TEA AND TOURISM FESTIVAL AT OOTY
Falls On : January - February
Held For: 3 days
Akin to the nectar of the Gods is the Camellia Sinensia,
which is a bush that gives fragrant amber ambrosia-a refresher and
stimulizer. In other words, TEA.
Commercial plantations came into existence in the Nilgiris around 1853,
though tea plants were thriving in Tamil Nadu earlier
to this. South
Indian Tea has gained recognition far and wide. India is the fifth
largest tea-producing belt in the world after China. In 1991, south India
exported 50 million kg. to over 30 countries.
The
Celebration Of Tea
The major tea growing areas in the South are the Nilgiris and the
Anamalais High Ranges, Peermedu-Vandiperiyar belt and Wynad in Kerala and
a few in Karnataka.
The Annual Tea and Tourism Festival is celebrated in the Nilgiris in the
months of January/February jointly by the Department of Tourism,
Government of Tamil Nadu and Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. The
festival is held for 3 days and varieties of tea are put on display.
Visitors can also taste and select from the wide varieties of tea
available.
Cultural programs, visits to Tea Estates and factories, fun and frolic
etc., mark the celebrations. Come to the Nilgiris, during this festival,
when tea lovers from all over the world converge. An occasion not to be
missed!
HOW TO GET THERE
Air: The nearest airport is at
Coimbatore (100-km).
Rail: Udhagamandalam
on the narrow gauge railway is connected to Mettupalayam, which is
directly connected to Coimbatore and
Chennai on the broad
gauge.
Road: There are regular bus services connecting Udhagamandalam to
Coimbatore, Trichy, Bangalore, Madurai,
Kanyakumari,
Mysore, Calicut,
Tirupati etc.
WHERE TO STAY
Accommodation is available at the star and economy class hotels, lodges and hostels in Udhagamandalam.
