OOTY
19 km from Ooty (40 min). Boat pricing is per-boat, not per-person, so it's cheaper in a group — solo travelers end up paying for empty seats unless they join a shared boat.
Pykara Lake is a reservoir on the Pykara River, formed by an earthen dam built during the British colonial period as part of a hydroelectric scheme. The Pykara River, which rises near Mukurthi Peak, is considered sacred by the indigenous Toda community. The associated Pykara hydroelectric station, whose first 6.65 MW unit was commissioned in October 1932 under engineer H.G. Howard with support from Diwan Sir C.P. Ramaswamy Aiyar, was declared a heritage power plant in 1997 and remains one of the oldest functioning power stations in South India.
