Coonoor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Coonoor | |
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| Coordinates | 11°21′N 76°49′E / 11.35°N 76.82°E |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District(s) | Nilgiris |
| Population | 50,079 (2001[update]) |
| Time zone | IST (UTC+5:30) |
| Area • Elevation |
• 1,502 m (4,928 ft) |
Coonoor (Tamil: குன்னூர்) is a town and a municipality in the Nilgiris district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for its production of Nilgiri tea. Recently it has experienced a growing networked economy and a significant influx of tourists.
Coonoor is located at an altitude of 1,800 m above sea level, and is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri hills. The verdant Coonoor is an ideal base for a number of trekking expeditions leading into the Nilgiris. You can trek to discover and explore the major tourist attractions that are located within the reach of Coonoor.
One of the popular trekking trails leads Tourists to Lamb’s Rock that is 9 km from Coonoor. Lamb’s Rock overlooks the Coimbatore plains, providing a spectacular view of the tea and coffee plantations. A little ahead of Lamb’s Rock is located the Lady Canning’s Seat that offers a panoramic view of the Nilgiris.
Tourist can trek from Lady Canning’s Seat to Dolphin’s Seat, which is located 12 km from Coonoor. Also, you can trek to Law’s Falls, which is located 5 km from Coonoor. You can then trek from the falls to Droog that is located at a distance of 13 km from Coonoor.
Droog is also known as Pakkasuran Kottai. You will find the ruins of a 16th century fort in Droog. The fort is located at a height of 750 m, and there are innumerable medicinal springs in the vicinity.
Coonoor provides the traveller with the panoramic view of the lush green Nilgiri hills, with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls. Bird watching is a popular pastime in Coonoor, as the area boasts of a large variety of species like cormorants, pipits, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks, Nilgiri verditer, etc. Travellers can take a walk through the tea gardens. There are number of hiking trails around Coonoor. Travellers can enjoy the exhilarating and unique ride on the toy train that connects Coonoor with Mettupalayam and Ooty. The trip provides some breathtaking views of the Nilgiri hills in all its natural glory.
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[edit] Geography
Coonoor is located at 11°21′N 76°49′E / 11.35°N 76.82°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 1502 metres (4927 feet).
State: Tamil Nadu.
Exact Location: Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiri Hills located 19 km from Ooty. District: Nilgiris.
Nearest Town: Ooty (19+ km)
Distance from Chennai: 520+ km.
[edit] Demographics
As of 2001[update] India census,[2] Coonoor had a population of 50,079. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Coonoor has an average literacy rate of 82%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 86% and, female literacy is 78%. In Coonoor, 9% of the population is under 6 years of age.
[edit] Background
The town is the second largest in the Nilgiri hills after Ooty, the district headquarters. Coonoor’s dominant demographic is a healthy mix of religions, languages and cultures - caused by the tourists who decide to settle here after retirement, the Indian Army’s regimental headquarters and Staff College (DSSC) in neighboring Wellington Cantonment, and the local boarding schools. Economic development of the town has at best been lopsided, with very little going towards the maintenance of the town.
[edit] Local Economy
Coonoor's economy relies on seasonal tourist traffic during the summer months, and on the tea industry year round.
[edit] Tea
The local populace almost entirely depends on the tea trade. The massive private tea plantations that surround the hills produce fresh green tea leaves which are picked, processed and packaged in bulk in local factories, for sale at auction houses in Coonoor, Coimbatore and Cochin.
[edit] Tourism
Sims Park is, without doubt,the star attraction of Coonoor. Spread over 12 hectares, its small enough for a comfortable walk around and large enough to house a thousand varieties of trees, plants and flowers and a small lake. The park is open to public from 9:30 a.m. till 4:30 p.m.
Coonoor is on the toy train line between Mettupalayam (28 km) and Ooty. A popular pastime is birdwatching, as an extensive variety of birds can be spotted. The main attraction is the Sim's Park, a small well maintained botanical garden that has several varieties of plants. It is about 19 km to the south of Ooty and is accessible by both train and road.
The hills are among the more scenic spots in Tamil Nadu, and consequently attract enormous amounts of tourists during the hot Indian summer months. The town’s infrastructure often finds itself unable to handle the tourist inflow, and life turns especially chaotic when the local horticultural society holds its annual “Fruit Show” at the peak of the tourist season, hosted at Sim's Park.
