Gudalur and Its History

Gudalur is a Municipality town and taluk in Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 49,535.Wikipedia

Weather: 26°C, Wind E at 6 km/h, 99% Humidity

Local time: Monday 1:04 PM

Population: 49,535 (2011)

Gudalur is a picturesque green valley on the way from Mysore to Ooty. It is a gateway to three states, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka lying equidistant from both Kerala and Karnataka. Though the history of the name has been lost, it is the place where all of the three states' boundaries meet. Some even say the name originated as 'Koodal'(Joining)in Tamil and 'Ooru'(Village),and Goodal+uru as a mysterious place. As the town is located 50 km from any other nearby bigger towns, Ooty, Sulthan Bathery, Gundalpet & Nilambur it can very well be called as the Joining-Place or Point.

Tea plantations dot the whole region, and the regional economy is heavily dependent on the tea industry. However, this is a place rich in flora and fauna with a variety of hill crops, though lower altitude crops such as paddy and coconut also flourish here. This area was an offspring to the exploration done by the British during the pre-independence period to cultivate tea. Various large companies own tea estates in the region. From the 1960s onwards, the region saw pioneering settlers moving in from neighbouring Kerala.^{[citation needed]} Later, towards the end of the 1970s, the Tamil Nadu Government also granted refuge to a large number of Sri Lankan repatriates. This considerably changed the demography of the region.

Gudalur is the only Taluk to have an Act enacted by the Tamil Nadu State Government and is placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India (entry 80) which is exclusively made for the Gudalur region. That Act is Gudalur Janmam Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1969 (Act 24/69).

Later Gudalur Taluk was divided into two talukas: Gudalur and Pandalur. Pandalur Taluka consists of the major portion ofNelliyalam Villages and Cherangode village. It was the seat of the erstwhile Nelliyalam Ratti. Nelliyalam is a small village where you can find the remains of the fort of Nelliyalam Ratti. Gudalur is a selection grade III municipality.gudalur is our soul.

ATTRACTION OF GUDALUR

·         Needle Rock View Point : (Ooshi Malai/Soochi Malai): It is 7 km on the way to Ooty. From here one can see almost every part of Gudalur and Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Gudalur town, Bandipur and parts of Mysore. On the other side, you can see parts of Kerala. You can also see a mountain popularly known as Sleeping Beauty (also called Aanakkallu) which is exactly in the shape of a sleeping woman.

·         Frog Hill View Point: The hill is in the shape of a huge frog. Frog hill view point is 9 km. from Gudalur on the way to Ooty. This hill can be seen as a gigantic frog sitting when seen from a distance. At the same time a good place to get the full view of Gudalur. The Sleeping Beauty range of mountain (from Devershola to Devala)can also be viewed from this view point.

·         Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary : It starts 5 km from gudalur town a Tiger Reserve where you can find Tigers, Cheetahs, Deers, Elephants, Bison, the Lion Tailed Macaque, and different types of snakes ranging from King Cobra, Python etc.,

·         Mango Orange The scenic Mangorange village is 20 k.m. from Gudalur. The village has many undulating hills carpeted with green tea estates. The drive from Gudalur to Calicut is one of the most exciting one for nature fans.

·         Numbalakottai Vimalagiri : 4 km. from Gudalur. A shrine of Vettakarappan (Lord of the hunts) with sub-shrine built in Kerala style is here. Wynad scenery is visible from here. The temple was a property of Nilambur Kovilagam and the festival is conducted once in a year by the Kovilagam trust under the guidance of the Kovilagam. The way to Nambalakottai is via Kalampuzha.

·         Manvayal/Bospara : This is a small satellite town 8 km from Gudalur, and is adjacent to the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. The people here are mainly small tea growers and are mainly engaged in agricultural activities. The ancestors of this village migrated from Thiruvithamkur and other parts of Kerala some 50 years ago. Ironically, the original name Manvayal was that of a small Kattunayakan Tribal village. "Seva Bharathi" (NGO) is indulged more than 'two hundred' seva works in this area.

·         Nelliyalam : 20 km from Gudalur. A few ruins of historical Ummatur dynasty can be seen here. There are ruins of a fort which was the seat of the erstwhile Nelliyalam Rani.

·         Pandalur : Capital of Pandalur Taluka. There are many tea plantations.

·         Singara and Moyar : Underground Power houses under the control of Tamil Nadu State Electricity Board.

·         Cherangode : There is a shrine dedicated to Velankanni Matha. This is a pilgrims' centre.

·         Cherambady : 35 km. from Gudalur. It is extreme western corner which has plantations and mica mines. Sultan battery is very near.

·         Nellakotta : It is 15 km from Gudalur. A dilapidated fort is there. This fort was the godown for rice and paddy storage for centuries under various dynasties.

·         Hanging Bridges : Located on the way to Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary. It is 7 km from Gudalur.

·         Genepool Garden : It is located at 10 km from Gudalur in a place called Nadugani. It has a variety of species from all over the world.

·         Kariyasholai : A village encircled with forest where one half cultivated tea plantation, vanilla, coffee, cardamom etc., The queen of hills has her daughter NEEDLE ROCK placed to the east top of the village which really makes the village a heavenly jorn.

·         Devala : A small town on the way to Pandalur from Gudalur at 18th km has the second highest rainfall in India. Dilapidated gold mine tunnels can be seen here.

·         Cherangode Swami Malai : A tourist hill, lake, located in Pandalur-Kolappally-Ayyankolly road.

·         Velleri River : Located in Silver Jubilee road near, Ambalamoola.

·         Kusumagiri Murugan Temple : An old temple which has been reconstructed devoted to Lord Murugan

·         Sandanamalai Murugan Temple: Located at 21 km away from Gudalur town towards O'Valley.


To Do:

Gudalur is an ideal place to stay if you are interested in visiting the tea gardens on the way to Ooty. Pykara lake is only 30 km away

Get In:

Gudalur is three hours by bus from Mysore. You can also reach here from Kozhikode and Ooty by bus. There is no rail link. When you come to Gudalur from Mysore, the road is two track with a toll both in the middle. The major tourist attraction is the S.G.S.Ashram with an aviary, library and museum inside. There are good restaurants like Rhythm.n.Hues, The Evergreen, the Grand View and Vishnu Cafe before reaching the airport. This is a very silent airport as no flights are operational now. Before airport there is a scenic place with a lake and bend in the road. After Kadakola town, there are two punjabi dhabha restaurants offering private outdoor huts. There is a riverside temple at Sujathapuram and also India's oldest railway bridge is located here. Cafe Coffee Day has an outlet here. Royal Hotel provides Kerala style food. Nanjangud town has many lodges and restaurants. Many Kerala restaurants dot either side of the road. There is a drive-in-cafe 15 km from Nanjangud. There is an outlet of Cafe Coffee Day another ten kilometer forward.The stretch of road from Gundlupet to Gudalur is a single line track passing through two national parks. You can find humps every 300 meters and the driving is very unpleasant. The road from Gudalur to Ooty is a very scenic uphill route but traffic blocks are very common near the Frog Hill viewpoint. They last for one or two hours.

Coimbatore is located around 74 KM away from Gudalur so if you travel at the consistent speed of 50 KM per hour you can reach Gudalur in 2 hours and 42 minutes. Your Gudalur travel time may vary due to your bus speed, train speed or depending upon the vehicle you use.