It has been 125 years since the Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR), fondly called the Ooty toy train of the Nilgiris Railway Company, first chugged up the hills on June 15, 1899. It covers 16 tunnels, over 200 steep curves, and 257 bridges.
As the train passes through several quaint towns like Adderly, Runnymede, Ketti, and Lovedale, passengers have their faces and phones glued to the windows.
We look at the history of the NMR, why tourists keep coming back to take a ride on this train, which is not just a mode of transportation, but a throwback to a time when life was slower and travel was about the joy of the journey itself.
Read more: The Nilgiri Mountain Railway completes 125 years
Reporting and voiceover: K. Jeshi
Video and production: Shibu Narayan