UTHAGAMANDALAM

formerly Ootacamund, town, administrative headquarters of Nilgiri district, Tamil Nadu state, southeastern India, in the Nilgiri Hills, at about 7,500 ft (2,300 m) above sea level. It is sheltered by several peaks, including Doda Betta (8,652 ft), the highest point in Tamil Nadu. Founded by the British in 1821, it was used as the official government summer headquarters for the Madras Presidency until Indian independence in 1947. The town is primarily a tourist resort, but it also contains tea-processing and textile industries, schools, and two colleges affiliated with the University of Madras. Pop. (1981) 78,277.