Ms Simran Kiro, M.Sc. Final Year, Botany Department, JNRM
I embarked on my 10-day educational-cum-study tour to Ooty and Mysore (via Chennai) with a free spirit and a thirst for adventure and knowledge. The tour was organized by the Botany Department, JNRM. It was my first trip to these far-off locations without my family. So, I was feeling a little overwhelmed. We were, however, a group of 13 M.Sc. final-year students, with a teacher in charge and a lady staff member.
Day 1: 25th Nov. 2022 (Journey from Port Blair to Chennai)
I left my aunt’s house at 7 a.m. and arrived at Veer Savarkar International Airport. My two aunts and cousin came to say goodbye. Our flight Go Airline was scheduled to depart at 10:55 a.m. but was delayed for unknown reasons. This was my first flight experience, which was okay, and finally, we landed in Chennai at 1:30 p.m. We boarded a minibus and reached the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Taramani. The research institute was founded by Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, a pioneer agricultural scientist known as the “Father of the Green Revolution” in India.
We were warmly welcomed by staff members of the MSSRF. We were shown a presentation in the seminar room about MSSRF and their work by the Communication Director Ms. Sangeeta Rajeesh. Following that, we went to the gallery, where everyone was amazed to see the collection of awards and achievements bestowed upon Dr. MS Swaminathan.
Then, we visited three laboratories: the Microbiology Lab, the Lichen Ecology and Bioprospecting Lab, and the Molecular Biology Lab. After visiting the labs, we explored 2 gardens: (a) Touch and smell garden – In this garden, planted plants’ names are written in Braille language which is helpful for blind people (b) Nutrition garden – They planted various plant varieties that are high in nutrients like vitamins and other essential elements. This garden assisted us in providing information about the nutritional contents of various plants. Our MSSRF interactive session ended around 5:15 p.m. At 5:30 p.m., we boarded a minibus and traveled for more than two hours to Andaman Bhavan, which is located in Anna Nagar, about 18 kilometers from MSSRF. I had firsthand knowledge of what it meant to be stuck in traffic!
Day 2: 26th Nov 2022 (Traveling Day from Chennai to Ooty)
I was looking forward to an exciting journey because we had to travel more than 12 hours by train and bus to reach Ooty. I got up early and was in the Andaman Bhavan lobby at 3:50 am. From being a late riser, I metamorphosed myself to an early riser! We arrived comfortably at Chennai Central Railway station at 5 am and waited for the Kovai Express train. Our eight hours journey from Chennai to Coimbatore started at 6:10 am. Many vendors were selling various items on the train, such as food, key chains, soft drinks, and so on. It was occasionally irritating to hear the vendors’ sounds repeatedly, but they did it to meet both ends. Finally, at 2:05 p.m., we arrived at Coimbatore Railway Station and had lunch at a nearby vegetarian restaurant, which was wholesome and filling.
We took a minibus from Coimbatore to Ooty at 4 p.m. Midway, the driver stopped the bus for a break and we energized ourselves with snacks for the meandering ride ahead. I drank salted lemonade and also brought some snacks. As we moved uphill, I began to feel a chill. I noticed a change in vegetation as we got closer to Ooty, which is at an elevation of 2240 meters. Around 8:30 p.m. we reached Ooty. Finally, I was in Ooty – the Queen of Hill Stations! It was bitterly cold, and a few of us were shivering because we were experiencing cold for the first time, and our bodies were in shock, unable to adjust to the new environment.We stayed at the Tamil Nadu Hotel Unit II, a beautiful and comfortable TTDC government property that had been pre-booked for us. Everyone fell asleep right after dinner!
Day 3: 27th Nov (Ooty first day tour)
It was our first day in Ooty and the most beautiful day. My day began early at 5:00 a.m., with some unfinished writing from the previous day. We had a delicious complimentary buffet breakfast served in the hotel restaurant at 8:00 a.m. Our minibus “NITIN” arrived on the hotel premises at 8:30 a.m. We started our local Ooty sight-seeing tour at 9:05 a.m.
Tea and Chocolate Factory: Our first stop was at the Tea and Chocolate Factory. I saw various types of chocolate, such as roasted almond chocolate, fig chocolate, dark chocolate, and so on. In the tea factory, we saw firsthand how tea leaves are transformed into a hot cup of tea after going through various processes. We brought chocolate and tea and tasted some free sample tea.
Pine forest: Our second location was a pine forest, which we explored for half an hour. We collected pine cones and learned about these plants’ adaptations. We also took pictures of the scenery. This is a well-known location where many movies, songs, and TV shows have been filmed.
Wenlock Down: It is a hilltop with a stunning view of the meadows and valley. We climbed the winding path to the top of the hill. And once there, the views are breathtaking all around! There are beautiful meadows all around. We had some of the most memorable times running around and taking great photos because it was drizzling. Monica, a friend and an avid photographer, did an excellent job photographing the valley with her prized DSLR camera!
