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{{Short description|District in Tamil Nadu, India}}
]
{{about|district of Tamil Nadu|town of Baleswar, Odisha|Nilagiri}}
The '''Nilgiris''' or '''Blue Mountains''', often called '''The Queen of Hills''' are a range of mountains and a district in the south-]n ] of ] and ].
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2018}}
]
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
] is grown at elevations of 1,000 to above 2,500 metres. The area also produces ] oil and temperate zone vegetables. Parts of many Indian movies are filmed in the Nilgiris.
{{Infobox settlement
| name = Nilgiris district
| settlement_type = ] of ]
| image_skyline = {{Photomontage
|size = 250
|photo1b = Telescope House in Doddabetta Peak - Ooty,Tamil Nadu.JPG
|photo2a = Front Left Stephens Church Ooty Jun22 A7C 02007.jpg
|photo2b = Gudalur, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu DSC00634.JPG
|photo3a = Landscape of Masinagudi Tamil Nadu India.jpg
}}
| image_alt =
| image_caption = Telescope House on ], tea estate near ], ], ], ]
| nickname =
| image_map = Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu (India).svg
| image_map1 =
| map_caption = Location in Tamil Nadu
| coordinates = {{coord|11.4|N|76.7|E|type:adm3rd_region:IN-TN_dim:100000|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = {{flagicon|IND}} ]
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_type2 = ]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_type4 = Metro
| subdivision_name1 = ] ]
| subdivision_name3 =
| subdivision_name4 = <!-- for neighbourhoods/suburbs only -->
| established_title = Established
| established_date = February 1882
| founder =
| named_for = ]
| seat_type = Headquarters
| seat = ]
| parts_type = ]s
| parts = ], ] ,], ], ], ]
| government_type =
| governing_body =
| leader_title1 = Collector & District Magistrate
| leader_name1 = Lakshmi Bhavya Thaneeru, (])
| leader_title2 = Superintendent of Police
| leader_name2 = Ashish Rawat, (])
| unit_pref = Metric
| area_footnotes =
| area_total_km2 = 2,565
| area_rank =
| elevation_footnotes =
| elevation_m = 1,800
| population_total = 735,394
| population_as_of = 2011
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web
|title=2011 Census of India
|date=16 April 2011
|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_tamilnadu.html
|publisher=Indian government
|format=Excel}}</ref>
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_rank =
| population_demonym =
| demographics_type1 = Languages
| demographics1_title1 = Official
| demographics_type2 = Languages
| demographics1_title2 = Minority
| timezone1 = ]
| utc_offset1 = +5:30
| postal_code_type = ]
| postal_code = 643xxx
| area_code = +91-0423
| area_code_type = Telephone code
| iso_code = ]
| registration_plate = TN-43(Ooty),TN-43Z(Gudalur)
| blank1_name_sec1 = ]
| blank1_info_sec1 = {{convert|3520.8|mm|in}}
| website = {{URL|http://nilgiris.nic.in/}}
| footnotes =
| demographics1_info1 = ], English
| demographics1_info2 = ], ]<ref name="language">{{Cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Tamil Nadu |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10222/download/13334/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-3300.XLSX |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref>
| blank2_name_sec1 = Largest town
| blank2_info_sec1 = ]
| blank3_name_sec1 = ]
| blank3_info_sec1 = M-49.6%/F-50.4% ]/]
| blank4_name_sec1 = Literacy
| blank4_info_sec1 = 80.01%%
| blank5_name_sec1 = Legislature type
| blank5_info_sec1 = elected
| blank6_name_sec1 = Legislature Strength
| blank6_info_sec1 = 3
| blank7_name_sec1 = ]
| blank7_info_sec1 = <!-- for protected areas only -->
| blank2_name_sec2 = Avg. annual temperature
| blank2_info_sec2 = {{convert|15|°C|°F}}
| blank3_name_sec2 = Avg. summer temperature
| blank3_info_sec2 = {{convert|20|°C|°F}}
| blank4_name_sec2 = Avg. winter temperature
| blank4_info_sec2 = {{convert|10|°C|°F}}
| official_name =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
}}


The '''Nilgiris district''' is one of the 38 ] in the ] ] of ]. '''Nilgiri''' ({{langx|en|Blue Mountains}}) is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of ], ] and ]. The ] are part of a larger ] known as the ]. Their highest point is the mountain of ], height 2,637 m. The district is contained mainly within the ] range. The administrative headquarters is located at ] (Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam). The district is bounded by ] to the south, ] to the east, and ] district of ] and ] district of ] to the north. As it is located at the junction of three states, namely, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, significant ] and ] populations reside in the district.<ref>{{Cite book|title=District Census Handbook, The Nilgiris|publisher=Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu|location=Chennai|url=https://censusindia.gov.in/2011census/dchb/DCHB_A/33/3310_PART_A_DCHB_THE%20NILGIRIS.pdf}}</ref> Nilgiris district is known for natural mines of ], which is also seen in the other parts of ] extended in the neighbouring states of ] and ] too.<ref>{{Cite news|title=The clandestine gold diggers of the Nilgiris|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/the-clandestine-gold-diggers-of-the-nilgiris/article23037081.ece|last=Premkumar|first=Rohan|date=10 March 2018|access-date=4 June 2021|work=The Hindu}}</ref>
The altitude of the Nilgiris results in a much cooler wetter climate than the surrounding plains, and so the area is popular as a retreat from the summer heat. The rolling hills of the Downs look very similar to the Downs in Southern ], and were used for similar activities such as hunting.


Nilgiris district ranked first in a comprehensive Economic Environment index ranking districts in Tamil Nadu (except ]) prepared by the ] in August 2009.<ref name="2011census" /> ] and ] ]s have been important to its economy. As of 2011, the Nilgiris district had a population of 735,394, with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males. All types of single use plastics are banned in Nilgiris district: it is the first plastic free district in Tamil Nadu.
The principal town of the area is Udhagamandalam, although the old British name of ], shortened to Ooty, is often used. In the town there are many buildings which look very "British", in particular the Churches. There is even a road junction known as Charing Cross.


==History==
The other main towns in the Nilgiris are ] and ].
The history of peoples settled in the Nilgiri hills has been recorded for several centuries. The Blue Mountains were likely named for the widespread blue ] or the smoky haze enveloping the area.


This area was long occupied by the indigenous ] peoples of the ], ], ], ] and ]. The ] were also indigenous to the district but were never a tribal group. ] PVTGs, the dominant land owners of the tribal district. The lower ] plateau in the west of the district had a different tribal population namely ] and ]. The Todas and Kota, who are similar in culture, language and genetic ancestry, were settled across the fringes of the Nilgiri plateau, as sentries to the Central district. They were the ancient agriculturists in the district, cultivating traditional crops such as ], vathm,{{which lang|date=May 2021}} ]. Under British influence they cultivated English vegetables and later moved on to tea.
There are several tribes living in the Nilgiris, whose origins are uncertain. The best known of these are the ] people, whose culture is based upon ], and whose red, black and white embroidered ]s, and silver ] is much sought after.


