Ooty Lake, Nilgiris

Ooty Lake, Nilgiris

Ooty lake is located in Ooty Town in the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu, India. It covers an area of 65 acres. The Boat house situated by the lake, which offers boating facilities to tourists, is a major tourist attraction in Ooty. It is one of South India’s biggest artificial lakes. The lake bunds of this lake had been breached and the lake emptied three times after its formation.

The beautiful Ooty Lake is a favourite haunt of tourists. It was constructed in the year 1825, through the initiatives of Mr. John Sullivan, the then Collector of Coimbatore. This lake was built in order to provide an irrigation tank to the people. Although the lake is artificial, it looks beautifully natural.

This lake ranks among the top polluted lakes in a study conducted by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board sometime earlier and the Government is taking necessary steps to improve the quality of water in the lake. The maximum length of Ooty Lake is 2.5 kilometers and the maximum breadth of the Ooty lake is 140 meters.

History

Ooty lake is an artificial lake constructed by John Sullivan, in 1824. The water flowing down mountain streams in the Ooty valley was dammed to form the lake. The lake became empty on three occasions when it breached its bund. The lake was originally intended to be used for fishing with ferries being used to travel across the lake. It gradually shrunk from its original size giving place to the current bus stand race course, and the lake park. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation on behalf of the Tourism Department took the possession of the lake in 1973. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation provided boating facilities and organizes boat races and boat pageants here.

The Lake

Ooty Lake covers an area of 65 acres. It is one of South India’s biggest artificial lakes. The maximum length of Ooty Lake is 2.75 Kms and the maximum breadth of the Ooty lake is 140 meters. This lake stretches from the central bus stand, in an irregular ‘L’ shape. The lake is surrounded by groves of Eucalyptus trees with a railway line running along one shore. During the summer season in May, boat races and boat pageantry are organised for two days.

The lake has had continuous problems with rapidly proliferating weeds (water hyacinth). The officials of the Public Works Department(PWD), have been continually working to clean the lake of the weeds. According to a study conducted by Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Ooty lake is the most polluted water body in the state and its water is not fit for potable purposes.

Boat House:

The boat house, which adjoins the lake was opened by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC). Boating is the prime attraction at the lake. The boat house offers boating facilities with Paddle boats, Row boats, and Motor boats. A mini canteen is run by the TTDC. Tourists can enjoy pony rides in front of the Boat House. During the summer season in May, boat races and boat pageantry are organized for two days. Visitors can use boating facilities from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Entry Fees:

·        Rs 10 per person for Indians

·        Rs 560 per person For Foreigners

·        Rs 30 for Still Camera

·        Rs 125 for Video Camera

·        Rs 200 for 4-seater pedal boat for 30 minutes

·        Rs 160 for 2-seater pedal boat for 30 minutes

·        Rs 180 for 2-seater row boat for 30 minutes

·        Rs 450 for 8-seater motor boat for 20 minutes

Mini Garden:

On the way to the Boat House is the Mini Garden housing the children's amusement park. A mini children's train is an added attraction near the lake.

Deer Park:

A Deer Park is located on the lake road and houses Sambars, Chitals and Hares, besides water birds.

Connectivity

Ooty Lake is located at about 2 Kms from Ooty Bus Stand, 2 Kms from Ooty Railway Station, 22 Kms from Coonoor, 32 Kms from Kotagiri, 53 Kms from Mettupalayam Railway Station, 86 Kms from Coimbatore and 97 Kms from Coimbatore Airport. Ooty is well connected to Coimbatore, Kerala and Karnataka.

Location | Photos

Mudaliarkuppam Boat House

Mudaliarkuppam Boat House

Mudaliarkuppam Boat House, also known as Raindrop Boat House, is a water sport facility located on the East Coast Road, 36 km to the south of Mamallapuram and 92 km from Chennai & 58 Kms from Pondicherry. It was developed by the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation on the Odiyur lake back waters. It has rowing, cruising, speed boating, waters scooting and kayaking facilities.

In 2007, Mudaliarkuppam Boat House became the first of the eight boat houses of Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation to offer water scooters. The boat house organizes motor boat trips to the beach island located in the Odiyur Lake.

Mudaliarkuppam attracts of tourists from all parts of the country. It is located in the district of Kanchipuram, 92 km from Chennai and 36 km down Mamallapuram on ECR (East Coast Road). Mudaliarkuppam is an incredible tourist destination. Visitors and tourists visit this place alike, to while away their time on the choicest array of row boats, pedal boats and motorboats. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation undertakes and preserves this unusual boating house.

