Fernhill Palace was the erstwhile summer residence of the

Maharaja of Mysore The maharaja of Mysore was the king and principal ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore and briefly of Mysore State in the Indian Dominion roughly between the mid- to late-1300s and 1950. The maharaja's consort was called the maharani of Mysore. In ...

. The first Fernhills bungalow was built in 1844 as a private residence in the hill station

Ooty Ooty (; officially Udagamandalam (), Anglicisation, anglicized: Ootacamund , abbreviated as Udagai, ) is a town and municipality in the Nilgiris district of the Indian States and territories of India, state of Tamil Nadu. It is located north ...

in the Indian state of

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. In the 1990s, Fernhill Palace became a heritage hotel and today it is considered a luxury resort, attracting visitors from around the world. The palace resembles a Swiss Chalet with its carved wooden bargeboards and ornamental cast iron. The palace grounds with its manicured gardens, firs and cedars accentuate the alpine look of the place. There is a church-like indoor badminton court on the grounds.

History

The first Fernhills bungalow was built in 1844 by Capt. F. Cotton. It changed hands over some time till mid-1860 when it was temporarily named Moonesami and served as one of Ooty's earliest country clubs. During the time of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

, the English elite would flee the hot and muggy plains of the

Madras Presidency The Madras Presidency or Madras Province, officially called the Presidency of Fort St. George until 1937, was an administrative subdivision (province) of British India and later the Dominion of India. At its greatest extent, the presidency i ...

and take sanctuary in the cool climes of Ooty, with its expanses of hills and terraced tea gardens. Its popularity never waned and has grown to include holidaymakers, honeymooners, film units and boarding schools. Today it is a heritage hotel run by the WelcomHeritage Hotels Group. The luxury resort includes the Curry & Rice restaurant serving Anglo-Indian cuisine, a library, wedding hall and lawn, and board room.

Description

The Palace is spread out over of lawns, gardens, and dense woods. It is situated in the Nilgiri Hills, fringed by cardamom and tea plantations and eucalyptus forests.Footprint South India By Annie Dare

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernhills Palace, Ooty Palaces in Tamil Nadu Buildings and structures in Ooty Houses completed in 1844 Heritage hotels in India Hotels in Tamil Nadu