Ooty

Biodiversity and wildlife

thumb|A [[Bengal tiger in Mudumalai National Park]]

Ooty forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the largest protected forest area in India. It was declared as a protected reserve in 1986 and is part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme. Mudumalai National Park and tiger reserve lies on the north-western side, about from Ooty and was established in 1940 as the first wildlife sanctuary in India.

thumb|left|upright=0.7|[[Nilgiri langur is an endangered primate, found only in the region]]

The region is part of the South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion. Nilgiris harbours thousands of plant species including medicinal plants and endemic flowering plants. The native vegetation consisted of Meadows and grasslands on the hillsides with shola forests in the valleys. When the British populated the town, invasive species of pine, wattle and eucalyptus were planted along with tea plantations and they became the dominant species replacing the native vegetation.

The region has one of the largest bengal tiger populations. The Indian elephant is the largest mammal in the region. The gaur is the largest ungulate in the region that frequent grasslands in the vicinity of water sources. Other mega-fauna include Indian leopard and sloth bear. Smaller fauna include Jungle cat, rusty-spotted cat, leopard cat, dhole, Golden jackal, Nilgiri marten, Small Indian civet, Asian palm civet, brown palm civet, ruddy mongoose, wild boar, Indian pangolin, Indian crested porcupine and Indian giant squirrel. Indian giant flying squirrel, Smooth-coated otter groups are observed along the Moyar River. Deer include sambar deer, chital, Indian spotted chevrotain, Indian muntjac, four-horned antelope and blackbuck. Monkeys, including the endangered Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque and gray langur are also found in the region. Nilgiri tahr is an endangered ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiris and is the state animal of Tamil Nadu. Bats are found in darker caves in the hills. More than 200 species of birds are found in the region.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, Udagamandalam had a population of 88,430 with a sex-ratio of 1,053 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 7,781 were under the age of six, constituting 3,915 males and 3,866 females.Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 28.98% and 0.30% of the population respectively. The average literacy of the city in 2011 was 90.2%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. As per the religious census of 2011, Udagamandalam had 64.36% Hindus, 21.25% Christians, 13.37% Muslims, 0.03% Sikhs, 0.3% Buddhists, 0.4% Jains, 0.28% following other religions and 0.02% following no religion or did not indicate any religious preference.

Tamil is the official language of Udagamandalam. Languages native to the Nilgiris including Badaga, Paniya, Irula and Kurumba. Due to its proximity to the neighboring states of Kerala and Karnataka and being a tourist destination, Malayalam, Kannada and English are also spoken and understood to an extent. According to the 2011 census, the most widely spoken languages in Udagamandalam taluk were Tamil, spoken by 88,896, followed by Badaga with 41,213 and Kannada with 27,070 speakers.

Administration and politics

Ooty is the headquarters of the Nilgiris district. The town is administered by Udagamanadalam municipality which was established in 1866 and the town is divided into 36 wards. The municipality is responsible for water services, sewage disposal and maintenance of public infrastructure.

Economy

thumb|Tea plantations in Ooty

Ooty is a market town for the surrounding area, which is still largely dependent on agriculture. Vegetables cultivated include potato, carrot, cabbage and cauliflower and fruits include peach, plum, pear and strawberry. There is a daily wholesale auction of these products at the Ooty Municipal Market. Dairy farming has long been present in the area, and there is a cooperative dairy manufacturing cheese and skimmed milk powder. Floriculture and sericulture are also practised, as is the cultivation of mushrooms. The local area is known for tea cultivation. Nilgiri tea is a black tea variety unique to the region.

The Human Biologicals Institute, established in 1999, is involved in vaccine manufacturing. Other manufacturing industries located on the outskirts include Ketti (manufacture of needles) and Aruvankadu (manufacture of cordite).

Transport

Road

Ooty is connected by roads known as the Nilgiri Ghat Roads. It is situated on NH 181. The municipality maintains roads in the town. Public bus services are operated by the Coimbatore division of TNSTC. SETC, KSRTC (Karnataka) and KSRTC (Kerala) connect to distant towns in Tamil Nadu and neighboring states.

Rail

thumb|[[Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site]]

Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a railway in Nilgiris district, connecting Udagamandalam and Mettupalayam. The Nilgiri Railway Company was formed in 1885, and the Mettupalayam-Coonoor section of the track was opened for traffic on 15 June 1899. The railway was operated by the Madras Railway until 31 December 1907, when it was handed over to the South Indian Railway. The line from Coonoor to Ooty was completed in 1908. In July 2005, UNESCO added the Nilgiri Mountain Railway as an extension to the World Heritage Site of Mountain Railways of India.

Air

The nearest airport is Coimbatore International Airport, located from the town. The airport has regular flights from and to major domestic destinations and international destinations like Sharjah, Colombo and Singapore. Ooty has three helipads, one at Theettukal and two at Kodanad with the Theettukal helipad, approved by the Airports Authority of India for defence and VIP services. Pawan Hans planned to start commercial services with Bell 407, but the plan has been shelved.

Education

Government Arts College, established in 1955, and is affiliated with Bharathiar University. There are a few other colleges in the town. Boarding schools have been a feature of Ooty since the British Raj and continue to operate currently, including some of the most expensive schools in India.

Tourism

thumb|Botanical Garden in Ooty

A boat house located alongside the Ooty Lake offers boating facilities to tourists and is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. The garden also hosts a 20-million-year-old fossilized tree. The Government Rose Garden, situated on the slopes of Elk Hill at an altitude of , has more than 20,000 varieties of roses from 2,800 cultivars and is the largest rose garden in India. A deer park was established along the edges of the lake in 1986 and is the second-highest altitude zoo in India.

thumb|left|Traditional Toda dogle

thumb|[[The Fernhills Palace, Ooty|Fernhils Palace]]

There are a few traditional Toda dogles (huts) on the hills above the Botanical Garden. A Tribal Museum was opened in 1995 as a part of the Tribal Research Center, located about ( from the town and hosts rare artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar, and other anthropological and archaeological finds on early human culture and heritage. The Stone House was the first bungalow constructed in the town. St Stephen's Church, built in 1829, is one of the oldest churches in the Nilgiris district. St. Thomas Church, opened in 1871, hosts many famous graves in the churchyard including those of Josiah John Goodwin, William Patrick Adam, whose grave is topped by a pillar monument dedicated to St. Thomas, the tallest structure in Ooty. Spread over an area of nearly , a tea factory and museum displays the process of tea processing and the machines used.

The Ooty Radio Telescope was completed in 1970 and is part of the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), funded by the Government of India through the Department of Atomic Energy.

Sports and recreation

The game of snooker was perfected by Neville Chamberlain on the billiard tables of the Ootacamund Club. There was also a cricket ground with regular matches played between teams from the Army and Indian Civil Service. There were riding stables and kennels at Ooty and the hounds hunted across the surrounding countryside and the open grasslands of the Wenlock downs. Horse racing is held at the Ooty Racecourse. The Ooty Golf Course is at an altitude of and extends over .

In popular culture

Ooty varkey is a crispy and crusty cookie snack popular in Ooty. A number of films have been shot in Ooty. The town was used as a setting in David Lean's 1984 movie, A Passage to India, which was based on E. M. Forster's novel of the same name.