<div>The travelers can see the coffee and tea plantations while traversing by the Mettupalayam-Ooty route. The halts at Ruuneyemede, Adderly, Lovedale, and Ketty railheads range will lend the travelers with an opportunity to delve their senses in the famous food provided at these halts. The railhead halt of Adderly is somewhat nestled at the dense lush green curve where the travelers can also take the beautiful bird view pictures of the whole city. The toy train stops at these stations for 5 to 10 minutes or maybe for 15-20 minutes if the signals are not clear.</div><div>The travelers can buy the special homemade chocolates which can be purchased from the confectionery shop opened from morning to evening on the Mettupalayam-Ooty rail route. The travelers are assured to enjoy the sightseeings which falls while on the way to Ooty.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div><div><b>Quick facts:&nbsp;</b></div><div>Elevation: 7,248 feet| Total Tunnels: 16 Tunnels | Curves: 208 curves | Route :46Kms&nbsp; | Uphill journey time: 5.00 hours | Downhill journey time: 3.6 hours</div><div><br></div><div>Asia’s steepest track with 8.33% gradients |&nbsp; Total bridges on the route: 250 bridges</div></div><div><br></div><div>The Ooty’s Nilgiri Mountain Railway comprises of clusters of railheads made by the Britishers in the year 1908, in Tamil Nadu, South India. Later on, in the same years, Madras Railway Company took over this rail division. The Salem Rail Division of South Indian Railway is now the main authority since 14th April 1951, responsible for the maintenance of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway. In July 2005, this unique rail route was given the world heritage status which was the extension to the World Heritage Site of Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The site of Nilgiris is now a day globally acknowledged as the “Mountain Railways of India”.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The steamed locomotives still run on the Coonoor to Udhaghamandalam hilly rail route. Although some of the steamed locos have been replaced by the diesel once but still there is a huge demand for the steamed locos from the guild of travelers who visit Ooty to take a joy ride on this toy train.&nbsp; The famous “Chaiyya Chaiyya song” from the movie Dil Se was shot on the roof of the Nigiri Mountain Railway.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The NMR (Nilgiri Mountain Railway) is the sole rail route with a 1,000 mm track gauge. This railway line is conceded as the rarest of all meter gauge routes which uses ‘Abt and Pinion Racks System’ to climb the steep mountains. On this high elevated railway route some trains are usually operated by the special ‘X class steam locomotives’ manufactured by the Swiss Locomotives and the Machine Works of Winterthur in Switzerland. These steam locomotives are made with such a brisk technology that it can haul 90 tonnes of weight with a speed of 10Kms and 15kms. These rugged steam engines can easily operate on either of the rack section of Mettupalayam and Udagamandalam(Ooty) rail route. But at the same time, the diesel locomotives can operate on the entire section of the rail route and are more sophisticated than the steam engines. The diesel engines have a grand fuel tank&nbsp; to carry 1000 litres of petrol in a day. The furnace oil section in these diesel locomotives helps in increasing the acceleration up to 33Kms. On the Conoor-Udagamandalam line, the steam engines get replaced by diesel engines which can easily work without the use of pinions and racks. the majority of the locomotives are repaired at the Coonoor shed(Golden Work Shops).&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The steamed locomotives have been creating disruptions in the service, so some of the rail locomotives have been planned to be replaced by modernized diesel engines. But on the request of NMR, the government is considering to rebuilt few of the steam engines that will especially run on the complete dedicated steamed locomotive section of Coonoor-Udagamandalam.&nbsp; The changes which have been in the pipeline will only be persistent to the rail coaches and not the overall Nilgiri Mountain Rail system.&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>The rail counter at Ooty-Mettupalayam reckoning the world heritage status still issues the “Edmondson style manual tickets’ which were generally used in the colonial period. During the peak season, travelers may face great difficulties in getting a ticket, so it is advised to book the Ooty to Mettupalayam tickets through an online booking offered by South Indian Railways.</div>

<div>Kanyakumari has a rich and ancient history. It also bears Christian, Jain and Muslim influence. It is believed that when St Thomas (one of the 12 apostles of Jesus) came to the Indian subcontinent in 52 AD a church was established in the Kanyakumari area.<br></div><div>It is proved that great Greek philosophers like Eratosthenes, Ptolemy and Pliny had been to Kanyakumari. It also finds mention in the Periplus written somewhere around 800 AD by Arrian a Greek man of letters. Similarly, Jainism and Islam have also left their imprints on this place and have considerably contributed to the architectural wealth and literary heritage of the region.</div><div>The area of Kanyakumari had seen the rule of Cholas, Cheras, Pandyas, Vijayanagara Kings, the Nayaks, Venad Kings to Dutch and then British interference.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Rise of Venad Chieftains</b></div><div>Gradually the Chola Empire became weak with the rise of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas. The Venad Chieftains descendants of Chera's seized the opportunity and gradually established a firm grip on the areas now under modern Tamil Nadu. By 1115 AD the Venad Kings under Veera Kerala Varma and his successors achieved complete succession.</div><div><br></div><div>In 1609 AD Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai captured Kanyakumari. Afterward, there was no real threat to Venad Kings. Kanyakumari thus became an integral part of the Venad Empire with the capital at Padmanabhapuram. King Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma(1729-1758) of the Venad dynasty formed Travancore ( Modern Kerala) by extending his domain further north up to Aluva. Kanyakumari thus came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, King Marthanda Varma another great king from the same dynasty overcame the Dutch East India Company forces at the fiercely fought Â?Battle of Colachel.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Kanyakumari under British Supremacy</b></div><div>After Marthanda Varma, the subsequent rulers were very weak and as the British forces were gradually tightening their noose overall Indian Princely states Kanyakumari was also no exception. The British established complete control over Venad Kings and continued till IndiaÂ?s independence in the year 1947. The Kings of Travancore state ruled over Kanyakumari under the overall sovereignty of the British.</div><div><br></div><div><b>Modern Kanyakumari</b></div><div>Travancore became part of the independent Indian Union in 1947 thus the royal reign came to an end. From 1947 to 1956, His Highness Sree Chithira Thirunal, Maharaja of Travancore continued as Rajpramukh of the Travancore-Cochin Union.</div><div>In the year 1949, Kanyakumari became a part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin Union. The Tamil majority of Kanyakumari was not happy with this. Eventually in 1956 bowing to a mass agitation under the leadership of Thiru M.A. Nesamani Government of India amalgamated Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu(then Madras State).&nbsp;</div>

