http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201202/20120211where_time_stands_still.htm


Where time stands still

Hill stations are a gift of the British Raj. Nuwara Eliya in upcountry Sri
Lanka is a typical ‘little England' left behind by the British. It has often
been compared to the Nilgiris of South India.But in the case of Nuwara
Eliya time seems to have stood still or, at best, travels at a snail's pace. The
picture-postcard hill station is best enjoyed by those who have the time and the
temperament to stand and stare, stay and feel.A park, a lake, a
racecourse and a golf course make up the two well-known hill stations. Both are
almost at the same elevation and get as much rainfall. But Nuwara Eliya's
weather is milder.Both the resorts nestle in an amphitheatre of hills.
Pidurutalaga (2550m), highest peak in Sri Lanka overlooks Nuwara Eliya, while
Doddabetta (2637m), the second tallest peak in South India, towers over
Ooty.Curiously enough, the two resorts were ‘discovered' at about the
same time, in 1819. Administrator Dr. Major John Davy, while on a hunting party,
tumbled on a great extent of open country, ‘the aspect of which was not less
novel than agreeable'. The natives called it Neuraellyia-pattan. Administrator
John Sullivan, who had ‘discovered' the Nilgiris in 1819, accidently came upon a
valley called ‘wotokymund' which later became Ootacamund or Ooty.Soaking
in the warm winter sun along the deserted Lake Gregory that meanders over the
best part of Nuwara Eliya town, childhood memories of the Ooty of yore flood my
mind. Even as I gaze longingly, a sea plane makes a gentle landing on the
placid, blue waters and takes off soon like a giant water bird. The sea plane,
an air taxi service between Peliyagoda near Colombo and Lake Gregory in Nuwara
Eliya, has been introduced recently. It takes only 30 minutes to fly 15
persons.A luxury houseboat with 4-5 star comforts is to be plied soon on
the lake. There is a helicopter service too which lands in the middle of the
race course adjoining the lake.English horticulture thrives in Nuwara
Eliya. The landscape, despite the winter, is a riot of natural hues of English
trees, flowers and vegetables. The hills are wooded with cypress, eucalyptus and
pine. A variety of vegetables is grown on the slopes and in kitchen gardens —
potato, turnip, carrot, beet, cabbage, cauliflower and leek. Extensive private
gardens raise dahlias, snapdragon, petunias, roses and daisies amid well-tended
lawns.The fruit of the season, it seem, is strawberry. Local girls pick
the berries in the morning from the endless rows on the steep slopes. It would
be a shame if one cannot taste the fresh berries. Opposite the southern end of
the lake, a nondescript factory sells fresh strawberries, jam and strawberry
recipes. The pancake with strawberry, cream and ice crème we try is
delectable.Tea is the lifeline of Nuwara Eliya and half the 7-lakh
population there comprises Tamils who work in the plantations. Colonial tea
gardens and factories offer a variety of orange pekoe teas in cosy tea
centres.The Victorian charm of the town lingers with old English
buildings housing the post office, police station, clubs and high-end hotels.
About 200 hotels cater to the various budgets of the visitors. Houses with mock
Tudor half-timbering and hedges add a quaint charm to the place.April is
the season when everybody who is somebody flocks to the hills to see and be seen
by those who matter. The Sinhalese New Year falling in that month attracts the
largest number of visitors.For visitors of longer stay, there are plenty
of outdoor attractions such as the mountains, the forests and national parks
that are within easy reach. Nuwara Eliya is said to be a very popular base for
bird-watchers and eco tourists. The Haggala Botanical Gardens are only 10 km
away. The uniquely grassy Hortan Plains National Park is just an hour
away.There is no dearth of waterfalls — the Ramboda, Hellboda, Devon and
the Lakshapana falls to name a few.Nuwara Eliya is best approached by
road from Colombo with a stopover at Peradinia gardens and Kandy, a distance of
180 km on a fine and scenic drive, surrounded by dense forests and tea
gardens.A mountain train on a narrow gauge line was operating from 1910
to 1940. There is now a demand to revive it.A trip to Nuwara Eliya is
not complete without a visit to Sita Eliya, a short distance from the south end
of Lake Gregory. According to legend, Goddess Sita was kept in confinement in
these idyllic environs. A stream roars past the fine temple. On the rocks across
the stream can be seen giant foot marks of Lord Hanuman as he carried Sita away
to safety. A short distance down the road, the copious waters of the Rawana Ella
fall from great heights.Courtesy: The Hindu