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| The Fernhills Palace is now part of the Welcomheritage group of hotels |
Ooty has been a favourite with holidayers for a long time. The English, to escape the stifling heat and humidity of the plains of south India, found it to be great retreat.
Among the best known destinations in this hill town is the Fernhills Palace. Captain F. Cotton of the Madras Engineers Regiment built the first Fernhill Bungalow as far back as 1844. Over the decades, owners kept changing, till the then maharaja of Mysore, Chamarajendra Wadiyar X, just 12 years old, bought the property in 1873.
Since then, this sprawling estate, built over 50 acres, has been with the erstwhile Mysore royal family. The family has given it out to many hospitality chains to run it, but been satisfied with any, as a result the property has been part of many a hotel group. It is currently part of Welcomheritage's list of hotels, though the Wodeyars remain its owners.
The Palace itself is full of relics of a past era. Past rulers of the dynasty cast their watchful eyes on you as you pass them in halls, rooms and corridors full of memorabilia from eras long gone by. There is a profusion of period pieces - tables, beds, desks, lamps, pianos, dressers, paintings all crowd around almost atop each other as space has run out. I had to actually run out to take breather - on to beautiful, moderately landscaped gardens that retain some of their natural charm. And they are beautiful - just a look at the pine trees, or silver oak or red gum, or cypress trees will reassure you on that point. If you stay at the Palace, or even just happen to visit, you would be well advised to spend more time exploring the sprawling estate.
