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Dodabetta Peak
There are many tourist attractions in Ooty and nearly all are well worth a visit when on a sight seeing trip in Ooty. However anyone is sure to be particularly keen on visiting those places from where one can witness the absolutely mesmerizing beauty of this queen of hill stations. Heading straight to the Dodabetta Peak is consequently the best choice. The height of the Dodabetta Peak is 2,623 meters making it the highest point of the district. It is located at a distance of about 10 km from the main town and offers an unbelievably beautiful view of the surrounding topography. One is sure to be impressed by the fascinating views. In fact it is even believed that if the weather does not betray you in any way, chances are there that you will get a view of extreme far off areas. On clear days the distant plains of Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore can also be sighted. However it cannot be denied that such clear days rarely come and it is generally misty. But nonetheless the view that the Dodabetta Peak ordinarily commands is no less overwhelming.

Lamb’s Rock
Lamb’s Rock definitely deserves to be a part of your sight seeing trip in Ooty. The greatest attraction of the Lamb’s Rock is in fact this. It offers enchanting views of the plains of Coimbatore and the tea estates. The effect is almost that of a green carpet covering the slopes of the hills. There are very few places which can offer such a panoramic and overwhelming view of the surrounding picturesque landscape and the Lamb’s Rock is one of them. So make sure to visit the Lamb’s Rock at a distance of just about 9 km from Coonoor and witness for yourself nature at its very best.

Kalhatty Waterfalls
The beautiful Kolhatty waterfalls are about 100 feet in height and are located on the kalhatty slopes. The falls are about 13kms from the city, so anyone on a tour of Ooty can easily check out the falls and the beautiful area surrounding it. Besides, obviously looking at the waterfalls, you can explore the kalhatty-Masinagudi slopes, that are home to many wild species, including panthers, sambhar, bison and wild buffaloes. Kalhatty – Masinagudi slopes is rich in wildlife such as Panthers, Bisons, Wild Buffaloes, Wild Dogs, Spotted Deers, Sambars and different types of hill birds. The falls attracts all sorts of animals like Panthers, Spotted Deer and Bisons, who come to drink water in the early hours of the day and at night.

Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is situated 67 kms from Ooty. Mudumalai is the home of about 25 tigers, 700 wild elephants, leopards, panthers, 1,000 gaur (Indian bison), bears, bonnet monkeys, horned antelopes, flying squirrels, hyenas and eagles. As the animals are quite elusive, you will need a combination of luck, patient and a good eye to see anything. There are also reptiles, such as pythons and big monitor lizards, and many species of birds. The park is 320 sq km. The vegetation varies from forest to grassland and swamps. There are over 200 species of birds in the park. You can get a free book, called Birds of Mudumalai, at the WWO office in Ooty.

The Ooty Lake
In the recent years Ooty Lake has emerged as one of the foremost tourist attractions of Ooty. Ooty Lake is an artificial lake that owes its construction to the first Collector of Ooty, John Sullivan. The original intention was to construct an irrigation tank but finally the lake was dredged out in the years 1823-1825. The lake has an irregular L shape and stretches for more than 2 km in length. The width of the lake varies at regular intervals. The over all area of this well known lake that is definitely a must see on any sight seeing trip of Ooty is about one and a half square miles. It remains open from 8 AM to 6 PM. Sitting on the edge of the lake to watch the sunset of Ooty is a tremendous experience.

Botanical Garden
Covering an extensive area of 55 acres, the Botanical Gardens in Ooty was laid way back in the year 1847 by the Marquis of Tweedale on the lower slopes of the Dodabetta Park. It is very well maintained to this date. The Horticulture Department of the Government of Tamil Nadu has been entrusted with the responsibility of looking after this garden. And the fragrance of the flowers is really intoxicating.One of the great surprises of the place is a fossil tree trunk that is believed to be 20 million years old. It may be added here that eucalyptus trees are an integral part of Ooty’s landscape. The trees are in such great numbers that they even support a small oil industry here.

Kodai Lake
Located at a distance of 3 Kilometers from the main bus stand of the city, the Kodai Lake falls at the geographical location of 10º14′ North Latitude and 77º28 East Longitude. Much of its present glamor owes to Vera Levinge. He transformed the marshy lakeside into a spectacular lake by strengthening its banks and bringing beautiful boats from Tuticorin. Situated at an altitude of 2285 Meters, the Kodai Lake of Kodaikanal has a star like shape if seen from a height. The Kodai Lake covers an area of almost 60 acres. One can trek or drive along the beautiful lake, which is bordered by a well maintained road. Several wonderful hotels surround the lake.

