Ooty
Udhagamandalam (Tamil: உதகமண்டலம்) sometimes
abbreviated to Udhagai Tamil: உதகை or
Ooty is a town, a municipality and the
district capital of the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Ootacamund is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills. Originally
occupied by the Todas, the area came under the rule of the East India Company
at the end of the 18th century. Today the town's economy is based on tourism
and agriculture, with manufacturing of medicines and photographic film also
present. The town is connected to the rest of India by road and rail, and its
historic sites and natural beauty attract tourists
.
Etymology
The origin of the name Udhagamandalam is obscure. The first
mention of the place occurs in a letter of March 1821 to the Madras Gazette by
an unknown correspondent as Wotokymund. In early times it was called
OttaikalMandu "mund" is the Tamil word for a Toda village, and the
first part is probably a corruption of the local name for the central region of
the Nilgiri Plateau. Another likely origin of the stem of the name (Ootaca)
comes from the local language where Otha-Cal literally means Single Stone. This
is perhaps a reference to a sacred stone revered by the local Toda people. The
name probably changed under British rule from Udhagamandalam to Ootacamund,
later shortened to Ooty.
History
Ooty, which is deep within the Nilgiri hills, is also known
as The Blue Mountains. It is unknown whether this name comes from the blue
smoky haze given off by the eucalyptus trees that cover the area, or because of
the kurunji flower, which blooms every twelve years giving the slopes a bluish
tinge. Unlike any other region in the country, no historical proof is found to
state that Ooty was a part of any kingdoms or empires. Tippu Sultan was the
first to extend his border by constructing a hideout cave like structure,
It was originally a tribal land and was occupied by the
Todas along with other tribes who coexisted through specialisation and trade.
Frederick price in his book Ootacamund, A History states that the area which is
now called as the 'Old Ooty' was originally occupied by the Todas. The Todas
then handed over that part of the town to John Sullivan, the then Governor of
Coimbatore. He later developed the town, and encouraged the establishment of
tea, chinchona, and teak trees. Like many of the settlers, Sullivan was highly
impressed by the way the tribes cooperated, and sought to maintain this
balance. He later campaigned tirelessly to ensure land rights and cultural
recognition for these tribes and was financially and socially punished for this
by the British Government.
The Nilgiri territory came into possession of East India
Company as part of the ceded lands, held by Tipu Sultan, by the treaty of
Srirangapatnam in 1799. Rev. Jacome Forico, a priest, was the first European
who visited Nilgiris in 1603 and released his notes about the place and the
people of Nilgiris. In 1812 surveyor William Keys and Macmohan visited the top
of the plateau. In 1818, Wish and Kindersley, Assistant and Second Assistant to
Collector of Coimbatore visited this spot and submitted their experience report
to the Collector of Coimbatore John Sullivan. John Sullivan with his party
proceeded to Nilgiri Mountain and
