Trip to Unexplored Ooty - Avalanche Lake

N:B - This post is part of my earlier post regarding Rediscovering Ooty
Some spectacular hideouts exist in an around Ooty which could be a magical spell in your journey.Emerald color Avalanche lake with blue water sits into the lap of untouched wild 'Nilgiri Biosphere' providing  a view of valley occupied by little hamlets, fertile farmlands and lush green tea beds encircled by wooded hills.

The more you are away from Ooty, the landscape gets more quaint and picturesque

We had started for Avalanche early morning from our resort with a private vehicle.After some half an hour,a huge school with impressive European architecture, in the backdrop of a quaint hamlet caught my attention.Just after passing the 'Good Shepherd' school,surrounding landscape started changing.The winding road passed through villages on the foot hills of western ghat,freshly scrubbed farm fields where spell of water was getting sprinkled like a fountain.Rolling tea plantation unfolded their aromatic presence with full of tender tea leaves. An aroma of green tea leaves mixed with smell of damp soil,bright sunshine, pleasant temperature and the picture postcard scenery makes our journey a memorable one.

Blue haze of the "Nilgiri Mountain" range - On the way to Avalanche Lake

Soon the tea beds melts away into the thick foliage of restricted forest,leading to a vast grass land dotted with yellow wild flowers.At the end of the meadow,Avalanche lake sits in solitude with sparkling water as the afternoon sun rises high above the sky.The place has nothing to do except savoring the sound of silence.

Wandering in Avalanche Lake,Ooty !

How To Reach Avalanche Lake From Ooty

It is around 30 K.M away from Ooty and a restricted wild sanctuary area under Nilgiri Forest Biosphere,needs private vehicle which will drop you at forest check-post.From check-post government-run buses are available at Rs 150/head  for 2 hrs trip next to Avalanche Lake.
There is no such resorts in an around lakes or surrounding forests as the area is under restricted forest area.You can pitch your tent near the lake or there are couple of good home stays and farm-stays,but don't announce your presence without prior booking.You can go for hiking to untouched upper Bhavani Lake surrounded with thick forest and infested with wild habitats.

Traversing back from Avalanche Lake, with memories forever

Say It With Roses - Valentine Day Gateway

Valentine Day has been celebrated with much hype and love with long queue in-front of flower's boutique and shops.But how do you feel to unwind with your valentine in a gateway settled in the backdrop of smokey mountains with a blue lake deep inside?Decked up by different hues of flowers?Freshens up by sweet fragrances?Encircled by sky watching slender conifers?
It will be awesome feeling in this surreal arrangement.Poppy,dahlias,chrysanthemums will greet you from the lawns of hotels-resorts.Little daises will nod their heads from the balcony of colonial bungalows.A city full of roses and petals.Ooty is all about these like a queen ornamented by gardens and parks.Botanical garden,rose garden,Sim's park(in Kotagiri\Connor,few kilometers away from Ooty)are few of them. 

Lost into the rose's land @ Ooty Rose Garden

Ooty's very famous rose garden is a five terraced step garden on the slope of Elk hill.Ooty rose garden hosts almost 17,000 varieties,biggest in India too.I visited the place in spring.As I put my first step,a sweet rosy smell filled up my nostrils,and a sight to behold forever.A landscape filled up by stunning roses in every possible corner of the garden with fluttering of  butterflies and busy bees.As the sun rays kissed those soft petals,they seem to blush with delight.As the roses are beautiful,so as the names-"wedding delight","lovers pride","queen of  hearts" and so on. I started passing from one bush to other through the cobbled pavements.Not able to ignore the appeal of a single one as each one of them is unique in texture,pigmentation & pattern with every possible combination,even in black,blue,green.I was passing like a addicted person and tried to capture almost every species through my lens and kept admiring them endlessly.

Symbol Of Love and Compassion

Busy Bees On Red Roses @Ooty Rose Garden  

Pink is my favorite

Plants are maintained with utmost care by the Department of horticulture of the Government of Tamilnadu and unpicked though thousands of visitors visit the garden daily in peak season.An example of sensible tourism.The best time to visit the place is April and May when garden is fully bloomed.I have stayed at Sagar Holiday Resort and to check about this resort follow my another post: Rediscovering Ooty

A Sight To Behold Forever - At Ooty Rose Garden

Photograph clicked by Gourab Mukherjee