Activities

In fact, Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation came up with new ideas and policies to make it even more attractive. Recently, they have launched a special boat riding facility at its Raindrop Boat House in Mudaliarkuppam. It is called kayak, the one-seater boat. At present there are fifty-four varieties of boats. The Boat rides include two/Four-seater pedaling boats, Two/Four seater Rowing Boats, Speedboats, Motorboats and one-seater Kayaks(Self Rowing). Special boat races are organized every year within this vast spread of backwater. College and university students participate here with great enthusiasm and unison. There is an island approximately 4 km from the Raindrop Boat House, in the expanse of the waters in Mudaliarkuppam.

Tourists are allowed to spend some time in the island and tents are available for this purpose. There is a snack bar where one can have light refreshments, beverages. Lunch and other refreshments are prepared against orders in advance. In order to enjoy the famed boating bonanza, tourists need to pay a specific amount of money, depending on the type of boat and duration of time. At present, it is recorded that Mudaliarkuppam attracts an approximate decent crowd of five hundred to Thousand tourists on Sundays and other holidays. Two new six seater Banana Boats are expected to be put for tourists use.

The boat house offers water sports like Banana Boating, Water Scooter, Kayaking, Speed boat ride and there is an array of boats like row boats, pedal boats, water scooters, speed boats and many more.  People often prefer banana boat ride and the boat will speed up to 25 Kmph and beware while your boat taking turns. Another pleasant ride could be Kayaking and enjoy ride on single seater kayaks hours together.

Enjoy a relaxing boat ride which can be extended up to Beach Island through backwaters and experience the mind blowing view of sparkling deep turquoise blue water, boat propelling on the still water with rhythmic sound of splashing water, powder blue skies punctuated with white cotton candy clouds, dazzling sunlight, swaying palm trees, wind tussling through the green leaves; as the landscape glides by and one has to fight the urge to take a nap in such idyllic surroundings.  The boat ride will bring relaxation to body and the mind will be clear and uncluttered.

The geographical features of Coramandel coast especially the East Coast Road attracts many native and migratory bird species during October to March. If any one likes birds and just want to be able to approach and watch them closely, Mudaliarkuppam backwaters is one of the hot spot to watch birds. Commonly found bird species include brahminy kite, brown headed gull,   greater flamingo, Indian skimmer, osprey,   painted stork, slender billed gull, stone curlew, white bellied sea eagle etc. Bird photography, especially migratory bird photography can be quite challenging.

In total Mudaliarkuppam is the wonderful picnic spot where one can spend some quality time with family members, relatives and friends. Though the place is located in East Coast Road (way to Mamallapuram and Pondicherry) at a distance 92 kms from Chennai, the picnic spot is enjoyable and worth visiting. This Boat House could be visited throughout the year.

Fauna

This is a very good birding area where one can see: white bellied sea eagle, osprey, Indian skimmer, slender billed gull, brahminy kite, brown headed gull, painted stork and stone curlew. There are also jackal, Indian hare, Bengal monitor, sea fans, turtles & Russel's viper

Backwaters

Mudaliarkuppam backwaters are a brackish water lagoon adjacent to the Bay of Bengal on the East Coast Road. This is yet another haven for wading birds and migratory ducks. The habitat consists of coastal water mudflats, sand banks and salt pans.

Highlights: Hundreds of greater flamingos can be spotted here throughout the year. Thousands of migratory ducks, terns and waders can also be spotted during winter months.

The resident birds seen here include little cormorant, spot-billed pelican, little grebe, common kingfisher, pied kingfisher, white-breasted kingfisher, little green or striated heron, pond heron and red-wattled lapwing.

Some of the winter migrants seen here are greater flamingo, Kentish plover, lesser sand plover, Pacific golden plover, grey plover, Common sandpiper, curlew sandpiper, Eurasian curlew, osprey, little stint, Temminck's stint, black-tailed godwit, redshank, greenshank, common tern, little tern, whiskered tern, gull-billed tern, Caspian tern, brown-headed gull, Pallas's gull, slender-billed gull, painted stork, open bill stork and grey heron. Thousands of Eurasian wigeon, northern pintail, and northern Shoveller also use the backwaters.

Tariffs