The beautiful
hill station of Ooty, draws quite a good number of tourists
from all over the world. The natural beauty of this region
is outstanding and memorable. Apart from the natural splendors,
Ooty has many more attractions that are worth a visit. Some
of the important ones are the Botanical Gardens sprawled over
an area of 50-acre. It was established by Marquis of Tweeddale
in the year 1848. These gardens lie on the lower slopes of
the Doddabetta peak, the highest point in Ooty. Another exotic
garden found here is the Rose Gardens, situated about 3 to
4-km away from Charring Cross. They are spread over an area
of 10 acres of land with 2000 variety of roses.
There
is also a Mini Garden over here along with a children amusement
park. Definitely, a worth visiting site. Another famous attraction
here is the Ooty Lake, a charming artificial lake. Constructed
in 1824 by Mr. John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore.
A noteworthy attraction of Ooty is the St Stephens Church
situated in the hilly area on Club Road. It is said to be
the oldest church in the Nilgiris. This church was built in
the year 1829 and consecrated in 1830. The cemetery close
by houses the grave of John Sullivan, the founder of Ooty.
Another outstanding attraction here is the Doddabetta peak.
It is the highest peak (2623 meters) in the Nilgiris and is
situated about 10-km from Ooty, offering a beautiful view
of the Nilgiri hill ranges.