How To Reach - Chennai To Ooty

By Author: Rashmiranjan Patil
Total Articles: 261
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Chennai, located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, is known as the gateway to the South India as it is considered as the seat of culture and learning. It is believed that Chennai or 'Chennaipattinam' got its name from the Chenna Kesava Perumal Temple.

Chennai has a history dating back to first century AD. Chennai is famous for its temples and churches as they are considered to be the fine examples of architecture and craftsmanship. Chennai is also famous for its pre-Independence structures like Fort St. George, St. Mary's Church and Madras High Court.

Among the popular tourist sites in Chennai are Santhome Cathedral Basilica, St. Thomas Mount, Thousand Lights Mosque, Parthasarathy Temple, Kaapaleshwar temple, Ashtalakshmi temple, Adeeswar Temple, Theosophical Society, Senate House, Freemasons Hall, National Art Gallery, Guindy Snake Park, Valluvar Kottam, MGR Memorial, Kamaraj Memorial House and Government Museum.

Chennai is famous for its beautiful beaches. Marina Beach, which is 12 km long, is one of the longest urban beaches in the world. Among other popular beaches are Elliot’s Beach ...
... and Covelong Beach.

Ooty, a popular hill station also in Tamil Nadu, is about 600 km from Chennai. The nearest airport is Peelamedu Airport in Coimbatore, which is 104 km from Ooty. Travellers from Chennai to Ooty by air will have to get down at Coimbatore and then take bus or cab to reach the hill station. A ride by taxi from Coimbatore to Ooty will cost about Rs.2500. There are also regular bus services to Ooty from Coimbatore.

There is no direct train from Chennai to Ooty. The main railway station to reach Ooty is Mettupalayam. Mettupalayam is connected to Coimbatore with regular train services. The trains coming from Chennai to Kochi and Mangalore pass through Coimbatore. The 'Nilgiri toy train' connects Mettupalayam to Ooty.

Toy train covers 46 km from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam (Ooty) in four hours and 30 minutes. There are nine stations between Mettupalayam and Ooty - Kallar, Adderely, Hill Grove, Runnymede Kateri, Wellington, Aruvakkadu, Ketti, and Lovedale. The train passes through steep curves, long tunnel, long and deep ravines full of green vegetation, streams and tea plantations. There are regular bus services and overnight Volvo buses from Chennai to Ooty.

Ooty has beautiful landscapes, dense forests, national parks, tea plantations and monuments. Former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had once described Ooty, situated at an average altitude of 2284 metres, as ‘Queen of Hill Stations’.

Among the major tourist attractions in Ooty are Government Botanical Gardens, Ooty Rose Gardens, Dodabetta Peak (highest peak), Annamalai Temple, Lord Muruga temple, Ooty Lake and tea and spice gardens.

There is no dearth of accommodation in Ooty. Accommodations are not very expensive compared to other cities in India.