Unlike elsewhere in the country, no historical evidence is found of a state on the Nilgiris or that it was part of any ancient kingdom or empire. It seems always to have been a tribal land. The Toda had small hamlets ("mund") across most of the plateau. The Kota lived in seven dispersed villages ("kokal"). The Toda had only a few hamlets on the lower Wynaad plateau and in the nearby ].
There is a railway running from ] to Udhagamandalam via Coonoor, which is a great tourist attraction. It was used in the film '']'' as the railway to the caves. It is a ] as far as ].


These Indigenous tribes of Nilgiris speak some form of dravidian language.<ref>{{cite web |title=tribes of nilgiri |jstor=25754900 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25754900}}</ref>
Two ]s cover portions Nilgiris. The ] lie between 250 and 1000 meters elevation. these moist deciduous forests extend south along the ] range to the southern tip of India. These forests are dominated by a diverse assemblage of trees, many of whom are ] during the winter and spring dry season. These forests are home to the largest herd of ]s in India, who range from the Nilgiris across to the ]. The Nilgiris and the South Western Ghats is also one of the most important ] habitats left in India.


Since the turn of the 21st century, the Badaga have numbered about 135,000 (18% of the district population), the Toda are barely 1,500 and the Kota just over 2,000.
The ] ecoregion covers the portion of the range above 1000 meters elevation. These evergreen rain forests are among the most diverse on the planet. Above 1500 meters elevation, the evergreen forests begin to give way to stunted forests, called '']s'', which are interspersed with open grassland. These grasslands are the home to the endangered ], which resembles a stocky goat with curved horns. The Nilgiri tahrs are found only in the ]s of the South Western Ghats, and number only about 2000 individuals.
] (1854). Note that the taluks ], ], and ] in present-day Nilgiris district were parts of ] Taluk in 1854. The ]s of Malabar were rearranged in 1860 and 1877.<ref>{{cite book
| author = M. Vijayanunni | year=1983
| title= 1981 Census Handbook- Wayanad District (Part-A&B) | publisher=Directorate of Census Operations, Kerala
| url= http://lsi.gov.in:8081/jspui/bitstream/123456789/5755/1/29610_1981_WAY.pdf
}}</ref>]]
Beginning in 1819, the British colonial administration developed the hills rapidly and peaceably, for use as coffee and tea plantations, and summer residences. The 40 mud-forts in the area had been abandoned.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hockings, Paul|year=2013|title=So Long a Saga: Four Centuries of Badaga Social History|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=51–67|isbn=978-93-5098-018-7}}</ref> During the ], Ooty (the popular name for Ootacamund) served as the ] of the ] from 1870 onwards. District Gazetteers published by the government (1880, 1908, 1995) were reliable reports on the district, its economy, demography and culture. They with the support of political parties inimical to the natives of Nilgiris have been superseded by the ''Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills'' (2012)<ref>{{cite book | isbn=978-8173048937 | title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills: A-K | last1=Hockings | first1=Paul | year=2012 | publisher=Manohar Publications & Distributors }}</ref> authored by California-based researcher ], who has been studying the Badagas for over sixty years.
]'' (blue gum) plantation]]


According to a 1996 bibliography of publications of this district,<ref>{{cite book|author=Hockings, Paul|year=1996|title=Bibliographie générale sur les monts Nilgiri de l'Inde du sud 1603-1996|place=Bordeaux|publisher=Dymset|isbn=2-906621-27-7}}</ref> it is probably the most heavily studied rural area anywhere in India, with close to 7,000 items in that list. It has been the subject of more than 120 doctoral and master's theses in the natural and human sciences. Indian and foreign scholars wrote these works, and only recently have local people published work about it.
Much of the native forest has been cleared for grazing cattle, or for plantations of ], '']'' and '']''. Two ] protect portions of the Nilgiris. ] lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu meet, and covers an area of 321 sq km. ] lies in the southwest of the range, in Kerala, and covers an area of 78.5 sq km, which includes intact ''shola''-grassland mosaic, habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. The entire range, together with portions of the Western Ghats to the northwest and southwest, was included in the ] in ], India's first biosphere reserve.


More than a dozen languages are spoken in the Nilgiris, but the indigenous people did not write or read them. After 1847 German and Swiss missionaries opened schools for boys and girls in some Badaga villages, teaching them literacy. Ten Dravidian languages are found only here, and they have been studied in great detail for decades by professional linguists. Local place names are derived mainly from the dominant ], e.g., ], ], ], ], Kunda, etc. ] is of Toda origin, and Udagamandalam is a very recent ] version of this place.
The region has given its name to a number of bird species, including the ], ] and ].


Before British-owned tea and coffee plantations were developed, the dominant landholders were the Badaga. A great deal of linguistic and other cultural evidence<ref>{{citation|author=Hockings, Paul|year=2013|title=So Long a Saga: Four centuries of Badaga Social history|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=13–29}}</ref>—based on unauthentic interpretation of ballads and stories collected from unverifiable individuals—indicates erroneously with a malicious intent that the Badaga non scheduled tribes have lived in nilgiris thousands and thousands of years ago. Supposedly unnamed Badaga elders have regularly recounted these baseless facts as oral history and cannot be relied upon. Though their language is very close to ], it is a mixture of almost all Dravidian languages and yet unique. The migration theory is now totally rejected by educated Badagas,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.badugaa.com/ |title=Home |website=badugaa.com}}</ref> as admittedly the land holdings of the district majorly indicates the Badagas as owners in almost all Taluks of the district. This land is the major resource amongst the Badagas, which even today most Badagas are ignorant about. The Badagas did not find any representation in independent India's Constituent Assembly; to deprive the unlettered Badaga of their land it was intentionally left out of the tribal list post independence. The result of this socio-economic engineering seems to be bearing fruit for the perpetrators of such engineering.
==External link==

*
The district has been intentionally underdeveloped as it is bereft of quality ], ], environment-friendly industries, affordable quality ] and basic ]. This underdevelopment has ensured the Badagas need to go outside the district to survive. Certain vested interest have invested in researchers to bring about half-truths about the Badagas. Sadly, these half-truths are being relied on by the regime to deny the Badagas their rightful livelihood. During the early 17th century, the first European is recorded as entering the Nilgiri Hills, an Italian priest/explorer named Fenicio. He interviewed people who identified as Toda and Badega, the latter occupying three villages at that time.<ref>{{cite book|year=2012|article=Fenicio, Giacomo, S.J.|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=314–321|isbn=978-81-7304-893-7}}</ref> The British in India mostly ignored the Ghats for two centuries. ], later the ], conducted a short military operation in the ] in 1800.
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During 1804–1818 several ] personnel briefly visited parts of the district.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|chapter=History|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|page=422}}</ref> ], then the collector of ], just south of the Nilgiris, sent two surveyors (W. Keys and C. McMahon) to make a comprehensive study of the hills. They reached the site of Ootacamund, but failed to see the complete plateau. In 1812 they were the first British to make a cursory survey of the Nilgiri plateau and produce a map. A more detailed exploration was done in the 1818 survey by J.C. Whish, N.W. Kindersley and Mohammed Rifash Obaidullah for the Madras Civil Service, who reported back that they had discovered "the existence of a tableland possessing a European climate."<ref>{{cite book|editor=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|article=Whish, John Clinton, and Nathaniel William Kindersley|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=989, 991}}</ref>
* - yet to be launched

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Collector Sullivan became the first European resident the next year, when he built a seasonal residence on the plateau. He reported to the Madras Government on the mildness of the climate.<ref>{{citation|editor=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|article=Sullivan, John|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=881–888}}</ref> Europeans soon started settling here or using the plateau as a summer resort and homes for retirees. In 1870 the practice began of key government personnel moving to the hills to conduct business during summer months in this more temperate climate. By the end of the 19th century, the hills were completely accessible, as several Ghat roads and the railway line had been constructed.

