I have always felt happy to have been born and brought up in a hill station.  In fact, I used to feel proud about it when I speak to my friends from plains.  Ooty, my birth place and Coonoor,  where I did all my schooling are both located in The Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu.  These two are among the favorite hills stations in India.

I remember the days when I went to school from “Hare Wood” an elevated area in Coonoor.  The winding path from my home to school made us feel as though we were only going on a picnic every day.    The school was dear to our hearts as it was small and located on another hill opposite our quarters.  The teachers were so friendly, we always felt at home.  The misty roads which were full of greenery on either side were an unforgettable sight.

There are many tourist attractions in Coonoor such as Sim’s Park, Dolphin’s Nose, Lamb’s Rock, Law’s falls etc.  My favourite spot among these is Sim’s Park.  It is located in upper Coonoor, spread over 12 hectares.  There are many varieties of trees, plants and flowers.  Fruit show is conducted annually here on the following week of Flower Show in Ooty.  It is also a safe haven for bird species like cormorants, thrushes, parakeets, skylarks and many other birds.  Sparrows were a common sight when I was young.  There used to be at least two nests per house, which we never dared to disturb.  They shared the quarters with us. 

Coonoor has a very pleasant climate throughout the year.  During rainy season and winter, it had never been difficult for us to venture out.  A simple rain gear or winter gear was enough to protect us.  We can enjoy the weather in all seasons both outdoors and indoors.  Watching rain pouring from our veranda was our favourite pastime during rainy season.  After the rains, jumping in the puddles which were crystal clear in the green grass gave us great pleasure.  Our summer holidays were cool and filled with joy.  Our kites flew high to touch the sky and we were sometimes afraid they might pull as along to that height.  We sent letters to our kites along the string and believed angels read them.

Coonoor is also famous for its wild flowers.  Flowers of different species and colours filled the hills.  There are also flowers which stay fresh for almost a year.  Usually, yellow flowers of this species are sold near the parks.  Not many know that there are other colours like pink and white are also available. 

We never went hungry or thirsty during our adventures on our holidays.  The wild berries like rasp berries, and others with no names filled our tummies.  We used to drink juice from edible stems.  Each and every day was filled with some sort of adventure and remembrance.  Now that I am living in a plains area I miss all this enjoyment and peace of the serene hill station, Coonoor.  How I wish to spend my days of retirement there!    

Article Posted By : Nisha Hassan  On June 14, 2012lView All Articles

Nisha, Working women, Writing articles online. Interested in writing articles, reading and gardening.

Article Source :

http://www.veethi.com/articles/hill-station-coonoor-article-749.htm

Keywords :
Coonoor , hill station , park