www.kotagirionline.com

Soon after, the Collector of Coimbatore, John Sullivan, himself journeyed into the hills and built himself a home in Kotagiri. He was the first European resident of the Nilgiri hills. On his suggestion, the Madras Government opened a ‘sanatorium’ in Ooty and started the practice of moving the whole government to the hills during summer.

With the town becoming their personal health resort, several Englishmen followed and settled here. Kotagiri remained the first choice for homesick Englishmen wanting to settle in the hills. The area was of a pleasant climate of neither extreme unlike Ooty or Coonoor, which were damper and colder.

The climate to the British was ‘like home’. The plateau also had more of a warm wind than rain through the year. It has the distinction of being the first area in the Nilgiris to be discovered and settled by the British Government, and was the first choice destination for several Madras Government servants to use as a summer retreat.

It is also the first place where cash crops like tea, coffee and other spices were planted and made available to market. Kotagiri today, is one of the fast growing towns in the Nilgiri hills.