Nilgiris

The name Nilgiri, meaning "Blue Mountains" in Sanskrit, is associated with the kurinji flower, which once gave the hills a bluish hue. Archaeological evidence indicates that the region has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Nilgiris have long been home to indigenous communities such as the Badagas, Todas, Kotas, Irulas and Kurumbas. Although the region came under the influence of several dynasties that ruled over South India, it remained relatively isolated until the eighteenth century, when it became part of the Kingdom of Mysore before passing to the British East India Company. During the nineteenth century, the British developed infrastructure in the Nilgiris. Ooty became a principal hill station, and subsequently became the summer headquarters of the Madras Presidency. The completion of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in 1899 further improved connectivity, and the Nilgiris District was established in 1868 to administer the region.