A view of the Ooty township

Remember Chhaiyya Chhaiyya from Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se? Yes, the number that had superhero Shah Rukh Khan and the curvilicious Malaika gyrating in tune to its peppy beats — all atop the roof of a train traversing through a precariously precipitous landscape. Well, guess where it was shot? No, not aboard the Darjeeling toy train in the Himalayas. Believe it or not, the scenery was right out of the heart of South India — in Tamil Nadu — and the train was on its way to Ootacamund or Ooty, which kisses the clouds at an altitude of 7400ft and nestled in the Nilgiris, is South India’s most popular hill station.

Wellington Bridge , which featured in the Chhaiyya Chhaiyya song from Dil Se

All through my flight to Chennai, while peering down at the turquoise waters of the ocean below, and then on my one-hour flight to Coimbatore, I really did not know what to expect. Somehow, since I’d never been there, it seemed tough to imagine a real hill station in hot, sweltering Tamil Nadu. But I started turning into a believer once the Maruti Omni I was in, zipped past the date and coconut palms, the sugarcane groves and plantains, and the slick pitch road lined with tamarind and curry leaf trees started twisting its way like a black snake into the dark, inky Nilgiris in the horizon.

As we leave the plains behind and ascend the hilly road to Ooty, the going gets a bit rough. It starts drizzling and mist hangs over the hilltops in the distance. The air gets perceptibly cooler and tea plantations peppered with silver oak trees come into view. Umesh, my well-informed driver-cum-tour guide, halts at Coonoor, 21km ahead of Ooty. He drives me to Sim’s Park, a well-maintained park spread over a number of levels carved out of the hills. Our next stop is the quaint Coonoor Railway Station, which caters to the Nilgiri Mountain Railway or the Toy Train, that runs over a distance of 46km, from Mettupalayam, through Coonoor all the way up to Ooty.

It’s late evening by the time we arrive in Ooty. To my surprise, unlike other hill stations, Ooty is not at all cramped. I’m staying at Hotel Sinclairs, which is located on top of one of the highest hills in the town. As I walk down the corridor leading to the hotel’s reception, the French windows on my left offer a breath-taking view of the Nilgiris and Ooty.

I am given a short tour of the hotel, which has 88 rooms and suites with viewing galleries. It also offers 24-hour room service and car rentals. “It’s Ooty’s only centrally-heated hotel, with two conference halls,” says Swajib Chatterjee, manager of the property. “In fact, we have recently introduced two exclusive villas at Ooty with a panoramic view. These 2-bedroom villas, with attached bathrooms, a kitchen, lounge, dining and living area are meant for families who wish to enjoy the comforts of home while on vacation,” he adds. There’s also High Point, the hotel’s well-stocked bar and Pine and Petals, the multi-cuisine restaurant.

The Italian Formal Garden at the Ooty Botanical Garden

The next morning I wake up to a glorious sunrise witnessed from the glass windows in my comfortable room. All charged up thanks to the pleasant weather, I step out to explore. Umesh is my guide for the day and first takes me on the regulation Ooty sightseeing round. We start off with the Dodabetta Peak, which, at a height of 8640ft is the highest peak in South India. Our next stop is Ooty Botanical Garden. The main lawn takes in undulating lush green grounds with tall graceful trees and the Italian Formal Garden presents a pretty picture with a crescent lily pond framed by scarlet flowerbeds. The Ooty Boathouse is located at the edge of a big green lake surrounded by hills and here you can rent a paddleboat or motorboat and take a boat ride to enjoy the cool breeze from the lake.

My eager guide informs me that another must-visit spot is the Tea Factory. Here one can browse through the Tea Museum that tells the tea story, before being breezed through the tea-making process. At the end of the demonstration, you will be treated to a cup of hot, milky, sweet Nilgiri tea, flavoured with cardamom.

The serene waters of Pykara Lake

Done with the local sightseeing, we head towards our next destination, Pykara. The road to Pykara will take you along what the locals call the Filmy Chakkar — scenic areas where Bollywood biggies and South Indian directors bring their film crews for shooting. The ‘chakkar’ starts with the rolling green Golf Course and the adjacent Gymkhana Club.

Further on there is a manmade pine forest along a slope where one of the songs from the Bipasha Basu starrer Raaz was filmed. A little ahead is the Kamaraj Sagar Dam where a part of Mani Ratnam’s Roja was shot. But the best spot in the Filmy Chakkar is 9th Mile, a grassy hillock with a view to die for.

A short 10-minute walk uphill will take you to the top where you can feast your eyes on the endless surrounding hills with verdant green cover, the wind whipping across your face and whistling in your ears. You can jog down to the base of the hill and sip piping hot cups of tea and bite into delicious boiled corn on the cob to warm up.

Just round the bend is Pykara Dam, and a little further on, Pykara Lake. The lake is a serene emerald-green body of water with a million silver ripples that reflect the beautiful landscape ensconcing it. Time stands still as you gaze at the lake’s still waters, the scene looking like a painting with brushstrokes from the greatest artist of them all. It is difficult to tear oneself away from this unspoilt beauty, but there are vistas yet to be discovered.

Spotted deer at Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary

We leave behind the cool climes of the hills and go down to the foothills of the Nilgiris towards the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, at the trijunction of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Spread over a mammoth 321sq km, Mudumalai sanctuary is home to many species of fauna including the elephant, tiger, panther, sambar, deer and bison. Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, it’s filled with evergreen and deciduous trees, swamps, grasslands and teak plantations. I answered the call of the wild by venturing into the sanctuary on board one of the buses reserved for this purpose.

A 45-minute drive along a narrow paved road took us about 14km into the park. Out first sighting was a pack of spotted deer, which scampered into the safe cover of the forest as soon as it saw our vehicle. A little further on, the bus driver pointed out a herd of bison hunched around a pond in the forest. Deeper into the jungle, a common langur parked itself on our way, making a move only after its vanity had been served with the tourists capturing it on their cameras.

We kept our eyes strained for the bigger animals, but were not very lucky. The only thing we spotted on our way back was a snorting wild boar, grating its hooves into the soil. But throughout the ride, colourful little birds — kingfishers, fairy bluebirds and parakeets — kept us company, darting across the windscreen and chirping at us from their perches atop trees. And it is with these images, refreshed and rejuvenated with all the soothing greenery and fresh mountain air, that I stepped out of this natural haven.

Packages on offer: Sinclairs Ooty is currently offering a three night-four day package for two adults for Rs 11,040 (extendable on pro rata basis). The package includes room charges, morning tea, breakfast, dinner, unlimited snacks and tea/coffee from 3 pm-7 pm, Ooty and Coonoor sightseeing, complimentary use of games room, inclusive of taxes.

For bookings contact: Pressman House, 10A Lee Road, Calcutta 700 020. Tel: (033) 2280 1317-20

Photographs by the author