<div>Ooty’s flower show usually starts in may and happen in the <i><b>Botanical garden</b></i>, <i><b>Nilgiri </b></i>District, Tamil Nadu. The annual show displays more than 10,000 different types of flowers. During these days, lakhs of foreign as well as domestic visitors visit this destination to feast the captivating beauty of the whole event. Before the flower festival, the festival at Rose gardens remains the harbinger of flowery trails. The Rose Festival, this time will be celebrated in May, Apart from the major dates on which festivals are going to hold, let’s put the limelight on the main theme that is flower festival of Ooty. Spread over an area 22 hectares, 24 meters above the sea level at Botanical gardens, these gardens stand naturally perfect for holding the flower show. The visitors can treasure every moment by beholding the views of the display, certainly adorned with the flower different varieties like Rose, dahlias, lilies, chrysanthemums, asters, and pansies. The bonsai section of the flower show also makes a nice display. The few stalls of fruits and vegetables are also on display at the <b><i>Ooty flower show</i></b>.<br></div><div><br></div><div>The Flower Show at Botanical Gardens in Ooty graces the whole ceremony with three excellent highlights. The first highlight is the exact replica of secretariat building, made of chrysanthemums. Traversing further, the travelers will notice the statue of the saint Thiruvallar constructed with the blend of chrysanthemums. The unique antique that is white chicken made with white chrysanthemums constitutes the second highlight of the show. The vase with red chrysanthemums, having a white chrysanthemum as its base is the third highlight of the festival. Moving few meters ahead on the slope, the travelers can relish the view of India’s map ebbed in a carpeted design. The 20 million years old tree trunk is another attraction that is placed on the concrete base which was also once the permanent ground of roots.</div><div><br></div><div>Furthermore, the Italian garden in the close vicinity girdling the Octagonal bandstand is surely the view worth apprising. Tracking the nexus of events from the past, Italian prisoners from the World War 1 were compelled to work as the bonded laborers at these gardens. From the times since these gardens have established their unique identity. Framed by the adorable tapestry of conifer trees, flowers and fauna, the Italian gardens are thronged by more than 12 lakh visitors every year and 35,000-40,000 visitors every month. Being the part of Botanical gardens, Italian garden has carved a special niche among the florists as well as researchers.</div><div><br></div><div>The visitors can also make a visit to stalls, jam and jelly stalls, red hut of Toda community selling hand weaved carpets and other handicrafts items. The women dressed in her traditional attire, with wrinkled hairs can be observed as the traditional wear of Ooty(resembling Toda tribal). Although, the items are quite expensive but getting a glimpse of them can surely be a great experience for the aspiring instincts. The conservatory glass opens up for some time but during the festivity season, it remains closed. The visitors start pouring in the Botanical garden right from the morning 8:00 Am till 6; 30 Pm in the evening. Generally, the timings for Botanical Garden are 8:00 am to 6:30 Pm and it remains open on all days. So come and relish the beauty of the region which could surely bestow revelers with the album of beautiful memoirs.</div>

The South India Pilgrimage and Heritage tour by Kiomoi is perfect for those looking for a religious tour, or those looking to get in touch with our rich and diverse heritage and history. This tour package is for anyone and everyone is great for a solo adventure, or for a vacation with friends or family. This tour package is ideal for architecture buffs, or history enthusiasts as well.
Designed over a span of 8 days and 7 nights, this tour package starts from the city of Chennai, which is the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is well known for its tourism, some of the most noteworthy tourist places include Arignar Anna Zoological Park, Marina Beach, Kapaleeshwarar Temple, and Valluvar Kotam. The next city covered is Mahabalipuram, which is another major pilgrim city, renowned for Shore Temple, Pancha Rathas, Tiger Cave, among others. The next destination in the South Indian Pilgrimage and Heritage tour is Puducherry, one of the most picturesque places in India. It is famous for Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Rock Beach, Puducherry Museum, to name just a few. The next stop along this tour package is Madurai, which is one of the most ancient and historic cities of India, situated in Tamil Nadu. The city is famous for Meenakshi Amman Temple, Alagar Koyil, Koodal Azhagar Temple, among numerous other places of interest for tourists. Tiruchi, is the next destination covered in this tour package. Holding great religious significance, this city is well known for Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tiruchirappalli Rock Fort, and Ucchi Pillayar Temple. Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu is the last destination being covered in this tour package by Kiomoi. The town is famous for Shanmughanathar Temple, Amman Temple, and Karuppar Temple, among various other tourist spots.

South India Pilgrimage and Heritage Tour

The Southern Temples tour package by Kiomoi is a short 04 days budget tour package, which covers 03 most important destinations historically and religiously in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. This tour package is not just for people who are traveling for Pilgrims purpose, but also for people who are keen to explore ancient history and culture of Madurai and Rameswaram and want to study more about great Vivekanand Ji in Kanyakumari where his memorial located.

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