In the later 19th century, when the British ] shipped Chinese convicts to be jailed in India, some of these men were settled on the Nilgiri plateau near ]. They married ] ] women and had children with them. One Chinese gardener was critical to the district's future, for he worked with ], near Kotagiri, to develop Allport's, the first Nilgiri ] plantation, which started operations in 1863. Her father, Montague D. Cockburn, had opened the first ] plantation there soon after 1830.<ref>{{cite book|author=Mulley, Philip K.|year=2012|chapter=Cockburn Family|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=213–214}}</ref>

==Geography and climate==
], a dormant volcano]]
The district has an area of 2,552.50&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref>{{cite book|author=Noble, William, & Paul Hockings|year=2012|chapter=Nilgiri Hills|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=646–648}}</ref> The district is basically hilly, lying at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,600 metres above MSL, and divided between the Nilgiri plateau and the lower, smaller Wayanad plateau. The district lies at the juncture of the ] and the ]. Its latitudinal and longitudinal location is 130&nbsp;km (Latitude: 11°12 N to 11°37 N) by 185&nbsp;km (Longitude : 76°30 E to 76°55 E). The district is bounded by ] and ] to the south, ] to the east, ] district of ] and ] district of ] to the north, and ] district of ] to the west. In this district the ] is rolling, with steep escarpments; about 60% of the cultivable land is slopes ranging from 16° to 35°. The rolling hills of the Downs look quite similar to ] in ], and were formerly used for such activities as ] and ].

]

The elevation of the Nilgiris results in a much cooler and wetter climate than the surrounding plains, so the area is popular as a comfortable retreat and is good for tea cultivation. During summer the temperature reaches a maximum of {{convert|25|C}} and a minimum of {{convert|10|C}}. During winter the temperature maximum is {{convert|20|C}} and the minimum {{convert|0|C}}.<ref>{{cite book|author=Noble, William A.|year=2012|chapter=Climate|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=208–211}}</ref> The district regularly receives rain during both the Southwest ] and the Northeast Monsoon. The entire Gudalur and Pandalur, Kundah Taluks and parts of Udhagamandalam Taluk get rain from the Southwest Monsoon, while part of Udhagamandalam Taluk and the entire Coonoor and Kotagiri Taluks get rains of the Northeast Monsoon. There are 16 rainfall-registering stations in the district, and the average annual rainfall of the district is 1,920.80&nbsp;mm.

The principal town of the area is Ootacamund, also known as ] or Udhagamandalam, the district headquarters. It has several buildings designed in the British style, particularly the churches, many of which were designed by architect ].<ref>{{cite book|editor=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|article=Chisholm, Robert Fellowes|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=189–190}}</ref> A road junction became known as Charing Cross (after famous intersections in ] and ]). The other main towns in the Nilgiris are ], ], ]. Ooty too has an annual summer flower show.

==District administration==
]

The Nilgiris district has been headed by a government-appointed Collector since 1868. The first was James W. Breeks, who was called Commissioner. Since then there have been more than 100 men and women who have held the post. They were responsible for overseeing the various Departments active within the district.

The district comprises six taluks: ], ], ], ], ] and ]. These are divided among four ] unions: Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur. Besides four Municipalities of Ooty, Coonoor, Gudalur and ], there is a ] and ] Township.

The district consists of 56 revenue villages and 15 revenue firkas.{{which lang|date=May 2021}} There are three revenue divisions, Uhagamandalam Coonoor and Gudalur. For local concerns, the Nilgiris also has 35 village panchayats and 11 town panchayats.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in/|title=Home: District of The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India}}</ref>

'''Coonoor Revenue Division:'''
* ]
* ]

'''Udhagamandalam Revenue Division:'''
* ]
* ]

'''Gudalur Revenue Division:'''
*]
* ]

'''Blocks and Revenue Taluks:'''
* ] comprises the taluk of Kotagiri.
* ] comprises the taluk of Coonoor.
* ] comprises the taluks of Udhagamandalam and Kundah.
* ] comprises the taluks of Gudalur and Pandalur.

==Demographics==
{{historical populations|11=1901|12=1,12,882|13=1911|14=1,18,618|15=1921|16=1,26,519|17=1931|18=1,69,330|19=1941|20=2,09,709|21=1951|22=3,11,729|23=1961|24=4,09,308|25=1971|26=4,94,015|27=1981|28=6,30,169|29=1991|30=7,10,214|31=2001|32=7,62,141|33=2011|34=7,35,394|percentages=pagr|footnote=source:<ref></ref>|align=right}}

According to the ], the Nilgiris district had a population of 735,394 with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929 females. 59.24% of the population lived in urban areas.<ref name="dashboard">{{cite web|title=Census Info 2011 Final population totals|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/censusinfodashboard/index.html|publisher=Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|year=2013|access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> A total of 66,799 people were under the age of six, 33,648 males and 33,151 females. ] accounted for 32.08% and 4.46% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the district was 77.46%, as compared to the national average of 72.99%.<ref name="dashboard"/> The district had a total of 197,653 households. There were a total of 349,974 workers, comprising 14,592 cultivators, 71,738 agricultural labourers, 3,019 in household industries, 229,575 other workers, 31,050 marginal workers, 1,053 marginal cultivators, 7,362 marginal agricultural labourers, 876 marginal workers in household industries and 21,759 other marginal workers.<ref name=2011census>{{cite web|title=Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Nilgiris district|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=688629|publisher=Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|year=2013|access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref>
Anthropologists, who have worked intensively in this district for the past 140 years, recognise 15 tribes living here. Their origins are uncertain as there were no written records about them. The best-known of these are the ] and ], whose related cultures are based on pastoral management of the ], with its dairy products being the basis of their diets. They have developed highly refined red, black and white embroidered ]s, and silver ], which are GI-registered and much sought after.<ref>{{cite book|author=Rivers, W.H.R.|year=1906|title=The Todas|place=London|publisher=Macmillan}}{{cite book|author=Walker, Anthony R.|year=1986|title=The Toda of South India: a new look|place=New Delhi|publisher=Hindustan Publishing}} {{cite book|author=Wolf, Richard K.|year=2005|title=The Black Cow's Footprint|place=Delhi|publisher=Urbana: University of Illinois Press|isbn=81-7824-126-9}}</ref> The district is also home to the ], ], ] and ] or Nayaka.

