Coonoor

History

Since the time of British rule, Coonoor has served as the terminus of the Nilgiri branch of the Southern Railway zone of the Indian Railways (formerly under the Madras South-Western Railway). In its early years, the town featured a sub-magistrate's court, a hospital, three churches, several schools, a library, as well as various shops and hotels catering to Europeans. Surrounded by tea and coffee estates, Coonoor is one of the principal hill stations of then Madras Presidency, second only to Ooty in natural advantages. The European settlement was located on the upper plateau, while the native quarter was situated on the lower slopes of the valley.

In the early 1800s, travelers from the plains reached Coonoor and Ooty via the Old Ooty Road. Coonoor had an Inspection Bungalow where travelers could rest. A historic milestone where the Old Ooty Road approached Coonoor was inscribed with "1 MILE FROM THE BUNGALOW". This marker indicated the distance to the Inspection Bungalow in Coonoor. The rock was unearthed in June 2025. Local historians speculate that the marker might date from the 1830s.

Geography

Coonoor sits at the south-east corner of the Nilgiri plateau, and at the head of the Coonoor Ghat, the principal pass connecting the Nilgiris to the plains. It is located at . It has an average elevation of 1,850 metres (6,070 feet) above sea level. It is 584 km by rail from Chennai, the state capital, and 19 km from Ooty, the district headquarters.

Climate

Coonoor has a sub-tropical highland climate (Koppen;Cfb) due to its high altitude. | Jan record high C = 25.6 | Feb record high C = 27.0 | Mar record high C = 28.3 | Apr record high C = 29.6 | May record high C = 29.4 | Jun record high C = 28.6 | Jul record high C = 26.2 | Aug record high C = 26.2 | Sep record high C = 25.4 | Oct record high C = 25.6 | Nov record high C = 25.2 | Dec record high C = 25.6 | year record high C = 29.6 | Jan record low C = 0.7 | Feb record low C = 0.2 | Mar record low C = 3.8 | Apr record low C = 8.4 | May record low C = 9.0 | Jun record low C = 9.4 | Jul record low C = 8.8 | Aug record low C = 8.6 | Sep record low C = 7.2 | Oct record low C = 6.1 | Nov record low C = 3.0 | Dec record low C = -0.5 | year record low C = -0.5

Demographics

According to 2011 census, Coonoor had a population of 45,494 with a sex-ratio of 1,058 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 929. A total of 3,768 were under the age of six, constituting 1,871 males and 1,897 females. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes accounted for 27.92% and 23% of the population, respectively. The average literacy of the city was 84.79%, compared to the national average of 72.99%. The city had a total of 12384 households. There were a total of 17,421 workers, comprising 50 cultivators, 152 main agricultural labourers, 266 in household industries, 15,790 other workers, 1,163 marginal workers, 6 marginal cultivators, 66 marginal agricultural labourers, 31 marginal workers in household industries and 1,060 other marginal workers.

Coonoor has 61.81% Hindus, 23.99% Christians, 13.01% Muslims, 0.04% Sikhs, 0.06% Buddhists, 0.95% Jains and 0.08% Others. 0.05% of the respondents follow no religion or did not state their religion.

Administration and politics

Coonoor is a taluk headquarters, responsible for six Panchayat villages, namely, Bandishola, Bearhatty, Burliar, Hubbathalai, Melur and Yedapalli. The Coonoor block contains the revenue villages of Adigaratty, Burliar, Coonoor Town, Yedapalli, Hubbathalai, Hullickal, Ketti, Melur. Coonoor assembly constituency is part of Nilgiris (Lok Sabha constituency).

Tourism

Spread over an area of 12 ha, Sim's Park has a collection of over 1,000 plant species. The botanical garden is partly developed in the Japanese style and derived its name from J. D. Sim, the secretary of the Madras Club in 1874. The key attraction of the park is the annual fruit show held in May.

Dolphin's Nose Viewpoint is 10 km from Coonoor. Tourists can trek from Lady Canning's Seat to Dolphin's Nose. Lamb's Rock, about 5.5 km from Coonoor, is another vantage point.

Transport

Railway station

Main article: Coonoor railway station

The railway station is in the Salem railway division of Southern Railway zone. It lies between Mettupalayam railway station and Ooty Railway Station on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a World Heritage Site.

Notable events

Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash, 2021

Main article: 2021 Indian Air Force Mil Mi-17 crash

On 8 December 2021, a Mil Mi-17V-5 transport helicopter operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed between Coimbatore and Wellington in Tamil Nadu, after departing from Sulur Air Force Station. The helicopter was carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others, including his wife and staff. Thirteen people on board were killed in the immediate aftermath, and Group Captain Varun Singh died from his injuries at a hospital seven days later.

References

References

1. "Coonoor, a tranquil retreat in the Nilgiris you need to explore". The Times of India.
2. "Elevation of Coonoor".).
3. (1881). "The Imperial Gazetteer Of India Vol. 2". Trübner & Co..
4. Premkumar, R.. (13 June 2025). "Nilgiris Collector helps unearth hidden milestone in Nilgiris' history". [[The Hindu]].
5. "Maps, Weather, and Airports for Coonoor, India". fallingrain.com.
6. "Climatological Tables of Observatories in India 1991–2020". [[India Meteorological Department]].
7. (January 2015). "Station: Coonoor Climatological Table 1981–2010". India Meteorological Department.
8. (December 2016). "Extremes of Temperature & Rainfall for Indian Stations (Up to 2012)". India Meteorological Department.
9. (2013). "Census Info 2011 Final population totals". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
10. (2013). "Census Info 2011 Final population totals – Coonoor". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
11. (2011). "Population By Religious Community – Tamil Nadu". Office of The Registrar General and Census Commissioner, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
12. "List of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies". Election Commission of India.
13. Gopal, Madan. (1990). "India through the ages". Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
14. (26 April 2015). "Arrangements on for fruit show in Coonoor". The Hindu: Mobile Edition.