Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu – Furnished by tea estates & beautiful green landscapes, this place is ideal for refreshing one’s mind & soul

One of the three popular hill stations in the Nilgiris, Kotagiri is situated at an elevation of 5882 ft. It is the oldest hill station of Tamil Nadu to be settled by the British during the Raj. Kotagiri is about 29 km east of Ooty and 19 km northeast of Coonoor.  The name Kotagiri means ‘mountains of the Kotas’ as the Nilgiri hills have been the traditional home of the Kota Tribe. Surrounded by tea estates and beautiful green landscapes, Kotagiri offers plenty of opportunities for trekking and rock climbing.

Places to see in Kotagiri:  Kotagiri is dotted with a number of sight seeing locations. These are:

Kodanad View Point

This view point offers a breath taking panoramic view of the distant plateaus, tea estates, Thengumarahada village, Kil-Kotagiri region peaks, the Moyar river and more. Kodanad View Point is situated 18 km from Kotagiri.

Rangaswamy Peak

Located at a distance of 12 km from Kil-Kotagiri, the highly captivating Rangaswamy peak is a place of worship and is a sacred place for thousand of families in and around porangadu seemai (kotagiri region),Located at the altitude of 1800M Above MSL. It is the most sacred hill on the plateau. Visited by devotees during the summer month and pray Lord Rangaswamy. According to Hindu Legend Lord Rangaswamy used to live at Karamadai in Coimbatore district on the plains but quarrelled with his wife, came to live alone here. Two-foot prints on the rock not far from Arakadu village below the peak are stated to be the proof for this.

Rangaswamy Pillar

Situated 4 km from Kil-Kotagiri is another sacred pillar. It is an extraordinary isolated rocky pillar rising in solitary grandeur to a height of some 400 feet (120 m) and has sheer narrow sides that is not possible to climb.

Nearby attractions of Kotagiri: Kotagiri can act as a very good base to visit the spots like:

Ooty

Located at a distance of 30 km, Ooty is called the Scotland of the East and is a popular tourist destination in southern India. This scenic town houses the exquisite Botanical Gardens which were established in 1847. There is a beautiful Rose Garden atop a hill, and the placid Ooty Lake is another major attraction of the hill town. Ooty is also the base town for many trekking expeditions, including the Dodda Betta peak.

Coonoor

This second largest hill station in the Nilgiris is situated at an altitude of 1839 m and is 17km from Kotagiri. It is surrounded by tea plantations. The popular activity is bird watching and the place is a visual treat for bird spotters. The botanical garden called the Sims Park is the main attraction. The park plays host to a thousand varieties of trees, plants and flowers and there is also a small lake. The Dolphins Nose is a view point near here. The famous Pasteur Institute is also located in Coonoor.

Droog Fort

Droog fort is located near Coonoor. To visit this fort, tourists have to do some physical exercise, as the path is a good trekking trail, but it is worth the effort. This fort is located at a height of around 6,000 ft (1,800 m) above the surface. It is said that this fort was used by the great Tippu Sultan for his outpost.

Elk Falls

This is a tourist attraction to visit in Kotagiri. This place is very well known for the amazing waterfalls and the beautiful European house built during the days of the British colonial rule.

Things to do in Kotagiri: The site provides us ample scope for trekking and rock climbing. Besides trekking, there is nothing much to do in Kotagiri except take leisurely strolls through the plantations, watch the workers pluck tea leaves and soak in the cool climate of the region.

Best time to visit Kotagiri: The weather here is pleasant. The best time to visit Kotagiri is during the month of October but Kotagiri can be visited throughout the year.

How to go ?

By Air

The nearest Airport is Coimbatore Airport, roughly 100 Kms from Kotagiri. Coimbatore Airport is well connected to the places in India and abroad such as Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore, Cochin, Pune, Sharjah, Bangkok, Singapore and Ahmedabad.

By Train

The nearest Railway station is located at Coimbatore, roughly 21 Kms from Kotagiri. Coimbatore Railway station is the best option as there are recurrent trains from all parts of the State.

 By Road

There are many ways to reach Kotagiri. It is well connected with all the major cities of the state. Kotagiri is 29 Kms from Ooty, 63 Kms from Coimbatore, 126 Kms from Erode, 194 Kms from Salem, 258 Kms from Trichy and 294 Kms from Bangalore via Tamil Nadu State Road Transport Corporation.

Where to stay ?

You will find an array of accommodation options in Kotagiri. Some of are:

Patience Villa Guest Houses: +91 -04266 271890, 94430 22890 Website: www.patiencevilla.com
Heavenly Stay: +91-98422 72716, 94875 85716 Website: www.heavenlystay.in
Hotel Top Hill: +91–04266- 271473
Golf Dale Holiday Resort: +91-94864 65850, 94430 77830, 99434 55077 Website: www.golfdaleholidayresort.in

Note : Phone numbers given above are according to the information available with us. If you find any contact number/s given above is/are incorrect or not in use, please let us know.