Overview
The Nilgiris district is in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.
Description
The Nilgiris (Blue Mountains), is part of the Western Ghat mountain range and run across the Southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala.
The British found the gently undulating slopes ideal for growing tea and the pleasant climate in the hills made Ooty the natural choice of residence in the scorching summer months. In 1827, Ooty was declared the summer capital of Madras presidency. In 1899 the Nilgiris Mountain Railway was completed to ease the journey to the hills and back. It still remains a tourist attraction and a journey through the tea gardens at its gentle pace is a must for every traveler with an eye for beauty.
Today, the Nilgiris remain a major center for tea production and tourism. The gently rolling hills, so reminiscent of the Downs of England, are a sea of green tea bushes, dotted with the red of poinsettias in the winter and the lilac of the jacaranda in the summer.