Government Museum

The Government Museum in Ooty was built in 1989 to maintain and promote the culture of Ooty in the form of exhibits and information. The attraction houses an extensive collection of the culture, history, the tribes, tribal objects, sculptures, paintings, handicrafts, nature and the ecology of Udhagamandalam.

The museum was established to keep the fundamental values of the Nilgiri District and the people alive and educated everyone about them. It forms an important source of knowledge from this part of Tamil Nadu. It is a good attraction for family outings too. Children and grown-ups, everyone, can learn about the culture and understand its importance and relevance.

The Government Museum displays information and artefacts belonging to 18 tribes in Ooty. The focus, however, is on the Toda Tribe which is considered to have had a remarkable impact on the region. At present, there are only 1100 people surviving from the tribe and, therefore, preserving their ancestral heritage has become more important. It is believed that the first Toda man was created along with a Buffalo by Goddess Teikirshi and her brother. The first Toda woman later emerged from the right rib of the first Toda man. Factually, the tribe occurred in the late 1700s when the Nilgiris were annexed by the East India Company. They have, since their existence, been an integral part of Ooty.