Murray Barnson Emeneau (1904 – 2005) was a Canadian professor of linguistics who specialized in Dravidian languages. Emeneau’s greatest achievement in Dravidian studies was the Dravidian Etymological Dictionary (in two volumes), written with Thomas Burrow and first published in 1961. Revised in a 1984, the second edition, remains the indispensable guide, tool, andRead More →
Robert Fellowes Chisholm (1840 – 1915) was a British architect who pioneered the Indo-Saracenic style of architecture (a welcome mix of the Western and Eastern styles) mainly in the Madras Presidency. Chisholm was born in London on 11 January 1840 and had his early education in the UK practicing as a talented landscape painter inRead More →
Major and Brevet Liuet-Colonel James Law Lushington Morant (1839-1886) of the Royal Engineers was born in Belgaum, India to a Madras Army Chaplain. He joined Madras Sappers and Miners in January, 1862. Before that he served in PWD in Bombay, where his contributions still stand and a café is saidRead More →
William Graham McIvor (1824-1876) was a Scottish gardener and creator of the Ooty Botanical Gardens. Mclvor of the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew, England was given charge of the gardens in 1848. What was before a deep ravine covered with sholas, shrubs and swamps was transformed into an exquisite gardenRead More →
James Wilkinson Breeks (1830-1872) was a British civil servant who became the first Commissioner of Nilgiris when it was separated from the Coimbatore district in 1868. A son in law of Governor Denison, Breeks was a sportive officer who took an all-round interest in developing the new district. Ooty wasRead More →
Muthuvel Karunanidhi ( 1924-2018) was an Indian writer and politician who served as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu five terms between 1969 and 2011. He was popularly referred to as “Kalaignar” for his contributions to Tamil literature. When Dr. Karunanidhi came to power in 1971, the Nilgiris was facing multipleRead More →
Kumaraswami Kamaraj ( 1903-1975) was an Indian independence activist and politician who served as Chief Minister of Madras state from 1954 to 1963. He was the founder and president of Indian National Congress (organization) and widely acknowledged as ‘King Maker’ in Indian politics. He was known for his simplicity andRead More →
Ramaswamy Venkataraman (1910-2009) was an Indian lawyer, Indian independence activist and politician who served as a Union Minister and as the eighth president of India. R Venkataraman who has had an abiding love for the Nilgiris and was keenly interested in its development and welfare. Shri. Venkataraman had a longRead More →
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) was a British statesman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945, during the Second World War, and again from 1951 to 1955. As a young soldier, Churchill sailed for India on 11 September 1896 and was garrisoned inRead More →
George Nathaniel Curzon was a British Conservative statesman who served as Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. He was the second Viceroy to visit the Nilgiris, in 1902. The Viceroy reached Ooty on August 13. On his departure on August 16 a public farewell was given at Charing CrossRead More →
Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (1809-1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria’s reign and remains one of the most popular British poets. Tennyson wrote “The Brook” in 1886, just six years before his death. The poem is a ballad in which theRead More →
Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 – 1890) was a British explorer, scholar and soldier. He was famed for his travels and explorations in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures. According to one count, he spoke twenty-nine European, Asian, and African languages. Burton was inRead More →
Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859), 1st Baron Macaulay, was a British historian and politician. Macaulay, as Law Member of the Governor General’s Council was in Ooty from June to August 1834 to take part in the swearing in of Lord Bentinck as the Governor General of India. Lord Macaulay left Madras in theRead More →
James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, also known as Lord Dalhousie (1812-1860 was a Scottish statesman and colonial administrator in British India. He served as Governor-General of India from 1848 to 1856. Lord Dalhousie spent about nine months in the Nilgiris for rest and recuperation. Sir William O’ Shaughnessy,Read More →