regularly
to Mudhumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Kotagiri, Coonoor and Doddabeta.

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