THE BLUE MOUNTAIN MAGIC
Ooty, a very famous hill station sits at the heart of the Nilgiri range, at a height of 7,440 ft. We've all grown up on those scenes of swirling mists and a heroine and hero running up the hill and down the dale.High altitudes seem to be a requisite for romance in the movies. And films are on the tip of one's tongue in Ooty. On any drive in and around Ooty, the guide or driver slips into this mode, pointing out the meadow on which MGR sang his heart out in search of love more than 40 years ago, or the junction at which a modern heroine posted a letter. At the lookout over the stunning Ketty valley, as visitors catch sight of the diminutive train track emerging from the slopes, young and old unanimously hum "Chhayya Chhayya".
And does the reality fall short? On the contrary, it soars well beyond what we've seen on 70mm. Yes, she is grey at the temples. Slopes terraced with carrots and cabbages, still called "English vegetables", are giving way to houses, even multi-storeyed flats. In season, it's all about a crush of tourists on bad roads. But the beauties of Ooty nevertheless lie just around the bend. The secret to getting the best out of a trip to Ooty is this: go off-season. The low season is far from desolate here. Every comfort is still on offer, with the blessed addition of elbowroom. Be sporting about the rain. All it takes is an umbrella and a change of socks to taste the endless charms of these high hills on your own terms. This Ooty is a series of piquant montages: the sun lighting up one hill even as the other beside remains shrouded in green velvet; ponies contentedly chomping grass by the kerbside; the sharp fragrance of ghostly pines lining a mist-laden road; acacias in full bloom; the bright gold of witch's broom dotting every hill; the aroma of hot filter coffee and even hotter sambhar.
An abiding delight are the Botanical Gardens, spread over 65 acres on the slopes just North of Charing Cross. The Rose Garden, atop a hill off Etiennes road, is all of 10 acres and in winter, when, 1,919 varieties of roses of all hues-pink, red, orange, pale green, even black-are out, a stroll in this heavenly, scented garden is unforgettable.
The 2.5 km long lake with wooded banks to the west of the town was artificially created in 1824 by John Sullivan. Amenities in the shape of pavements and ice cream kiosks and activities like boating and pony rides have recently been added to the lake by the Tourism Department but that is not nearly as lamentable as it sounds.
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