The entire Nilgiris plateau and all the hilly regions above the plains (altitude higher than 500m MSL) across the Western and Eastern Ghats and the Mysore plateau fell under the ] speaking area as per the linguistic survey and history by ].<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V09_307.gif |title=Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 9, p. 301. |publisher=DSAL |pages=301}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Francis |first=W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_RG2x2xDQ5UC |title=Gazetteer of South India |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=1988 |pages=183 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zXBB1nZYoLIC |title=Hyderabad State |publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distri |year=1937 |pages=100 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=http://archive.org/details/dli.ministry.03018 |title=Imperial gazetteer of India provincial series Madras |publisher=Superintendent Government, Calcutta |year=1908 |pages=183 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Frowde |first=Henry |url=http://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.61194 |title=The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol Ix Bomjur-central India |year=1908 |pages=301 |language=en}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{bar box
|title=Religions in Nilgiris district (2011)<ref name="religion"/>
|titlebar=#Fcd116
|left1=Religion
|right1=Percent
|float=left
|bars=
{{bar percent|]|darkorange|77.44}}
{{bar percent|]|purple|11.51}}
{{bar percent|]|green|10.67}}
{{bar percent|Other or not stated|black|0.38}}
}}

As per the Census of 2011, the Nilgiris district had 76.61% ], 11.51% ] and 10.67% ]. Many of the Muslims and Christians have migrated to the Nilgiris from adjoining Wayanad, Malappuram and Palakkad districts in Kerala state. Hindus are more dominant in rural areas.<ref name="religion">{{Cite web |date=2011 |title=Table C-01 Population by Religion: Tamil Nadu |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/11392/download/14505/DDW33C-01%20MDDS.XLS |website=censusindia.gov.in |publisher=]}}</ref>

===Languages===

{{Pie chart
|thumb = left
|caption = Languages of Nilgiris district (2011)<ref name="language"/>
|label1 = ] |value1 = 48.55 |color1 = mediumorchid
|label2 = ] |value2 = 16.96 |color2 = turquoise
|label3 = ] |value3 = 16.65 |color3 = goldenrod
|label4 = ] |value4 = 6.66 |color4 = gold
|label5 = ] |value5 = 3.63 |color5 = red
|label6 = ] |value6 = 1.59 |color6 = green
|label7 = ] |value7 = 1.07 |color7 = purple
|label8 = ] |value8 = 0.95 |color8 = teal
|label9 = Others |value9 = 3.94 |color9 = grey
}}

At the time of the 2011 census, 48.55% of the population spoke ], 16.96% ], 16.65% ], 6.66% ], 3.63% ], 1.59% ], 1.07% ] and 0.95% ] as their first language.<ref name="language">{{Cite web |title=Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Tamil Nadu |url=https://censusindia.gov.in/nada/index.php/catalog/10222/download/13334/DDW-C16-STMT-MDDS-3300.XLSX |website=] |publisher=]}}</ref>

Nilgiris is arguably the most multi lingual and multicultural district in Tamil Nadu State. ] is the principal and most spoken language in the Nilgiris district followed by ], ], ], ] and ] languages. Other smaller languages include Irula, Paniya, ], ] and ] are also spoken here.

==Politics==
{{transcluded section|source=16th Tamil Nadu Assembly}}
{{#section:16th Tamil Nadu Assembly|MLA Header}}
{{#section:16th Tamil Nadu Assembly|Nilgiris district}}
|}
==Basic infrastructure==

===Transport===
The ] passes through this district. The ] link Nilgiris with nearby cities in ], ] and ]. All the taluks are connected with major roads. ] serves as the central bus stand for the district.Several crucial Ghat roads were cut in the 19th century.<ref>{{citation|author=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|chapter=Ghat Roads|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=383–387}}</ref> The village roads are maintained by the Panchayat Union.

The ] from ] to Udhagamandalam , is a great tourist attraction.<ref>{{cite book|author=Hockings, Paul|year=2012|chapter=Railway|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|page=751}}</ref> It was filmed in ''],'' representing the railway to the caves. It is a Swiss-designed ]. The railway is designated as a ] ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/944/|title=Mountain Railways of India|work=]|access-date=26 January 2014}}</ref> It serves certain areas of the district, including Coonoor, ], ], ], ] and ]. There is no seaport or airport in the district; the nearest airport is ].

===Electricity===
There are 10 Hydel Power Houses (]) in this district.<ref name=autogenerated1></ref>

* Pykara Power House – Pykara
* Pykara Micro Power House – Pykara
* Moyar Power House – Moyar River
* Kundah Power House I – Kundah
* Kundah Power House II – Geddai
* Kundah Power House III – Pillur
* Kundah Power House IV – Paralli
* Kundah Power House V – Avalanche
* Kundah Power House VI – Kattukuppai (Emerald)
* Katteri hydro-electric system – Kateri

===Health infrastructure===
There are one district headquarters government hospital, five taluk hospitals, 38 primary health centres, 194 health sub-centres, and five plague circles in the district.

==Agriculture==
]
The Nilgiris district is basically a ] district. Its economy is based on commodity crops of ], ], and ]s, followed in importance by ], ], ], and ]. The main cultivation is plantation crops such as tea and coffee, but with some cardamom, pepper and rubber too. ] grows at elevations of 1,000 to over 2,500 metres.<ref>{{cite book|author=Muthiah, S.|year=2012|chapter=Tea|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=895–899}}</ref>

The area also produces ] oil and temperate-zone vegetables. Potato and other vegetables are raised throughout Udhagamandalam and Coonoor Taluks. Paddy (rice), ginger, pepper and rubber are grown in Gudalur and Pandalur Taluks. ] is also grown in the Thengumarahada area in Kotagiri Taluk. Besides these crops, ], ], ] and ]s, etc., are also cultivated throughout the district. There are no irrigation schemes here. The crops are mainly rain-fed. ]s have been constructed wherever possible to exploit natural springs.

==Ecoregions==
]
]

Two ]s cover portions of the Nilgiris. The ] lie between 250 and 1000 metres' elevation. These forests extend south along the Western Ghats range to the southern tip of India, and are dominated by a diverse assemblage of trees, many of them ] during the winter and spring dry season. These forests are home to the largest herd of ]s in India, who range from the Nilgiris across towards the ]. The Nilgiris and the Southwestern Ghats are also one of the most important ] habitats left in India.

The ] ecoregion covers the portion of the range above 1000 metres' elevation. These evergreen rain forests are extremely diverse. Above 1500 metres' elevation, the ]s begin to give way to stunted forests, locally called '']s'', which are interspersed with open grassland<ref>{{cite book|author1=Davidar, Priya |author2=Deborah Sutton |name-list-style=amp |year=2012|chapter=Sholas|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=818–821}}</ref> The high grasslands are home to the endangered ], which resembles a stocky goat with curved horns. The Nilgiri tahrs are found only in the ]s of the Southwestern Ghats, and number barely 2000 individuals.
]
Three ] protect portions of the Nilgiris. ] lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, ], and Tamil Nadu meet, and covers an area of 321&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. ] lies in the southwest of the range, in Kerala, and covers an area of 78.5&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>, which includes intact ''shola''-grassland mosaic, a habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. ] is just to the south and contiguous with these two parks, and covers an area of 89.52&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. Outside these parks much of the native forest has been cleared for grazing cattle, or has been encroached upon or replaced by plantations of ], ], ] and ]. The entire range, together with portions of the Western Ghats to the northwest and southwest, was included in the ] in 1986, India's first biosphere reserve. In January 2010, the Nilgiri Declaration<ref></ref> set out a wide range environmental and sustainable development goals to be reached by 2015.

The region has also given its name to a number of bird species, including the ], ] and Nilgiri blackbird.

