History

Ooty has a rich slice of British pre-independence days associated with it. The rolling slopes and the flowers were first brought to the public?read retreat for the British officers stationed in Madras?when the ghat road between Coonoor and Kallar was extended to Udagamandalam. This track sort of connected Ooty with Madras and from then on, the hill station has seen a steady stream of travellers.

Names like John Sullivan, the then collector of Coimbatore, and Colonel GV Law evoke nostalgia among old-timers to this day. Some of Ooty?s street names still stand testimony to these stalwarts. Today, Ooty is well known for its botanical gardens, educational institutions, and if one ventures out of the tourist guide book, some virgin landscape.