The Hills Are Calling, Like Never Before

Anirudh and Deepika Sahney Reddy, Entrepreneur

We live 15 minutes from Coonoor town and moved to Nilgiris 7 years ago to just be and live amongst the simplicity and beauty of nature. We often have deer, peacocks, rabbits, and bison come to our garden. We see an elephant on the hill across. Once I had settled home, I opened a store in Coonoor called The Laura Ashley of India. It was the first of such stores in the Nilgiris. In the last 7 years, we have had 3-4 such home stores. We had only 1 cafe in Coonoor; now, every two months, one opens up. Two supermarkets have opened that are comparable to Q-Mart. People in Nilgiris come from all walks of life — authors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, actors/poets, retired military personnel, etc., or just those who appreciate getting away from the maddening crowds and have intriguing conversations. One of the most sacred Sai Baba temples is in Coonoor! We’ve become active members of the community—sponsoring a local volleyball team and school, supporting food drives for the underprivileged, and being involved with the Ooty Literature Festival.

I feel, I’ve got the best of both worlds

Malini Alexander, Entrepreneur

I first visited Coonoor in 2011 to see a friend and instantly fell in love with the place. I bought a plot intending to build a vacation home — just a quiet escape from city life. But by 2015, when the house was complete and I retired from my work in Hyderabad, my plans unexpectedly shifted. After my daughter’s wedding in 2016, with no major responsibilities left, I decided on a whim to move here full-time. It’s been nine years now, and I have no regrets. I found my rhythm, made new friends, and finally had time to enjoy my hobbies — gardening and cooking. While I do miss the city and my loved ones in Hyderabad, I strike a balance by spending two weeks there every 6–8 weeks. The contrast between serene Coonoor and bustling Hyderabad keeps me refreshed. Each time I return to Hyderabad, it feels like stepping into New York — with its tall buildings, neon lights, and buzzing energy.

Life here isn’t louder, nor busier — it’s just fuller

Sanjay Gulabani, director, P Mangatram Jewellers

There’s a quiet grace in Coonoor that doesn’t ask for attention — it simply draws you in. Quite a few of us from Hyderabad — a city we’ve loved for its pulse, people, and possibilities — have found ourselves choosing the misty slopes of Coonoor as home. Maybe it’s the way the mornings arrive gently, with birds chirping and filtered sunlight. Or, how conversations breathe easier over a cup of chai that tastes different when sipped with a view of the valley.

Hyderabad teaches you to dream wide. Coonoor teaches you to live slow. A dear friend who made the move last year put it simply, “In Hyderabad, I was surviving well. In Coonoor, I’m living well.”

She spoke of waking up to the rhythm of nature, walking to the farmers’ market without checking her phone, and how even the silence here feels like company. We came for the weather. We stayed for how Coonoor made us feel: More alive and more at peace with the idea of just being.