== Government labs and research institutions ==
The Nilgiris is the headquarters of various government and semi-private organizations engaged in research into horticulture, forestry, botanical sciences and physics.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-12-24|title=Nilgiris District Hand Book 2017-18 : Scientific and Research Services|url=https://tn.data.gov.in/catalog/nilgiris-district-hand-book-2017-18-scientific-and-research-services|access-date=2021-07-07|website=Open Government Data Portal Tamil Nadu|language=en}}</ref> Listed below are a few of the most important ones:

* Horticultural Research Station, ]
* Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Theetukal
* Central Potato Research Centre, Muthorai, ]
* United Planters Association of South India (UPASI), ]
* ] (Zonal Office), Coonoor
* ], Coonoor
* Hybrid Paddy Research Centre, ]
* Sheep Breeding Research Station, Ooty
* Wheat Research Station, Wellington, Coonoor
* ], Ooty
* Tribal Research Center, Ooty

==Tourism==
]
Tourism is an important source of revenue for the Nilgiris.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Krishnan, Siddharth |author2=Paul Hockings |name-list-style=amp |year=2012|chapter=Tourism|editor=Paul Hockings|title=Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills|place=New Delhi|publisher=Manohar|pages=955–959}}</ref> The district is home to several hill stations which are visited by tourists during summer. These include ] (Udhgamandalam) (district headquarters), ], ]. The ], locally known as the Toy Train, attracts tourists as the journey has extensive views of the hills and forests.Pazhassi's Cave, Wentworth Estate, Cherambadi, ] is commonly visited by wildlife enthusiasts, campers and backpackers.{{citation needed|date=December 2017}} The annual flower show, organised by the ] at the ] in Ooty, is an annual event, known for its display of roses. Nilgiris is known for its ] oil and tea, and also produces ]. Some tourists are attracted to study the lifestyles of the various tribes living here or to visit the tea and vegetable plantations. Other tourist destinations in the district are Pykara Waterfalls and the ], Avalanche and ].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Ooty Golf Course (4651133244).jpg|Ooty Golf Course
File:Nilgiri-Hills.jpg|Greenery in Nilgiri Hills
File:Lovedale railway station.JPG|Lovedale railway station
File:Nilgiris Tea Plantation.jpg|Tea plantations
File:Nilgiris vegetable plantations.jpg|Vegetable plantation
File:Mudumalai forest elephant.jpg|Elephant at Mudumalai National Park
File:Ooty Lake.jpg|Ooty Lake
File:Emerald Lake Nilgiris.jpg|Emerald Lake
File:Ooty houses.jpg|Houses at Ooty
File:Pazhassi's Cave inside.jpg|Pazhassi's Cave, Wentworth Estate, Cherambadi
</gallery>


==See also== ==See also==
*] *]
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*]
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*]
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==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
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{{Geographic location|Centre=Nilgiris district|South-west=], ]|South-east=]|EAST=]|North-east=], ]|North-west=], ]|WEST=], ]}}
{{Tamil Nadu}}
{{Nilgiris district}}
{{Western Ghats}}
{{GeoSouthAsia}}


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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nilgiris district}}
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Latest revision as of 07:26, 12 December 2024

District in Tamil Nadu, India This article is about district of Tamil Nadu. For town of Baleswar, Odisha, see Nilagiri.

District of Tamil Nadu in India
Nilgiris district
District of Tamil Nadu
Telescope House on Doddabetta, tea estate near Gudalur, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, St. Stephen's Church, Ooty
Location in Tamil NaduLocation in Tamil Nadu
Coordinates: 11°24′N 76°42′E / 11.4°N 76.7°E / 11.4; 76.7
CountryIndia India
State Tamil Nadu
EstablishedFebruary 1882
Named forNilgiri Mountains
HeadquartersUdhagamandalam
TalukasUdhagamandalam, Coonoor ,Kotagiri, Kundah, Gudalur, Pandalur
Government
 • Collector & District MagistrateLakshmi Bhavya Thaneeru, (IAS)
 • Superintendent of PoliceAshish Rawat, (IPS)
Area
 • Total2,565 km (990 sq mi)
Elevation1,800 m (5,900 ft)
Population
 • Total735,394
 • Density290/km (740/sq mi)
Languages
 • OfficialTamil, English
 • MinorityMalayalam, Kannada
Languages
Time zoneUTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN643xxx
Telephone code+91-0423
ISO 3166 code]
Vehicle registrationTN-43(Ooty),TN-43Z(Gudalur)
Precipitation3,520.8 millimetres (138.61 in)
Largest townUdhagamandalam
Sex ratioM-49.6%/F-50.4% ?/?
Literacy80.01%%
Legislature typeelected
Legislature Strength3
Avg. annual temperature15 °C (59 °F)
Avg. summer temperature20 °C (68 °F)
Avg. winter temperature10 °C (50 °F)
Websitenilgiris.nic.in

The Nilgiris district is one of the 38 districts in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Nilgiri (English: Blue Mountains) is the name given to a range of mountains spread across the borders among the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. The Nilgiri Hills are part of a larger mountain chain known as the Western Ghats. Their highest point is the mountain of Doddabetta, height 2,637 m. The district is contained mainly within the Nilgiri Mountains range. The administrative headquarters is located at Ooty (Ootacamund or Udhagamandalam). The district is bounded by Coimbatore to the south, Erode to the east, and Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka and Wayanad district of Kerala to the north. As it is located at the junction of three states, namely, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, significant Malayali and Kannadiga populations reside in the district. Nilgiris district is known for natural mines of Gold, which is also seen in the other parts of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve extended in the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Kerala too.

Nilgiris district ranked first in a comprehensive Economic Environment index ranking districts in Tamil Nadu (except Chennai district) prepared by the Institute for Financial Management and Research in August 2009. Tea and coffee plantations have been important to its economy. As of 2011, the Nilgiris district had a population of 735,394, with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males. All types of single use plastics are banned in Nilgiris district: it is the first plastic free district in Tamil Nadu.

History

The history of peoples settled in the Nilgiri hills has been recorded for several centuries. The Blue Mountains were likely named for the widespread blue Strobilanthes flower or the smoky haze enveloping the area.

This area was long occupied by the indigenous tribal peoples of the Toda, Kota, Kurumba, Irula and Badagas. The Badagas were also indigenous to the district but were never a tribal group. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups PVTGs, the dominant land owners of the tribal district. The lower Wayanad plateau in the west of the district had a different tribal population namely Kattunaika and Paniya. The Todas and Kota, who are similar in culture, language and genetic ancestry, were settled across the fringes of the Nilgiri plateau, as sentries to the Central district. They were the ancient agriculturists in the district, cultivating traditional crops such as samai, vathm, ragi. Under British influence they cultivated English vegetables and later moved on to tea.

Unlike elsewhere in the country, no historical evidence is found of a state on the Nilgiris or that it was part of any ancient kingdom or empire. It seems always to have been a tribal land. The Toda had small hamlets ("mund") across most of the plateau. The Kota lived in seven dispersed villages ("kokal"). The Toda had only a few hamlets on the lower Wynaad plateau and in the nearby Biligiriranga hills.

These Indigenous tribes of Nilgiris speak some form of dravidian language.

Since the turn of the 21st century, the Badaga have numbered about 135,000 (18% of the district population), the Toda are barely 1,500 and the Kota just over 2,000.