Bryant Park
Bryant Park, seen on the lake’s eastern side, is another important botanical park that must not be missed by tourists visiting Kodaikanal as it houses plenty of different varieties of flowers, rafts as well as hybrids.

A British forest officer by the name Bryant was the one who landscaped this park in the year 1980 and hence it is named after him. This is the place where the annual vegetable and flower show is held during the month of May and is the most visited place by many during the summer months. A glasshouse in the park contains wide varieties of flowers, ferns and other ornamental plants.

Pillar Rocks
Situated at a distance of about 8 km from the Kodai Lake, Pillar Rocks are three large boulders which vertically measure upto a height of about 122 m.  It is 8 km from the lake. The rocks offer breathtaking views of the surrounding forests and plains. There is a small garden with lovely, colourful flowers.

At the bottom of the pillars are shady woods that make for a wonderful picnic spot. The scooped out chamber between the two pillar rocks is called Devil’s kitchen.

Ooty, the Queen be seated in this heavenly abode remained undiscovered to the great southern dynasties and it took the British to explore it in the early 1800s. They were, however, not the first friends of this land as a tribe called Todas had been living there long before the British came, claiming that the Nilgiris had been their home since time immemorial. The British constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Chennai Presidency.

A haven for nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, honeymooners and bollywood directors, Ooty is a hill station with something for all. Ooty or Udhagamandalam is one of those jewels in Tamil Nadu’s crown that attracts a huge number of tourists. Ooty is surrounded by four majestic hills-Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill.

The nearest airport to Ooty is Coimbatore at a distance of 105 kms. Ooty is connected by train services also. The Blue Mountain Express connects Ooty to Mettupalayam located at a distance of 47 kms. Ooty could be accessed from most of the towns and cities of neighbouring Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Arriving in Kodai town, one is enticed by orchards of pear trees with their graceful branches silhouetted in artistic curves against the evening sky like stark Zen etchings. Extensively visited by tourists and yet very serene, the beauty of virgin nature could be best witnessed in the breathtakingly beautiful hill station of Kodaikanal. Situated 2133 m above the sea level in Tamil Nadu, the magnificent hill station was developed by American missionaries in 1845. Buildings with gabled roof dot the skyline. Broken fragments of light from the setting sun are caught and kindled in the wind-rippled water appearing like a myriad lamp floating on the lake. Soon, as though on cue, lights start twinkling all over the hillside, and even the stars pick up the message, and heaven and earth are a riot of light, as though beaming messages of goodwill to each other.

The name Kodaikanal means the “gift of the forest”. Situated in the state of Tamil Nadu, among the Palani Hills, Kodaikanal is one of the unexplored destinations of southern India. With its intoxicating air, breathtaking scenery and serenity that you can hardly find in any other hill station, Kodaikanal is an ideal summer resort for the travel buffs of the southern plains.

The airport nearest to Kodaikanal is Madurai at a distance of 120 kms.There are frequent flights to most other Indian towns and cities. The nearest railhead is Kodai Road Railway Station at a distance of 80 kms from the place. Kodaikanal is connected by road with most of Tamil Nadu and nearby states. Being a popular hill station, bus services to Kodaikanal from other parts of the state are timely and very convenient.

Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Benares of the south. The presiding deity is the Linga Of Sri Ranganatha, which happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the ‘Benaras of the south’. In order to attain Moksha it is believed that the visit to Rameshwaram is mandatory.

Rameshwaram is a happening holiday spot too.The religious island is spread in an area of 61.8 square kilometers and happens to be in the shape of a conch. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple occupies major area of Rameshwaram. The masterpiece of Dravidian architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting from the 12th century. The temple comprises of twenty-two wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other. The waters of the wells are believed to possess medicinal properties.

» Air link : The religious land of Rameshwaram is well connected with the other major cities of India. The nearest airport at Madurai is 163 kilometers away, takes care of the air travel of people from across the globe.

» Rail & Road link : The rail and road network connects Rameshwaram with Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Thanjavur and other important cities. The two kilometer long Indira Gandhi Bridge connects the island of Rameshwaram with the mainland of Mandapam. For traveling in town you may opt for hiring jeeps, auto rickshaws and even cycle rickshaws.

