About
Botanical Gardens or the Government Botanical Gardens are a famous tourist destination located in the city of Ooty, Tamil Nadu. The Botanical Gardens Ooty are spread over an area of about 22 hectares. Built on the slope of Doddabetta Peak, these gardens look like green carpets. The Tamil Nadu Horticulture Department is responsible for the management of these gardens. These gardens were constructed in the year 1847 and designed by the British architect William Graham McIvor.
Before independence, membership of these gardens had to be subscribed, in which only Europeans were allowed and for this, they had to pay a fee of 3 rupees per month. But now millions of tourists come every year to visit these gardens because of innumerable plants of different species are found here. These plants include both native and indigenous plants. These include herbs, shrubs, trees, bonsai plants, and ferns. There are remnants of a tree trunk in the premises of the park which are believed to be around 20 lakh years old. It is also one of the popular attractions in the garden.
Flora and Fauna of Garden
In this garden, more than 650 species of plants, amazing orchids, colorful lilies, beautiful shrubs and remnants of 2000 thousand years old trees are seen. The Botanical Gardens is very popular among nature lovers. The Summer Festival is celebrated in the Botanical Garden in the month of May. A flower show organized here as a part of the Ooty Summer Festival is a major attraction. The festival also hosts cultural events, in which local famous artists participate.
Apart from this, the Toda tribe also lives in this garden. You can see their lifestyle and culture here. Various types of plants are worth seeing here.
The present-day Botanical Gardens Ooty is distributed into 5 parts. They are the Lower Garden, which consists of the fern house which has 127 species of ferns. Then there is the Lower Garden, which harbors the rose garden, and consists of several natural floral carpets and natural ponds, third is the Italian Garden, which was grown by Italian Prisoners of War from the First World War. Lastly, there is the Conservatory, which consists of clusters of flowering plants and the Nurseries, which comprises a sequence of glasshouses where numerous types of exotic plants are grown.
When the cool breeze of summer embraces your body, you will fill a sense of inner peace. It is not an embellishment if, at that very moment, you feel you are in heaven.
How to reach
One can either hire a private taxi or catch a bus to reach the Botanical Garden. Auto rickshaw is another local transport that you can hire to reach there. The nearest railway station is located at a distance of 2.5 km from the Botanical Garden. The roads are well maintained and well lit enough to take a self-driven vehicle there as well.
Best time to visit
The best time visits the Botanical Garden is in the month of April when the garden is in full bloom. You will be able to enjoy the natural glory of this garden. Every year 3-day Flower Show and Plant Exhibition have been organized which is being visited by a large number of visitors. September is the ideal time for those who wish to avoid the crowd.
Botanical Gardens, Ooty Timings: You can also enjoy your time with Boating from 8:30 in the morning and 6:30 in the evening.
Boating Gardens, Ooty Entry Fees: INR 15 for Children, INR 30 for Adults
INR 50 for Still Camera and INR 100 for Video Camera