An old map of Malabar District (1854). Note that the taluks Pandalur, Gudalur, and Kundah in present-day Nilgiris district were parts of Wayanad Taluk in 1854. The Taluks of Malabar were rearranged in 1860 and 1877.

Beginning in 1819, the British colonial administration developed the hills rapidly and peaceably, for use as coffee and tea plantations, and summer residences. The 40 mud-forts in the area had been abandoned. During the British raj, Ooty (the popular name for Ootacamund) served as the summer capital of the Madras Presidency from 1870 onwards. District Gazetteers published by the government (1880, 1908, 1995) were reliable reports on the district, its economy, demography and culture. They with the support of political parties inimical to the natives of Nilgiris have been superseded by the Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills (2012) authored by California-based researcher Paul Hockings, who has been studying the Badagas for over sixty years.

A 1917 photo of Eucalyptus globulus (blue gum) plantation

According to a 1996 bibliography of publications of this district, it is probably the most heavily studied rural area anywhere in India, with close to 7,000 items in that list. It has been the subject of more than 120 doctoral and master's theses in the natural and human sciences. Indian and foreign scholars wrote these works, and only recently have local people published work about it.

More than a dozen languages are spoken in the Nilgiris, but the indigenous people did not write or read them. After 1847 German and Swiss missionaries opened schools for boys and girls in some Badaga villages, teaching them literacy. Ten Dravidian languages are found only here, and they have been studied in great detail for decades by professional linguists. Local place names are derived mainly from the dominant Badaga language, e.g., Doddabetta, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudaluru, Kunda, etc. Ootacamund is of Toda origin, and Udagamandalam is a very recent Tamil-language version of this place.

Before British-owned tea and coffee plantations were developed, the dominant landholders were the Badaga. A great deal of linguistic and other cultural evidence—based on unauthentic interpretation of ballads and stories collected from unverifiable individuals—indicates erroneously with a malicious intent that the Badaga non scheduled tribes have lived in nilgiris thousands and thousands of years ago. Supposedly unnamed Badaga elders have regularly recounted these baseless facts as oral history and cannot be relied upon. Though their language is very close to Kannada, it is a mixture of almost all Dravidian languages and yet unique. The migration theory is now totally rejected by educated Badagas, as admittedly the land holdings of the district majorly indicates the Badagas as owners in almost all Taluks of the district. This land is the major resource amongst the Badagas, which even today most Badagas are ignorant about. The Badagas did not find any representation in independent India's Constituent Assembly; to deprive the unlettered Badaga of their land it was intentionally left out of the tribal list post independence. The result of this socio-economic engineering seems to be bearing fruit for the perpetrators of such engineering.

The district has been intentionally underdeveloped as it is bereft of quality healthcare facilities, universities, environment-friendly industries, affordable quality higher education and basic infrastructure. This underdevelopment has ensured the Badagas need to go outside the district to survive. Certain vested interest have invested in researchers to bring about half-truths about the Badagas. Sadly, these half-truths are being relied on by the regime to deny the Badagas their rightful livelihood. During the early 17th century, the first European is recorded as entering the Nilgiri Hills, an Italian priest/explorer named Fenicio. He interviewed people who identified as Toda and Badega, the latter occupying three villages at that time. The British in India mostly ignored the Ghats for two centuries. Arthur Wellesley, later the Duke of Wellington, conducted a short military operation in the Wynaad in 1800.

During 1804–1818 several East India Company personnel briefly visited parts of the district. John Sullivan, then the collector of Coimbatore, just south of the Nilgiris, sent two surveyors (W. Keys and C. McMahon) to make a comprehensive study of the hills. They reached the site of Ootacamund, but failed to see the complete plateau. In 1812 they were the first British to make a cursory survey of the Nilgiri plateau and produce a map. A more detailed exploration was done in the 1818 survey by J.C. Whish, N.W. Kindersley and Mohammed Rifash Obaidullah for the Madras Civil Service, who reported back that they had discovered "the existence of a tableland possessing a European climate."

Collector Sullivan became the first European resident the next year, when he built a seasonal residence on the plateau. He reported to the Madras Government on the mildness of the climate. Europeans soon started settling here or using the plateau as a summer resort and homes for retirees. In 1870 the practice began of key government personnel moving to the hills to conduct business during summer months in this more temperate climate. By the end of the 19th century, the hills were completely accessible, as several Ghat roads and the railway line had been constructed.

In the later 19th century, when the British Straits Settlement shipped Chinese convicts to be jailed in India, some of these men were settled on the Nilgiri plateau near Naduvattam. They married Tamil Paraiyan women and had children with them. One Chinese gardener was critical to the district's future, for he worked with Margaret B. L. Cockburn in Aruvenu, near Kotagiri, to develop Allport's, the first Nilgiri tea plantation, which started operations in 1863. Her father, Montague D. Cockburn, had opened the first coffee plantation there soon after 1830.

Geography and climate

Perumal's Peak, a dormant volcano

The district has an area of 2,552.50 km. The district is basically hilly, lying at an elevation of 1,000 to 2,600 metres above MSL, and divided between the Nilgiri plateau and the lower, smaller Wayanad plateau. The district lies at the juncture of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats. Its latitudinal and longitudinal location is 130 km (Latitude: 11°12 N to 11°37 N) by 185 km (Longitude : 76°30 E to 76°55 E). The district is bounded by Coimbatore and Palakkad to the south, Erode to the east, Chamarajnagar district of Karnataka and Wayanad district of Kerala to the north, and Malappuram district of Kerala to the west. In this district the topography is rolling, with steep escarpments; about 60% of the cultivable land is slopes ranging from 16° to 35°. The rolling hills of the Downs look quite similar to the Downs in southern England, and were formerly used for such activities as hunting and picnicking.

The Nilgiris was preferred by the British for its moderate 'English-like' climate.

The elevation of the Nilgiris results in a much cooler and wetter climate than the surrounding plains, so the area is popular as a comfortable retreat and is good for tea cultivation. During summer the temperature reaches a maximum of 25 °C (77 °F) and a minimum of 10 °C (50 °F). During winter the temperature maximum is 20 °C (68 °F) and the minimum 0 °C (32 °F). The district regularly receives rain during both the Southwest Monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon. The entire Gudalur and Pandalur, Kundah Taluks and parts of Udhagamandalam Taluk get rain from the Southwest Monsoon, while part of Udhagamandalam Taluk and the entire Coonoor and Kotagiri Taluks get rains of the Northeast Monsoon. There are 16 rainfall-registering stations in the district, and the average annual rainfall of the district is 1,920.80 mm.

The principal town of the area is Ootacamund, also known as Ooty or Udhagamandalam, the district headquarters. It has several buildings designed in the British style, particularly the churches, many of which were designed by architect Robert F. Chisholm. A road junction became known as Charing Cross (after famous intersections in London and Lahore). The other main towns in the Nilgiris are Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur. Ooty too has an annual summer flower show.

District administration

1953 US Army map of Nilgiris district with district outline shown in yellow, scale 1:250,000

The Nilgiris district has been headed by a government-appointed Collector since 1868. The first was James W. Breeks, who was called Commissioner. Since then there have been more than 100 men and women who have held the post. They were responsible for overseeing the various Departments active within the district.

