Since I saw the Hindi movie 'Dil Se' , travelling in Nilgiri Mountain Railway had been my dream. Since then I had fantasized with the song "Chal Chaiyya Chaiyya" in which Shahrukh Khan dances with Malaika Arora and other dancers.
Nilgiri Railway is one of the three railway lines in India that has made it to the UNESCO listed World Heritage Sites. The Nilgiri Express is also known as the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR) or the Blue Mountain Railway.
The train covers 46 kilometers from Mettupalayam to Ooty in five hours. For a shorter visit, we can prefer Ooty to Coonoor. With a lot of excitement, I reached Ooty (also known as Udagamandalam) station in the morning.
They are running a trip between Ooty and Coonoor for tourists. This trip starts from Ooty at 9 AM and reaches Coonoor at around 10.15 AM. This will return at 4:30 PM and reaches Ooty by 5:45 PM. One way is just Rs.10/- and you don't have to wait in the queue, as they have a separate reservation window just opposite the station.
There were five stations between Ooty and Coonoor (Fern Hill, Lovedale, Ketti, Aruvakkadu, and Wellington). The train runs on a meter gauge track which is rare elsewhere.The old steam engine is replaced by diesel engine which runs with jetropha diesel. Running at a speed ranging between 15-20 kilometer per hour, NMR offers the perfect choice to enjoy the delightful scenic beauty of the Nilgiris.
The train passed adjacent to the Ooty lake. Some prominent songs and visuals of Bollywood, Tamil and Malayalam movies were shot along the Ooty Lake that spreads across 65 acres of the land in Ooty. You can enjoy the picturesque beauty of the eucalyptus trees that cover the lake.
Gorgeous views of tea plantations; houses atop on the small hills and lush green field added up to the beauty.
If you remember the Malayalam movie ,' Classmates' , there was a song, where this train was seen and even in Priyadarshan’s ' Summer in Bethlehem' this toy train appears in some of the scenes.
Several movies have featured this train,which was started by the British in 1908. The beautiful scenes of nature - mountains on one side and deep valleys on the other is something you can cherish. There are about three tunnels on the way to Coonoor where the train pass through.
Running along the narrow gauge through the Eucalyptus forests, the Nilgiri Toy train is yet another historical mountain railway in India.
Ketti station is the 3rd station and lies exactly midway between Ooty and Coonoor and the valley lies just ahead of the station. After the train left Ketti station , I was completely spell bound by the view I was offered by this majestic valley. Make sure that you get a window seat on the right side if you are travelling from Ooty to Coonoor.
After crossing Aravankkadu station, the train passed through a big arch bridge.
Then the toy train curves its way through dense forests. With every turn that the train took, our hearts skipped a couple of beats.
After an hour of shrieking with excitement and taking a dozens of photos, we saw the Coonoor station in the distance. Deep valleys, forests, cultivation , tunnels, mountain ranges, picturesque beauty all around make you feel that the train should not stop at Coonoor. Do not forget to capture those moments for your memory forever. For me, the entire train journey felt like I had been transported into a Bollywood movie!
If you are holidaying in Ooty, your trip will not be complete, if you miss the toy train journey.
This is interesting. The pictures make me want to take the journey.
ReplyDeleteI wish you can make it at the earliest.
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