Nilgiris district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Nilgiris District is in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri (Tamil : நீலகிரி or Blue Mountains when translated into English) is also the name given to a range of mountains spread across the states of Tamilnadu as well as Karnataka and Kerala. The Nilgiri Hills are part of a larger mountain chain known as the Western Ghats. The highest point is the mountain of Doddabetta, with a height of 2,637 m. The district is mainly contained within this mountain range.
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[edit] History
The Nilgiri hills have a history going back a good many centuries. It is not known why they were called the Blue Mountains. Several sources cite the reason as the smoky haze enveloping the area, while other sources say it is because of the kurunji flower, which blooms every twelve years giving the slopes a bluish tinge.
It was originally tribal land and was occupied by the Todas around what is now the Ooty area, and the by Kotas around what is now the Kotagiri area. The Badagas appeared here much later from the Mysore Plateau, the unconfirmed date being 1550. Although the Nilgiri hills are mentioned in the Ramayana of Valmiki (estimated by Western scholars to have been recorded in the second century B.C.E.), they remained all but undiscovered by Europeans until 1602. This was when the first European set foot into the jungles. A Portuguese priest going by the name of Ferreiri resolved to explore the hills and succeeded. He came upon a community of people calling themselves the "Toda." This priest seems to have been the only European to have explored this area. The Europeans in India more or less seem to have ignored the ghats for some two hundred or more years.
It was only around the beginning of the 1800s that the English unsuccessfully considered surveying this area. Around 1810 or so the East India Company decided to delve into the jungles here. An Englishman Francis Buchanan made a failed expedition. John Sullivan who was then the Collector of Coimbatore, just south of the Nilgiris, sent two surveyors to make a comprehensive study of the hills. They went as far as the lower level of Ooty, but failed to see the complete valley. The two men were Keys and Macmohan (their first names seem to be lost to the annals of history) and their mission was significant because they were the first Englishmen to set foot in the Nilgiri hills which soon led to the complete opening up of the area.
The original discovery however,is attributed to J.C.Whish and N.W.Kindersley, working for the Madras Civil Service, who made a journey in 1819 and who reported back to their superiors that they had discovered "the existence of a tableland possessing a European climate."
The first European resident of the hills was John Sullivan, the Collector of Coimbatore, who went up the same year and built himself a home. He also reported to the Madras Government the appropriateness of the climate; Europeans soon started settling down here or using the valley for summer stays. The complete valley became a summer resort. Later on the practice of moving the government to the hills during summer months also started.
By the end of the 19th century, the Nilgiri hills were completely accessible with the laying of roads and the railway line.
[edit] Geography and climate
The district has an area of 2,452.50 sq.km.[1] The district is basically a hilly region, situated at an elevation of 900 to 2,636 meters above MSL. Almost the entire district lies in the Western ghats. Its latitudinal and longitudinal dimensions being 130 KM (Latitude : 10 - 38 WP 11-49N) by 185 KM (Longitude : 76.0 E to 77.15 E). The Nilgiris is bounded on North by Karnataka state on the West by Coimbatore district, Erode district, South by Coimbatore district and Kerala State and as the East by Kerala state. In Nilgiris district the topography is rolling and steep. About 60% of the cultivable land falls under the slopes ranging from 16 to 35%
The altitude of the Nilgiris results in a much cooler and wetter climate than the surrounding plains, so the area is popular as a retreat from the summer heat. During summer the temperature remains to the maximum of 21°C to 25°C and reaches a minimum of 10°C to 12°C. During winter the temperature reaches a maximum of 16°C to 21°C and a minimum of 2°C.[2] The rolling hills of the Downs look very similar to the Downs in Southern England, and were used for similar activities such as hunting.
The district usually receives rain both during South West Monsoon and North East Monsoon. The entire Gudalur and Pandalaur, Kundah Taluks and portion of Udhagamandalam Taluk receive rain by the South West Monsoon and some portion of Udhagamandalam Taluk and the entire Coonoor and Kotagiri Taluks are benefited by the rains of North East Monsoon. There are 16 rainfall registering stations in the district The average annual rainfall of the district is 1,920.80 mm.[3]
The principal town of the area is Ootacamund, or Udhagamandalam, which is the district capital. The town also has several buildings which look very "British", particularly the Churches. There is even a road junction known as Charing Cross. The other main towns in the Nilgiris are Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur and Aruvankadu. The famous tourist spot in Coonoor are Lambsrock and Sims park. In Sims park, a "Fruit Show" is conducted during summer. All the varieties of fruit are displayed during that time. This park is situated on the way of Kotagiri.
[edit] District Administration
The Nilgiris District comprises six taluks viz., Udhagamandalam, Kundah, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur and Pandalur. These taluks are divided in to four Panchayat Unions viz., Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur besides two Municipalities, Wellington Contonment and Aruvankadu Township. The District consists of 56 Revenue Villages and 15 Revenue Firkas. There are two Revenue Divisional in this district viz., Coonoor and Gudalur. There are 35 Village Panchayat and 13 Town Panchayat in this district.[4]
[edit] Demographics
It had a population of 7,62,141 as of 2001 and is 59.65% urbanised.[5] The district has a literacy of 81.44%, one of the highest in the state.
There are several tribes living in the Nilgiris, whose origins are uncertain. The best known of these are the Toda people, whose culture is based upon cattle, and whose red, black and white embroidered shawls, and silver jewelry is much sought after. The district is also home to the Paniya tribes and the Badaga people.