The district comprises six taluks: Udhagamandalam (Ooty/Ootacamund), Kundah, Coonoor, Kotagiri, Gudalur and Pandalur. These are divided among four panchayat unions: Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, Kotagiri and Gudalur. Besides four Municipalities of Ooty, Coonoor, Gudalur and Nelliyalam, there is a Wellington Cantonment and Aruvankadu Township.

The district consists of 56 revenue villages and 15 revenue firkas. There are three revenue divisions, Uhagamandalam Coonoor and Gudalur. For local concerns, the Nilgiris also has 35 village panchayats and 11 town panchayats.

Coonoor Revenue Division:

Udhagamandalam Revenue Division:

Gudalur Revenue Division:

Blocks and Revenue Taluks:

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1901112,882—    
1911118,618+0.50%
1921126,519+0.65%
1931169,330+2.96%
1941209,709+2.16%
1951311,729+4.04%
1961409,308+2.76%
1971494,015+1.90%
1981630,169+2.46%
1991710,214+1.20%
2001762,141+0.71%
2011735,394−0.36%
source:

According to the 2011 census, the Nilgiris district had a population of 735,394 with a sex-ratio of 1,042 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929 females. 59.24% of the population lived in urban areas. A total of 66,799 people were under the age of six, 33,648 males and 33,151 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 32.08% and 4.46% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the district was 77.46%, as compared to the national average of 72.99%. The district had a total of 197,653 households. There were a total of 349,974 workers, comprising 14,592 cultivators, 71,738 agricultural labourers, 3,019 in household industries, 229,575 other workers, 31,050 marginal workers, 1,053 marginal cultivators, 7,362 marginal agricultural labourers, 876 marginal workers in household industries and 21,759 other marginal workers. Anthropologists, who have worked intensively in this district for the past 140 years, recognise 15 tribes living here. Their origins are uncertain as there were no written records about them. The best-known of these are the Toda and Kota, whose related cultures are based on pastoral management of the buffalo, with its dairy products being the basis of their diets. They have developed highly refined red, black and white embroidered shawls, and silver jewellery, which are GI-registered and much sought after. The district is also home to the Kurumba, Irula, Paniya and Kattunayakan or Nayaka.

The entire Nilgiris plateau and all the hilly regions above the plains (altitude higher than 500m MSL) across the Western and Eastern Ghats and the Mysore plateau fell under the Kannada speaking area as per the linguistic survey and history by Colonel Mark Wilks.

Religion

Religions in Nilgiris district (2011)
Religion Percent
Hinduism   77.44%
Christianity   11.51%
Islam   10.67%
Other or not stated   0.38%

As per the Census of 2011, the Nilgiris district had 76.61% Hindus, 11.51% Christians and 10.67% Muslims. Many of the Muslims and Christians have migrated to the Nilgiris from adjoining Wayanad, Malappuram and Palakkad districts in Kerala state. Hindus are more dominant in rural areas.

Languages

Languages of Nilgiris district (2011)

  Tamil (48.55%)  Malayalam (16.96%)  Badaga (16.65%)  Kannada (6.66%)  Telugu (3.63%)  Urdu (1.59%)  Irula (1.07%)  Pania (0.95%)  Others (3.94%)

At the time of the 2011 census, 48.55% of the population spoke Tamil, 16.96% Malayalam, 16.65% Badaga, 6.66% Kannada, 3.63% Telugu, 1.59% Urdu, 1.07% Irula and 0.95% Pania as their first language.

Nilgiris is arguably the most multi lingual and multicultural district in Tamil Nadu State. Tamil is the principal and most spoken language in the Nilgiris district followed by Malayalam, Badaga, Kannada, Telugu and Urdu languages. Other smaller languages include Irula, Paniya, Kurumba, Toda and Kota are also spoken here.

Politics

This section is transcluded from 16th Tamil Nadu Assembly. (edit | history)
Source:
District No. Constituency Name Party Alliance Remarks
Nilgiris 108 Udhagamandalam R. Ganesh Indian National Congress SPA
109 Gudalur (SC) Pon. Jayaseelan All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam None
110 Coonoor K. Ramachandran Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam SPA

Basic infrastructure

Transport

The Nagapattinam–Gudalur National Highway passes through this district. The Nilgiri Ghat Roads link Nilgiris with nearby cities in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. All the taluks are connected with major roads. Ooty bus stand serves as the central bus stand for the district.Several crucial Ghat roads were cut in the 19th century. The village roads are maintained by the Panchayat Union.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Udhagamandalam , is a great tourist attraction. It was filmed in A Passage to India, representing the railway to the caves. It is a Swiss-designed rack railway. The railway is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It serves certain areas of the district, including Coonoor, Wellington, Aruvankadu, Ketti, Lovedale and Ooty. There is no seaport or airport in the district; the nearest airport is Coimbatore.

Electricity

There are 10 Hydel Power Houses (hydroelectric) in this district.

  • Pykara Power House – Pykara
  • Pykara Micro Power House – Pykara
  • Moyar Power House – Moyar River
  • Kundah Power House I – Kundah
  • Kundah Power House II – Geddai
  • Kundah Power House III – Pillur
  • Kundah Power House IV – Paralli
  • Kundah Power House V – Avalanche
  • Kundah Power House VI – Kattukuppai (Emerald)
  • Katteri hydro-electric system – Kateri

Health infrastructure

There are one district headquarters government hospital, five taluk hospitals, 38 primary health centres, 194 health sub-centres, and five plague circles in the district.

Agriculture

A tea factory next to a tea plantation

The Nilgiris district is basically a horticulture district. Its economy is based on commodity crops of tea, coffee, and spices, followed in importance by potato, cabbage, carrot, and fruit. The main cultivation is plantation crops such as tea and coffee, but with some cardamom, pepper and rubber too. Tea grows at elevations of 1,000 to over 2,500 metres.

The area also produces eucalyptus oil and temperate-zone vegetables. Potato and other vegetables are raised throughout Udhagamandalam and Coonoor Taluks. Paddy (rice), ginger, pepper and rubber are grown in Gudalur and Pandalur Taluks. Paddy is also grown in the Thengumarahada area in Kotagiri Taluk. Besides these crops, millet, wheat, fruit and vegetables, etc., are also cultivated throughout the district. There are no irrigation schemes here. The crops are mainly rain-fed. Check dams have been constructed wherever possible to exploit natural springs.

Ecoregions

Sigur Ghat
A view of the Nilgiri hills

Two ecoregions cover portions of the Nilgiris. The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests lie between 250 and 1000 metres' elevation. These forests extend south along the Western Ghats range to the southern tip of India, and are dominated by a diverse assemblage of trees, many of them deciduous during the winter and spring dry season. These forests are home to the largest herd of Asian elephants in India, who range from the Nilgiris across towards the Eastern Ghats. The Nilgiris and the Southwestern Ghats are also one of the most important tiger habitats left in India.

The South Western Ghats montane rain forests ecoregion covers the portion of the range above 1000 metres' elevation. These evergreen rain forests are extremely diverse. Above 1500 metres' elevation, the evergreen forests begin to give way to stunted forests, locally called sholas, which are interspersed with open grassland The high grasslands are home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr, which resembles a stocky goat with curved horns. The Nilgiri tahrs are found only in the montane grasslands of the Southwestern Ghats, and number barely 2000 individuals.