There are several scenic areas around Coonoor. Coonoor provides tourists with a panoramic view of Eastern and Western Ghats along with its ravines, valleys, and waterfalls. There are some classical viewpoints close to Coonoor notably Dolphin's Nose, Lamb's Rock and Lady Canning's Seat and Katary waterfalls.
Unfortunately "Development" has overtaken the town and hillsides are disappearing under construction activity. Some of the routes that were once quiet walks amid lush greenery have become walks among human settlements. The hill station has become a town.
[edit] Other Attractions
Sim's Park
The Sim's Park is an important place to visit in Coonoor. Spread in an area of 12 ha, the park has a collection of over 1,000 plant species, including magnolia, pines, tree ferns, and camellia. The botanical garden is partly developed in the Japanese style and derived its name from J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key attraction of the park is the annual fruit and vegetable show held in May.
Pomological Station
The institute is a research centre of the State Agricultural Department for persimmon, pomegranates, and apricot.
Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint
The Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is 10 km from Coonoor and is a spectacular spot to visit. It not only provides a panoramic view of the vast expanse of the Nilgiri Hills but also of the famous Catherine Falls.
This is a beautiful rock, formed in a unique shape. This rock almost looks like similar to Dolphin, that’s why its name is given Dolphin’s nose. This is a bit tough task to climb on this rock, but once, tourists are at the top of the rock, they can feel amazing natural view of surrounding place.
Lamb’s Rock
On way to Dolphin's Nose, about 5½ km from Coonoor, lies Lamb's Rock, another vantage point to view the fantastic landscape and the tea and coffee plantations.
Droog
At a distance of 13 km from Coonoor, Droog takes one into the past, with the ruins of a fort, which was once used by Tipu Sultan in the 16th century.
Law's Falls
The majestic falls are 5 km from Coonoor, on the way to Mettupalayam.
Ooty
The famous hill station of Ooty, also known as the queen of hill stations is 19 km northwest of Coonoor. Ooty is an immensely popular tourist destination. Like Coonoor, Ooty is also set amongst the green settings of the Nilgiri hills and is famous for its lake, gardens, and colonial architecture. You can enjoy a number of outdoor activities like horse riding, trekking, hiking, and boating in Ooty.
Katary Falls
It is one of the most admirable places in the world. It can be said as the centroid of the Nilgiris district. It is positioned at the centre. The main place of attraction is the power station which supplies a power of 1000KW of power every five hours and pumps water as a raw material to Cordite factory Aruvankadu which is the backbone of the Indian military weapons.
Pasteur Institute:
Tourists require a special permission to visit this institute. This institute is located near to Sim’s park. It was started in 1907. This institute develops vaccination for rabies (dog bite disease) and Triple Vaccine (DPT, DT & TT).In earlier days, it plays a vital role in the research of Influenza vaccine. Now it produces Tissue Culture Anti Rabies Vaccine (TCARV) and DPT group of vaccines. Moreover, it fulfills a major part of vaccine need of India.
[edit] Other Industry
Coonoor is home to the Pasteur Institute of India[3] which produces rabies vaccines. It was started in 1907, it celebrated its 101st birthday. Since 1970, it supplies triple vaccine i.e., DPT vaccine for entire India.
Coonoor has some Sericulture. The Government operates a Silk Farm, though this is largely a research facility. Recently, Floriculture and strawberry cultivation have taken roots.
Coonoor is home to the Homedale Tea Factory on Tiger Hill road. This factory headed by Raman Menon makes some of the best teas made in the Nilgiris.
[edit] Education
Schools are a significant contributor to the local economy. The expensive boarding (residential) schools have for nearly a century now been a feature of the Nilgiris and Coonoor. Originally modelled as British vocational training centres, these have now become comprehensive Kindergarten - Higher Secondary (K-12) schools based on the Indian (Central or State) schooling systems. The pleasant climate and utopian ideas of children growing up away from the maddening rush of life attract parents from all over the world. The schools are generally very well equipped by Indian and International standards, and mostly cater to the Indian elite. However, since most schools are also open to locals, they don't always breed elitist values. Many of these schools are owned and operated by Catholic missionaries. The reasonable availability of infrastructure allows these schools to excel in sports, unlike most other schools in India which have a very strong academic focus.Some of these schools are St. Antony's Hr. Sec. School, St. Joseph's Boys Higher Secondary School, Coonoor,Stanes Higher Secondary School, Coonoor, St.Joseph's Convent (Girls), Coonoor, Brindavan Public School, Wellington, Mountain Home High School, Coonoor.[4] The Laidlaw Memorial School and Junior College (also called St. George's Homes), in nearby Ketti], Holy Innocents High School, Coonoor, St.Judes Junior college, Kotagiri.
