Beyond Ooty, This Quiet Nilgiri Hill Station Has A Special Connection To Ramayana Star Sai Pallavi

Sai Pallavi is currently receiving all the love for playing the role of Sita in Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana, but away from the film sets, the actor has roots in a small hill town in Tamil Nadu that deserves a place on your travel list. She belongs to the indigenous Badaga community and traces her ancestral roots to Kotagiri in the Nilgiris.

While Ooty and Coonoor are usually the first names that come up when planning a holiday in the Nilgiris, Kotagiri is another hill station worth knowing about, filled with tea estates, forest trails, waterfalls and mountain viewpoints, with fewer crowds than its better-known neighbours.

A Quieter Ooty

Even Kotagiri's name means 'mountains of the Kotas', referring to the indigenous Kota community of the Nilgiris. It's also home to the Badaga community, to which Sai Pallavi belongs.

The town has a colonial-era history too. British administrator John Sullivan visited the region in 1819, and Kotagiri later became one of the summer retreats of the Madras Presidency. Today, its landscape is defined by tea plantations, green valleys and patches of evergreen forest.

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Add This Hidden Hill Station To Your Bucket List

Kotagiri is particularly special for travellers who enjoy spending time outdoors. Take a walk through the tea-growing areas and enjoy a closer look at the region's plantations. Several tea factories in the region offer an opportunity to learn about tea production. You can also attend tea-tasting sessions and buy tea powder to take home.

You can also keep your itinerary simple. Spend time exploring the plantations, stop at viewpoints and enjoy the quieter side of the Nilgiris.

Places To Visit In And Around Kotagiri

Photo: Canva

If you want to see the Nilgiris from above, make time for Kodanad Viewpoint. It offers a 220-degree panorama of the Nilgiri Biosphere and the Moyar River. The view stretches across hills and valleys.

Longwood Shola is a good change from the open views and tea estates. This evergreen montane forest is known for its natural surroundings and is suited to birdwatching or simple walks. Rangaswamy Peak and Pillar are among the most iconic natural landmarks here. The surrounding area has scenic trekking trails and is worth exploring if you enjoy walking through the Nilgiri hills.

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