On the way, we saw the Pykara Dam, which is used for hydropower generation. Finally, we had our lunch in a small dhaba near the Pykara Waterfall.
Pykara Waterfall: We continued our tour by walking towards Pykara Waterfall. It took us 10 minutes to reach the waterfall. It was a breathtaking view, and I wondered at the marvel of nature. We spent almost an hour amidst the amazing nature and collected specimens of mosses, lichens, and Selaginella that were growing luxuriantly.
Cauvery silk factory
Our next stop was the Cauvery Silk Factory Shop. It had some nice collections of silk sarees, wooden statues of Hindu gods and goddesses, essential oils, sandal wood items. Many of these items were made by a Dravidian ethnic group called the Toda tribes.
Wax museum
The final spot of our first-day Ooty tour was the Wax Museum. The museum houses stunning wax replicas of freedom fighters such as Mahatma Gandhi, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and many others. We ended our day by visiting an unplanned destination – the Horror Room. It was quite terrifying due to the sounds and horrifying statues. We arrived at our hotel on Charring Cross Road around 6:00 p.m.
Day 4: 28th Nov (It’s our Toy train day)
It’s our second day in Ooty. We headed off for a mesmerizing Nilgiri Mountain Toy Train journey from Ooty to Coonoor and back. My day began quite early, and after our complimentary breakfast around 7:45 am, we reached the beautiful Udhagamandalam station. The toy train arrived at the station around 9 a.m. The toy train took over an hour to reach Coonoor, passing through picturesque tea gardens, dense forests and tunnels. I enjoyed every single breathtaking view from the slow-moving toy train!
Sim’s Park
We visited two places in Coonoor. The first was Sim’s Park. This is a biological park and botanical garden that spans more than 28.35 acres and contains over 800 plants from various countries around the world. All plants are given a common name, a scientific name and the year they were introduced into the biological park. Among the many attractions in this park are Rudraksha, the bead tree, and the Queensland Karry Pine, a beautiful ornamental tree. Some of these plants were introduced as early as 1889. We collected bryophyte specimens growing in the wild.We ate a delicious lunch at the nearby Marathi dhaba “Mahalakshmi” and then rested for a while.
Pasteur Institute of India
We went to the well-known research institute Pasteur Institute of India, which is a pioneer in the production of vaccines such as those against rabies, polio, anthrax, and DPT. We were shown a detailed PowerPoint presentation of vaccine production technology and were able to freely interact with the institute’s scientists. It was a fantastic learning opportunity for me. The interaction session was concluded with a group photo.
We took a bus from the Pasteur Institute to the Coonoor bus stop. We made it to Coonoor railway station just 10 minutes before the train’s departure time of 4 o’clock. We arrived in Ooty at 5.10 p.m. and went straight to our hotel for some much-needed rest.
Day 5: 29th Nov (The Garden Day)
Today is the final day of our Ooty tour. I awoke around 5:30 a.m. after a restful night’s sleep and ate my complimentary buffet breakfast in the hotel restaurant at 8:00 a.m. After that, we began our final day in Ooty by walking towards our much-anticipated destination: the famous Ooty Botanical Garden. The garden covers an area of 55 acres and contains a variety of vegetation, such as flowering plants and succulent plants in the glass house, numerous types of ferns in the Fern House, and large rooted trees in the ground. However, flowering plants are the main attraction, and there is also a beautifully organized cactus garden. I ended up purchasing two young plants (succulent and flowering) from the sales counter.
With our HOD’s permission, we went shopping and ate fast food at well-known restaurants in the evening.
Day 6: 30th Nov (Traveling day from Ooty to Mysuru)
Today was the day we traveled by bus from one state to another, from Tamil Nadu to Karnataka. I’ve turned into a morning person these days. We had to get to the Ooty bus stop before 6:30 a.m. We had reserved an autorickshaw the day before and arrived at Ooty bus station on time. We ate our breakfast of brown bread with jam while waiting for the bus. I saw the sun for the first time in Ooty, and it felt great to soak up the early morning rays. We took the Karnataka State Government Bus, and I had a window seat. I took full advantage of my window seat and observed the changing vegetation and climate as we descended.
I noticed the temperature rising during the trip. We drove through Madumalai Tiger Reserve, seeing various animals and bird species. As we passed through the border gate and entered Karnataka, the name of the reserve changed from Madumalai Tiger Reserve to Bandipur Tiger Reserve. I was very amused! We arrived in Mysore at 2:10 p.m. and checked into our pre-booked hotel, Kaveri Hotel Bed and Breakfast, which was a short walk from Mysore Palace. After freshening up and eating lunch, we walked to “The Mysore Palace” at around 4:00 p.m.