[edit] Famous Personalities
Coonoor has been home to several well known personalities because of its excellent weather and welcoming people. Colonel Rocheroft, of the famous Hennesey brand lived a retired life on a palatial mansion overlooking Wellington. The Maharajas of Cochin had their summer palace "Springfield" on the Kotagiri Road as did the Maharajas of Travancore whose palace was known as "Elk Hill Palace". The Vijianagaram Palace was on Tiger Hill Road. The consort of the Maharaja of Cochin, Parukutty Neithyaramma, lived at Homedale on Tiger Hill Road as did her son, retired Chief Engineer of Cochin State, V. K. Aravindaksha Menon. Retired chief of army staff, Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw lived in Coonoor. General Thimmayya had a house in Coonoor. The Raja of Chettinad lived near the famous Sims Park. Tata Executive Director Gopalakrishnan summers in Brooklands in Coonoor. The prolific writer under the pen name of "An Obscure Hindu"-S.R.Narayana Ayyar lived in Coonoor at Devinilayam.
[edit] Transportation Links
Coonoor is well-connected by road with Mettupalayam. The road that connects with Ooty is one of the Nilgiri Ghat Roads, and is also one of the main access routes for the entire district. Alternatively, there is another route that links Coonoor to Kotagiri via Bandishola and Bettati Tollgate, this road connects with State Highway 15 (SH15) that leads to Kotagiri from Ooty.
There are regular buses from Bangalore, Mysore, Coimbatore, Calicut, Kanyakumari, Tanjavur, Tirupati and Cochin. Mettupalayam is the nearest railhead, which is 46 km away. The major railway junction is at Coimbatore (80 km). Also, the nearest airport is in Coimbatore.
[edit] Nilgiri Mountain Railway
The Nilgiri Mountain Railway is one of the oldest mountain railways in India. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway was declared by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in July 2005. This railway links Coonoor to the town of Mettupalayam at the foot of the hills. The Nilagiri Passenger train provides a convenient connection to the Nilgiri Express train to the state capital, Chennai via Coimbatore. Coonoor was the original termination point of the NMR in the hills, before the line was extended to Ooty.
The arduous task of constructing the mountain railways from Mettupalayam to Ooty, was undertaken by Rao Bahadhur Bellie Gowder, the then local community leader and a Badaga, who hailed from the Hubbathalai Village. He was awarded the title of "Rao Bahadhur" and "Rao Sahib" from the British Raj. He was also known as the uncrowned king of the Nilgiris. This fantastic world heritige mountain railway still stands testimony to great things of the past.
[edit] Road
Coonoor is also linked by road to Mettupalayam. The road which continues on to Ooty is one of the Nilgiri Ghat Roads and is one of the main access routes for the entire district. Another major road links Coonoor to Kotagiri via Bandishola and Bettati Tollgate and then this road links to State Highway 15 (going from Ooty to Kotagiri). There are also several other minor roads passing through Coonoor leading to outlying Tea estates.
[edit] Air
The nearest airport is located approximately 80 km away by road in Coimbatore (IATA code CJB). Coimbatore serves several national destinations as well as having a few international routes to Colombo, Singapore and Sharjah.
[edit] Local Government
Coonoor is a Taluk head quarters, responsible for six Panchayat villages:[5]
The Coonoor Block also contains the following eight Revenue Villages (some of which are also mentioned above):
Adigaratty, Burliar, Coonoor Town, Yedapalli, Hubbathalai, Hullickal, Ketti, Melur
[edit] Politics
Coonoor assembly constituency (SC) is part of Nilgiris (Lok Sabha constituency).[6]
[edit] Gallery
 The bustling Coonoor bazaar |
 Coonoor town panorama |
 Daily wage labourers plucking Tea |
 Pasteur Institute, 1927 |
 The Nilagiri Passenger train NMR |
_picture_coonoor_main_junction.jpg) Old Picture of Coonoor town |
 A view of Coonoor from a nearby hillside |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Coonoor
- ^ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
- ^ http://mohfw.nic.in/kk/95/ib/95ib0l01.htm
- ^ http://www.laidlawschool.org/
- ^ District Maps Online
- ^ "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies" (PDF). Tamil Nadu. Election Commission of India. http://archive.eci.gov.in/se2001/background/S22/TN_ACPC.pdf. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Coonoor |
- COONOOR Official history and tourism page on www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in.
- Useful Information on Conooor
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