The five ghat roads of Nilgiris

Which road do you usually use to reach Nilgiris (or Ooty for most people)? Few know that five ghat roads and a railway line lead to Nilgiris. Having driven through all these roads, I will try to provide some information about these roads.

1. Bandipur – Gudalur – Ooty road

It is the main road for people driving from Karnataka and Kerala. The main highlight of this road is the forests of Bandipur and Madumalai. You generally see spotted deer and Elephants on this road, while few lucky ones sight Tiger on this highway.

The road after Madumalai ascends to reach Gudalur. Here the roads from Kerala (Sultan Bathery and Nimabur) join this highway. Many scenic points dot the stretch between Gudalur and Ooty. A few examples are Eucalyptus forest, Needle Rock viewpoint, Pykara lake and Wenlock downs.

Note that the Bandipur check post remains closed between 9 PM to 6 AM.

2. Bandipur – Masinagudi – Kalhatty – Ooty road

A shortcut road to Ooty from Bandipur. At Theppakadu, on the Madumalai – Gudalur road, take the left turn and cross the villages of Masinagudi and Mavanalla. The road goes through the forest without gaining any altitude. You see a board showing the distance to Ooty as 18 km. It is hard to believe that Ooty could be so near, and the road suddenly climbs up!!

For the next 13 km, both the driver and the vehicle will be busy navigating the steep ghat road. The road climbs steeply through a series of 36 hairpin bends. I remember driving at 1st gear on a few stretches. It may be the steepest motorable road in South India. Engines without power will struggle to climb this ghat.

This ghat road, known as “Shortcut”, saves about an hour compared to the circuitous Gudalur road. Kalhatty waterfall is a pleasant place to stop on the way.

The real fun is while climbing down the ghat. You can feel the dramatic decrease in altitude. Sign boards asking people to use 1st and 2nd gear warns drivers about the steep road. It is a common sight to see people using brakes instead of controlling speed using the engine. They finally end up with heated brake pads!!

In recent years, the guards at the check post on Ooty side usually do not allow vehicles to climb down this ghat. Also, this road is closed at night.

3. Coimbatore – Metupalyam – Coonoor – Ooty road

It is the most used road by Tamilnadu people to reach Ooty. It is the busiest of all ghat roads in Nilgiris.

4. Coimbatore – Metupalyam – Kotagiri – Ooty road

This road is an alternate option to the busy Mettupalayam – Coonoor road. An easy ghat road with just four hairpin bends but several viewpoints all along the way. Most practical for people who want to travel to Kotagiri.

5. Coimbatore – Mulli – Manjoor – Ooty road

It is the most remote, narrow, but scenic road to Nilgiris. Hardly any tourist use this road. The road meanders through the forests of Karamadai, and a series of 43 hairpin bends brings you to the small village of Manjoor. Athikadavu bridge, Geddai dam and waterfalls are some places to stop on this road. There are several viewpoints all along the way.

This road was in a bad state, and tourists rarely used this road. Recently, it was widened and asphalted. Few people who travelled put some nice pictures of this stretch on social media leading to the sudden influx of tourists on this road. The Forest Department did not like this and put a blanket ban on all tourist vehicles. The guards at check posts of Karamadai and Mulli do not allow any tourists to continue further. Only locals are allowed to use this road.

Recently, we travelled on this road and had a difficult time at these check posts. The guards only spoke Tamil, the language that I did not understand. Finally, after using all our communication skills, connecting the homestay owner at Manjoor and the forest department person helped us travel on this road. We hardly encountered any vehicle on this road.

Nilgiris mountain train

There is a narrow-gauge railway line between Ooty and Mettupalyam. It is an experience that one should have while visiting Nilgiris. We once went to Ooty to get the feeling of this train. You can read about that experience here.

Final words

Nilgiris is my favourite place, and I have visited it several times in the last few years. While I focussed my attention on Ooty during the first two visits, I visited various places in Niligirs in the past visits. My view is that the true beauty of Nilgiris is outside Ooty. The ghat road and Nilgiris mountain train are a few such examples.