The Mysore Palace is a massive, mesmerizing, and eye-catching masterpiece of architecture. We were allowed to enter barefoot. There was a crowd of thousands of people visiting the palace. I saw many pieces of silver, gold, and stone furniture and statues used by Mysore’s kings, queens, and royal families. The most expensive piece of furniture, the Golden Howdah which served as the Maharaja’s seat during the Mysuru Dasara procession, weighs over 750 kg and is constructed entirely of pure gold. Teak wood was used to make the doors. I’m in awe of the skilled craftspeople who created this magnificent palace. Next, we went to St. Philomena Church, which was located near the Mysore Palace.
St. Philomena’s Cathedral: It is one of the oldest and tallest churches in Asia. Its architecture and design are meticulously detailed, and it contains statues of Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, and St. Philomena. It is a holy place for Christians and believers, and visitors come for prayers, confession of sins, and many other reasons.
We finished our first day in Mysore by shopping at Nexus Center City Mall and returning to the hotel by taking an autorickshaw booked through the OLA service app.
Day 7: 1st Dec (Last day of our Mysore tour)
Mysore is a historical city in South India known for its magnificent monuments. On our last day, we visited some of the famous places like Mysore Zoo, the Bonsai Garden, etc.
Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens: We arrived around 9:15 a.m. and walked through the entire zoo. It was massive, covering an area of 250 acres and containing a diverse range of species. In 2017, Mysuru Zoo celebrated its “125th anniversary” (quasquicentennial). I saw a variety of birds, snakes, and other animals. The zoological gardens’ diverse flora and fauna were eye-catching, as I was seeing them for the first time.
Then we went to Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashram, where we saw the Bonsai Garden and Shuka Vana (a rehabilitation center for birds).
KishkindhaMoolika Bonsai garden: Bonsai is the practice of miniaturizing plants and growing them in trays or pots. The term “bonsai” is derived from the words “bon” (tray) and “sai” (tree). The garden was filled with bonsai plants, some of which had been planted as early as 1942. The calm and soothing environment of the garden gave me meditation vibes. The garden was beautifully organized, and I was quite astonished!
The Shuka Vana was located in the opposite direction of the Bonsai Garden. It is an aviary in which birds are cared for. Aside from the birds, there were statues of numerous gods and Maharishis. It was a relaxing sensation. We had our lunch on the premises of the Ashram, which was simple and delicious and only cost forty rupees. Around 1 pm, we left the ashram for our next destination, Chamudi Hills.
Sri Chamundeshwari Temple: We took a bus to Chamudi Hill, which is 3300 feet above sea level. Because of the high altitude, I experienced dizziness while traveling. Chamundi Hill’s vegetation was completely different. It was more of a shrubby environment. We arrived at 2:05 p.m., five minutes late. As a result, we had to wait 1.5 hours for the temple gates to reopen at 3:30 p.m. I realized the importance of time! During this time, we went shopping in ChamudiBaazar and met up in front of the temple at 3:15 p.m. Sri Chamarajendra Temple is a Hindu holy place that was built in the 12th century. It’s a goddess temple with separate tikka and prasad areas. We completed our Mysore tour with this temple visit and returned to our hotel.
Day 8: 2nd Dec (Traveling from Mysore to Chennai)
The 10-hour train ride was significantly longer than the previous one. So, we planned ahead of time for the long journey. We had our breakfast and packed kichdi prepared by the hotel staff for our lunch. We reached Mysore railway station by cab around 9:40 a.m. for our train, the Bhagmati Express, and waited on the train for its departure at 10:30 a.m. The train ride was not very comfortable and seemed to last forever, but we, as a team, made some wonderful memories and grew closer and more helpful to each other, which was well worth the discomfort. We arrived at Chennai Central Railway Station at 7:55 p.m. and took a cab straight to Andaman Bhavan, Annanagar.
Day 9: 3rd Dec (Rest and Rejuvenate day)
I was looking forward to a rest day. So, it was basically a self-study day, and we had no plans for any additional tour visits. On this particular day, we ate our special breakfast after 8:30 a.m. and then returned to our assigned rooms. I slept for two hours and finished my tour diary, as we were required to do so each day. The staff at Andaman Bhavan called us for lunch around 12:30 p.m., and we took our meals, which were pure vegetarian thalis. With the permission of the HOD, we went to the nearby VR Chennai Mall along with the lady staff. I brought some items, ate some food and soft drinks, and returned to Andaman Bhavan on time.
Day 10: 4th Dec (Back to home – Andaman and Nicobar Islands)
Today is the last day of our educational tour of the M.Sc. batch 2021-2022. We gathered in front of Andaman Bhavan’s counter around 7:15 am and left for Chennai International Airport. We boarded our flight. Everyone was getting a bit nostalgic about their time together in the hills and valleys. As our plane descended, I could see my lovely and magnificent emerald islands from above. It was a serene experience.
We safely completed our 10-day educational and study tour and returned home. This tour’s beautiful memories will live on in my heart forever. I am grateful to the Botany Department, JNRM, and the Andaman and Nicobar Administration for allowing us to visit some of the best institutes and biogeographical sites in India.
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