Ooty: paradise lost?

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Of all places I visited Ooty was probably the highlight. This is truely an amazing place. While located in south india it has the falvour of europe or parts of north america in both weather and architecture. Various tribes such as the Todas have probably had inhabited this region for some time, but the British made it the retreat of the then 'Madras Presidency,' sometime in the 1800's. Colonial style homes or mansions are still abundant.

Ooty's climate is somewhat of a paradox. It is the low latitude city with high latitude climate, like Seattle. This is only possible because it stands 2500 meters or roughly 8000 feet above sea level. When it is clear the cold air is moderated by the sun which can easily burn your skin. As soon as the sun sets the temperature can quickly drop to a little above 0. The Nilgiri soil is very fertile, and it gets as much rain, if not more, than Seattle itself, so the forest that covers it is evergreen. All kinds of vegetables are grown here year long. So, if you gravitate towards vegetarianism, the Nilgiri is your dreamland. Ooty's open market is filled with one vegetable stand after another, all selling the exact same vegetables.

The other three things which is Ooty is well known all over India, is its boarding schools, (direct legacy of the British), tea plantations, and tourism, mainly in the months preceding the Monsoon, April and May.

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Photos

Fruit seller
Ootyopen market market

Ooty Open Market
Coconut oil seller

Ooty Open Market
Fruit seller

Ooty Open Market
Nilgiri style tea. Milk made separately. Tea also brewed separately. No spices addes. The two are mixed before serving. Tea us grown in the hills nearby, which is world famous for its quality.

View of Rex school from Strawberry Hill
Rex higher sec school is a Roman Catholic school I attended for two years, 83-85. Set in the middle of acres of terrace farming growing mainly vegitables.

Ooty Open Market
Yet another vegitable stand.

Ooty Open Market: Father and son team
Beef section, dominated by muslim residents only. Hindus can sell mutton, fish, etc but not beef. Meat is fresh, from grass fed cows, with no packaging, shrink wraps, bar codes etc. You buy the meat, they wrap it in used news paper and you are out. No carryone plactic bags either.

Ooty Open Market
Beef section

Ooty Open Market
Beef section

British style Bungalows.
View of the part of Ooty that is close the market. Notice the Bristish style bunglows domiating the laddscape. Terrace farming still coexists in residential areas within city limits. This is graduall changing with continued migration by monied floks from Mumbai or Banglore, driving up land prices.

Commercial Road
Picture taken while heading towards Charing Cross from the Market. Roads much busier and louder but not as much as most other cities i visited.

Chinese Sports and curiosity shop
Somethings never change. This store has been here for 50 years. The mother of the gentleman you see was a premanant fixture in the street. She was well known for overcharging anything she sold. She died a few years ago and his friendly son continues on the same tradition.

Irani Restaurant
Anothe permant figures know all over Ooty was the late Mr. Akhtarkhavari, an Indian-Iranian, who had lived in the area for quite some time. There is only Non-veg indian food in this "irani restaurant." His son now carries on the tradition. The place is a hang out place for local politicians and the like.

Ooty, Charing Cross.
Blue Hills restaurant family room was a favorite hide out place whenever we "escaped" from the boarding school.

Vege Plantations
20 km outside Ooty.

Home stay farm Detour
20 km outside Ooty.

Hotel Kings Cliff
A tastefully restored old colonial bungalow in which I stayed. Located way up on the strawberry hill on the way to what we used to call "jungle" or "lake."

The farm stay resort
View of potatoe and other vegetable crops.

Comments

[Ooty Tour]

Welcome to Ooty
All tourist's comment about Ooty is good inspiration for me. Bcz, im developing a Nice/colorful website for Ooty. Just launched. Updating everyday. visit http://www.Ootytour.com

[Chirag Ravel]

Amazing
Its Truly amazing to see things that no other website or person can show in their websites you truly have brought my memory back from those days when Ooty was known for its simplicity. The iranian hotel and Kurinji was my normal hangout!!! post some more pics please!!!

[farzeen]

god's gift

[moorthy]

ooty super
i like this place

[moorthy]

ooty super
gods gifts so very nice

[Joshua]

Ooty Rockzz Alwayzz
Hi to Every1! while seeing the pics it really makes me to feel the days which i have spent in Ooty its from 1998-1999 and 2005-2008 where i had my scholling all through this 4 years which is the most awsemest moments still now as well as in the future! Studied in Rex school and Nilgiris Matriculation Hr Sec School which were the days which am eagerly waiting to experience it again if i get a time machine or something like that. Seeing the pics makes to feel as if am in Ooty. Keep continuously posting the pics which will seriously re kindle the olden memories of the people those who lived in Ooty!

[navid]

hiw=
Thanks for your comment i have to go back to take more pics/ OOty was my most favorite place to visit. I graduated from Rex, in 1985