Sri Meenakshi – Sundareswarar Temple
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple dates to around 100 AD and it was expanded during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak (1623-55). Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple contains 12 gopurams and the main four gopurams are having nine storeys each. These four tall gopurams (towers) over the entrance gates is renowned for its sculptures and paintings. The southern tower is the tallest, a height of 170 ft with 1511 sudhai figures, and was built in 16th century. The oldest tower is the 13th century eastern gopuram, a height of 161 ft with 1011 sudhai figures, built by Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan. The western tower with a height 163 ft and 1124 sudhai figures and the northern tower is having a height of 160 ft. The main feature of the temple lies in the Ayiramkal Mandapam or the Hall of Thousand Pillars. The specialty of the pillars is that each one is adorned with high, ornate, bold sculptures and the view of these pillars from any angle appears to be in a straight line. There are musical pillars carved out of stones in the outermost corridors. Each pillar produces different musical note when it is tapped. The temple is open to devotees between 05:00 and 12:30 hrs and again between 16:00 and 21:30 hrs. It is at a walkable distance from the Madurai railway station.

Thirupparankundram Temple
The Thirupparankundram Temple is one of the most commonly visited places of interest in Madurai. This temple is of special interest to those who are hardcore devotees of the Hindu religion. It is situated at the top of a hill. It is located at a distance of about 8 km towards the south of the railway junction of Madurai. One can view a shrine dedicated to goddess Durga in this cave temple. The two images of Subramanya and Ganesh are placed on either sides of the Durga image.
There are a number of shrines in the temple. Some of the most prominent shrines are dedicated to Ganapathy, Shiva, Vishnu and Durgai. The entrance of the temple is marked by as many as 48 pillars. These pillars are decorated with intricate carvings. The mandapa that is located at the entrance has pillars that are identified with the Nayaka period.

Alagar Koil
Alagar Koil is a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is situated at a distance of 21 km from Madurai, on foot of Alagar hills, amongst the natural beauty of the woods. Here, Lord Vishnu resides as Azhgar, brother of Meenakshi. A huge crowd of devotees is seen here in the month of April/May when Chithirai Festival is celebrated. The temple also contain some beautiful carvings and makes the visit rewarding. Palamudirsolai, one of the six abodes of Lord Subramaniya is located atop the Hill. The splendid main tower at the entrance is believed to have been built by the Pandyan Kings. According to the historical background of the place, Malayadhwaja Pandyan, son of Kulasekhara Pandyan, was the earliest known monarch to patronize the temple. Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan beautified the ‘vimana’ of the shrine with gold plates. After the Pandya rule, the Nayakas patronized the deity.

Viralimalai Sanctuary
The Viralimalai sanctuary is one of the best places to watch peacocks. There are at least six species of peacock pheasants distributed throughout South East Asia, though the Palawan Peacock Pheasant or “Tandikan” (Polyplectron Emphanum) is by far the most spectacularly coloured of these beautiful birds.

Viralimalai is a small town situated at a distance of 30-kms from Tiruchirapalli and 40-kms from Pudukkottai. It is famous for its Murugan temple and the Peacock sanctuary. The town is bestowed with a large number of wild peacocks, which roam around the Murugan temple.

Government Museum
Government Museum, established in 1982, is a museum complex located in Rani Mangammal Mahal near Super bazaar, Tiruchirapalli. The complex includes National Art Gallery, Gallery of Contemporary Arts and Children’s Museum. The museum showcases an assortment of specimens relating to geology, zoology, paintings, anthropology, epigraphy and history.

Ancient bronze-stone sculptures, Indian coins, Paleolithic and Neolithic tools, inscriptions and palm leaf manuscripts and model of Pachamalai hills are kept here for display. The museum is open on all days except Fridays and national holidays from 10:00 hrs to 17:00 hrs.

Sittanavasal
Sittanavasal is located at a distance of 58-km from Trichy is Sittanavasal, a site of an ancient Jain monastery with fine fresco paintings in a rock cave. Many of them are typical of the 9th century Pandyan period and include exquisitely detailed pictures of animals, fish, ducks, people gathering lotuses from a pond and two dancing figures. There are also inscriptions dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries. Fresco paintings from the 7th century can be seen on the ceiling of the Ardhamandapam.
There are many pre-historic burial sites around Sittanavasal and among the relics unearthed are burial urns, cists and Kurangupatarai.