Tamil is the principal language spoken in the Nilgiris. Many people speak and understand English. Malayalam, Kannada & Hindi are also used to an extent. The Nilgiris is also home to the Toda language, spoken by the Toda people. The Badaga people, who number around 250,000, speak the Badaga language. The language of Paniya is spoken in the western parts of the district where the Paniya tribes live. As per the 2001 Census, Hindus formed the majority of the population (78.60%), followed by Christians (11.45%), Muslims (9.55%) and others (0.4%).[6]
The table listed below gives the basic census data for the district based on the census of 2001.[7]
| Total Population | Male Population | Female Population | Sex ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rural | 3,07,532 | 1,51,874 | 1,55,658 | 1,025 |
| Urban | 4,54,609 | 2,26,477 | 2,28,132 | 1,007 |
| Total | 7,62,141 | 3,78,351 | 3,83,790 | 1,014 |
[edit] Basic infrastructure
[edit] Transport
The Nagapattinam - Gudalur National Highway Passes through this district. The Nilgiri Ghat Roads link the district with the nearest cities in Tamilnadu, Kerala and Karnataka. All the taluks are connected with Major District Roads. The village roads are maintained by Panchayat Union.The Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam via Coonoor, is a great tourist attraction. It was used in the film A Passage to India as the railway to the caves. It is a rack railway as far as Coonoor. The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[8] This services many of the populated areas of the district including Coonoor, Wellington, Aruvankadu, Ketti, Lovedale and Ooty. There is no sea port or Airport in the district. The nearest international airport to the Nilgiris is at Coimbatore.
[edit] Electricity
There are 8 Hydel Power Houses in this district.[9]
1. Pykara Power House 2. Pykara Micro Power House 3. Moyar Power House 4. Kundah Power House - I 5. Kundah Power House -II 6. Kundah Power House - III 7. Kundah Power House - IV 8. Kundah Power House - V
[edit] Health infrastructure
There are one District Head Quarters Government Hospital, 5 Taluk Hospitals, 28 Primary Health Centres, 194 Health Sub-Centres and 5 Plague circles in the district.[10]
[edit] Agriculture
The Nilgiris District is basically a Horticulture District[11] and the entire economy of the district depends upon the success and failure of Horticulture Crops like Potato, Cabbage, Carrot, Tea, Coffee, Spices and Fruits. The main cultivation is plantation Crops, viz., Tea and Coffee. Tea is grown at elevations of 1,000 to above 2,500 metres. The area also produces Eucalyptus oil and temperate zone vegetables. Potato and other vegetables are raised in Udhagai and Coonoor Taluks. Paddy and Ginger are grown in Gudalur and Pandalur Taluks. Paddy is also grown in Thengumarahada area in Kotagiri Taluk. Besides these crops, Ragi, Samai, Wheat, Vegetables etc., are also grown in small extent throughout the district. There are no irrigation schemes in this district. The crops are mainly rain fed. Check Dams have been constructed wherever it is possible to exploit natural springs.
[edit] Ecoregions
Two ecoregions cover portions of the Nilgiris. The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests lie between 250 and 1000 meters elevation. These forests extend south along the Western Ghats range to the southern tip of India. These forests are dominated by a diverse assemblage of trees, many of whom are deciduous during the winter and spring dry season. These forests are home to the largest herd of Asian Elephants in India, who range from the Nilgiris across to the Eastern Ghats. The Nilgiris and the South Western Ghats is also one of the most important tiger habitats left in India.
The South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion covers the portion of the range above 1000 meters elevation. These evergreen rain forests are among the most diverse on the planet. Above 1500 meters elevation, the evergreen forests begin to give way to stunted forests, called sholas, which are interspersed with open grassland. These grasslands are the home to the endangered Nilgiri Tahr, which resembles a stocky goat with curved horns. The Nilgiri Tahrs are found only in the montane grasslands of the South Western Ghats, and number only about 2000 individuals.
Three national parks protect portions of the Nilgiris. Mudumalai National Park lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu meet, and covers an area of 321 km². Mukurthi National Park lies in the southwest of the range, in Kerala, and covers an area of 78.5 km², which includes intact shola-grassland mosaic, habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. Silent Valley National Park is just to the south and contiguous with these two parks, and covers an area of 89.52 km². Outside of these parks much of the native forest has been cleared for grazing cattle, or for plantations of tea, Eucalyptus, ganga and Acacia. The entire range, together with portions of the Western Ghats to the northwest and southwest, was included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, India's first biosphere reserve.
The region has given its name to a number of bird species, including the Nilgiri Pipit, Nilgiri Woodpigeon and Nilgiri Blackbird.
[edit] Photo gallery
 Lovedale railway station |
 Udhagamandalam railway station |
 Botanical Gardens at Udhagamandalam |
 A panaromic view of Udhagamandalam |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
TheNilgiris.Mobi @ Your Mobile
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Tamil Nadu Census 2001
- ^ http://www.census.tn.nic.in/religion.aspx
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944/multiple=1&unique_number=1102 Official UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites - Mountain Railways of India]
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
- ^ Welcome to Nilgiris
[edit] External links
- Nilgiris.Mobi @ Mobile (A Mobile Site)
- Your guide to the Nilgiris
- The Nilgiris District
- Photos from Nilgiri District
- Travel Information
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