Mettupalayam is a small town located at the foot of the Nilgiri Hills in the Coimbatore District of Tamil Nadu state. Being the railhead for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway that connects Mettupalayam to the popular hill stations of Coonoor and Ooty, the town receives a fair amount of tourists throughout the year. Mettupalayam also serves as the interchange for passengers from the Nilgiri Mountain Railway sub-line to the broad gauge railway that connects it to the rest of India.

Furthermore, Mettupalayam is the starting point for the two of the major roadways in the Nilgiri District of Tamil Nadu known as the Ghat Roads. As the major transportation hub into the Nilgiri Hills, Mettupalayam has established itself as a trade center for fresh produce from the hills.


Mettupalayam is surrounded by extensive rice fields that thrive in the region. Lush rice fields turn the region emerald green when in season. Most of the rice fields here still use the manual labor of man and animals to grow and harvest rice.