//
Be sure to visit this palace-turned-hotel of the Mysore Maharaja. Extremely beautiful place and quite affordable tea-snacks and slightly expensive buffet dinner. The palace and its estate are beautiful and are open to guests. The locals often will call it Mysore Palace to avoid confusion with the Fern Hill Hotel.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Initially it served as a school on weekdays and church on Sundays for the local Christians. In 1858 it started functioning as a full fledged Church. The present structure has gone through several renovation. The interior is free of ornamentation.
Located atop a hilltop the St. Stephen's Church is the oldest Church in Ooty and one of the oldest churches of Nilgiri District. The foundation stone of the church was laid in 23 April 1829, to coincide with the birthday of King George IV. It was opened on Easter Sunday, 3 April 1831. The church is complete with a clock tower and the entrance is through a porch on the southern side. The interiors are spectacular with stained glass on the alter and the side walls. The walls also houses several memorial plaques. The church compound houses a graveyard behind the church. It is an active graveyard but there are several old graves. The entrance to the church compound is through a twin metal arched gateways from the south. Three pillars support the two decorative metal arches. At the foot of the central pillar stands the zero stone and mile stone of Ooty. It is from this very point the distance of Ooty are measured.
Built in 1886 in honour of the Governor of Ooty. The cost of the construction was raised through public funding. Today the ornate fountain is an important landmark of the hill station.
It is an amazing and very large area garden. There are 27,000 rose plant of 400 varieties. It is the largest collection of roses in India. It is a beautifully landscaped garden spread across several terraces. A paved pathways meanders through the garden. Decorative fountains are also part of the garden. The garden offers a great view of the town of Ooty. A shop sells rose seeds. The roses blooms from late April to early June, so going there off-season is not very interesting.
The twin-towered massive cathedral dominates the skyline of Ooty. The Church dates back to 1897. Since, 1955 the church is serving a Cathedral for the Catholics of Ooty. In 1987 during repairs, a large section of the church roof collapsed. This led to major renovation. The new church was opened to the public on 7 July 1989. Today a long flight of stairs lead to the cathedral. The interiors are beautifully laid with large glass painted windows. There are several statues, including the 14 stations of the cross.
Paddle and speed boat rides in the lake. There are various rides like pirate ship, flying saucer, toy train, etc. There are other activities like haunted houses. Number of eateries serving a wide range of food. A place to hang out with family and kids.