Nilgiri tahr in the Nilgiris

Three national parks protect portions of the Nilgiris. Mudumalai National Park lies in the northern part of the range where Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu meet, and covers an area of 321 km. Mukurthi National Park lies in the southwest of the range, in Kerala, and covers an area of 78.5 km, which includes intact shola-grassland mosaic, a habitat for the Nilgiri tahr. Silent Valley National Park is just to the south and contiguous with these two parks, and covers an area of 89.52 km. Outside these parks much of the native forest has been cleared for grazing cattle, or has been encroached upon or replaced by plantations of tea, eucalyptus, cinchona and acacia. The entire range, together with portions of the Western Ghats to the northwest and southwest, was included in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in 1986, India's first biosphere reserve. In January 2010, the Nilgiri Declaration set out a wide range environmental and sustainable development goals to be reached by 2015.

The region has also given its name to a number of bird species, including the Nilgiri pipit, Nilgiri woodpigeon and Nilgiri blackbird.

Government labs and research institutions

The Nilgiris is the headquarters of various government and semi-private organizations engaged in research into horticulture, forestry, botanical sciences and physics. Listed below are a few of the most important ones:

  • Horticultural Research Station, Ooty
  • Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Theetukal
  • Central Potato Research Centre, Muthorai, Ooty
  • United Planters Association of South India (UPASI), Coonoor
  • Tea Board of India (Zonal Office), Coonoor
  • Pasteur Institute of India, Coonoor
  • Hybrid Paddy Research Centre, Gudalur
  • Sheep Breeding Research Station, Ooty
  • Wheat Research Station, Wellington, Coonoor
  • Radio Astronomy Tower, Ooty
  • Tribal Research Center, Ooty

Tourism

Botanical garden at Ooty

Tourism is an important source of revenue for the Nilgiris. The district is home to several hill stations which are visited by tourists during summer. These include Ooty (Udhgamandalam) (district headquarters), Coonoor, Kotagiri. The Nilgiri Mountain Train, locally known as the Toy Train, attracts tourists as the journey has extensive views of the hills and forests.Pazhassi's Cave, Wentworth Estate, Cherambadi, Mudumalai National Park is commonly visited by wildlife enthusiasts, campers and backpackers. The annual flower show, organised by the Government of Tamil Nadu at the Botanical Garden in Ooty, is an annual event, known for its display of roses. Nilgiris is known for its eucalyptus oil and tea, and also produces bauxite. Some tourists are attracted to study the lifestyles of the various tribes living here or to visit the tea and vegetable plantations. Other tourist destinations in the district are Pykara Waterfalls and the Ooty Lake, Avalanche and Doddabetta peak.

Gallery

  • Ooty Golf Course Ooty Golf Course
  • Greenery in Nilgiri Hills Greenery in Nilgiri Hills
  • Lovedale railway station Lovedale railway station
  • Tea plantations Tea plantations
  • Vegetable plantation Vegetable plantation
  • Elephant at Mudumalai National Park Elephant at Mudumalai National Park
  • Ooty Lake Ooty Lake
  • Emerald Lake Emerald Lake
  • Houses at Ooty Houses at Ooty
  • Pazhassi's Cave, Wentworth Estate, Cherambadi Pazhassi's Cave, Wentworth Estate, Cherambadi

See also

References

  1. "2011 Census of India" (Excel). Indian government. 16 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Tamil Nadu". Census of India. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  3. District Census Handbook, The Nilgiris (PDF). Chennai: Directorate of Census Operations, Tamil Nadu.
  4. Premkumar, Rohan (10 March 2018). "The clandestine gold diggers of the Nilgiris". The Hindu. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Census Info 2011 Final population totals - Nilgiris district". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  6. "tribes of nilgiri". JSTOR 25754900.
  7. M. Vijayanunni (1983). 1981 Census Handbook- Wayanad District (Part-A&B) (PDF). Directorate of Census Operations, Kerala.
  8. Hockings, Paul (2013). So Long a Saga: Four Centuries of Badaga Social History. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 51–67. ISBN 978-93-5098-018-7.
  9. Hockings, Paul (2012). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills: A-K. Manohar Publications & Distributors. ISBN 978-8173048937.
  10. Hockings, Paul (1996). Bibliographie générale sur les monts Nilgiri de l'Inde du sud 1603-1996. Bordeaux: Dymset. ISBN 2-906621-27-7.
  11. Hockings, Paul (2013), So Long a Saga: Four centuries of Badaga Social history, New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 13–29
  12. "Home". badugaa.com.
  13. Paul Hockings, ed. (2012). "Fenicio, Giacomo, S.J.". Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 314–321. ISBN 978-81-7304-893-7.
  14. Hockings, Paul (2012). "History". Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. p. 422.
  15. Hockings, Paul, ed. (2012). "Whish, John Clinton, and Nathaniel William Kindersley". Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 989, 991.
  16. Hockings, Paul, ed. (2012), "Sullivan, John", Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills, New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 881–888
  17. Mulley, Philip K. (2012). "Cockburn Family". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 213–214.
  18. Noble, William, & Paul Hockings (2012). "Nilgiri Hills". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 646–648.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. Noble, William A. (2012). "Climate". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 208–211.
  20. Hockings, Paul, ed. (2012). "Chisholm, Robert Fellowes". Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 189–190.
  21. "Home: District of The Nilgiris, Tamilnadu, India".
  22. Decadal Variation In Population Since 1901
  23. ^ "Census Info 2011 Final population totals". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  24. Rivers, W.H.R. (1906). The Todas. London: Macmillan.Walker, Anthony R. (1986). The Toda of South India: a new look. New Delhi: Hindustan Publishing. Wolf, Richard K. (2005). The Black Cow's Footprint. Delhi: Urbana: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 81-7824-126-9.
  25. Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 9, p. 301. DSAL. p. 301.
  26. Francis, W. (1988). Gazetteer of South India. Mittal Publications. p. 183.
  27. Hyderabad State. Atlantic Publishers & Distri. 1937. p. 100.
  28. Imperial gazetteer of India provincial series Madras. Superintendent Government, Calcutta. 1908. p. 183.
  29. Frowde, Henry (1908). The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol Ix Bomjur-central India. p. 301.
  30. ^ "Table C-01 Population by Religion: Tamil Nadu". censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. 2011.
  31. "Tamil Nadu Election Results 2021: Here's full list of winners". CNBCTV18. 3 May 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  32. "Tamil Nadu Election Results 2021: Full list of winners". www.indiatvnews.com. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  33. Hockings, Paul (2012), "Ghat Roads", Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills, New Delhi: Manohar, pp. 383–387
  34. Hockings, Paul (2012). "Railway". Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. p. 751.
  35. "Mountain Railways of India". UNESCO. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
  36. Welcome to Nilgiris
  37. Muthiah, S. (2012). "Tea". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 895–899.
  38. Davidar, Priya & Deborah Sutton (2012). "Sholas". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 818–821.
  39. Nilgiri Declaration
  40. "Nilgiris District Hand Book 2017-18 : Scientific and Research Services". Open Government Data Portal Tamil Nadu. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  41. Krishnan, Siddharth & Paul Hockings (2012). "Tourism". In Paul Hockings (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills. New Delhi: Manohar. pp. 955–959.

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Malappuram district, Kerala Nilgiris district Erode district
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