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Hill Stations in Southern India |
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Best time to Visit |
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Throughout the
Year |
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Yercaud
is a lesser-known hill station when
compared to Ooty and Kodaikanal, located
on the Servaroyan Hills, in Salem District,
Yercaud is a hill station visited by
tourists throughout the year. The Servaroyan
Hills as a whole, provide many beautiful
vistas and panoramic views. Yercaud
itself is a pretty hill station with
a pleasant cool climate. Yercaud's temperature
never rises above 30° C or falls
below 13° C. This is one hill station
where one does not feel the bitting
cold of winter. With such a salubrious
climate, Yerkaud can be visited round
the year. It is an hour's drive from
Salem and is the least expensive hill
station in India.
Yercaud is also called "Ooty of
the Poor " and is known for Coffee
Plantations and Orange Groves. Yercaud
is still comparatively more peaceful
and cheaper than the major southern
resorts of Ooty and Kodaikanal, but
every year the influx from the plains
is growing larger. The highest point
in Yercaud is Shevaroy temple, which
is situated at a height of 5,326. |
| History
of Yercaud |
| Yercaud
got its name from the Tamil words, yeri
and kaadu, meaning lake and forest respectively.
The British discovered it in the early
19th century. There are accounts of
coffee plantations being introduced
by a British officer in the area in
the second decade of the 19th century.
Though first house was built in 1840,
the first metalled roads were laid only
in the early 20th century. The cool
climate attracted Christian missionaries
and they established the Sacred Heart
Convent for girls and Montfort School
for boys. Schools like the Holy Cross
Novitiate House, started by the Brothers
of Don Bosco, followed these. |
| Prime
Attractions of Yercaud |
| Today,
the Yercaud is very rich in tourist
spots. A nature lover's paradise, the
famous hill resort of Yercaud offers
a lot of sites to visit. Few of them
are – |
Yercaud
Lake, the first thing that
attracts a visitor is the lake. It is
a picturesque pool surrounded by gardens
and well woonded areas. Boating in the
cold water of the lake is enchanting
as well as refreshing. And the other,
is Anna Park – this is a lovely
garden near the lake.
Lady's
Seat, It overlooks the winding
ghat road and provides a breathtaking
view. This view is spectacular at night
with the twinkling lights of Salem town
in sight. The tourists can have a panoramic
view of the plains below through the
telescope mounted at the Lady's Seat.
Killiyur Falls,
this 3000 feet high water falls is situated
amidst picturesque surroundings.
The Grange, the
castle - like building built by the
then Collector of Salem, M.D. Cockburn
who first introduced coffee from Arabia
and apples and other fruits from South
Africa between 1820 AD and 1829 AD in
Yercaud is said to have played an imortant
role in the revolt of 1857 AD.
Bear's Cave, It is
situated near the Norton Bungalow on
the way to Servaroyan temple. It is
an important tourist spot. Temple here
is one of the six abodes of Lord Subramanya.
Its innermost shrine is cut out of a
solid rock.
The Servaroyan
Temple, It is situated atop
Servorayan Hill. The tribals here celebrate
their annual festival in May every year. |
| And
the other, excursions from Yercaud are
|
Salem,
this is the largest city in the region
and has some old temples but is basically
known for its industries, mainly steel,
sago and hand weaving.
Namakkal,
the town lies at the foot of a small
hillock which is about 200 feet high
and about half mile in circumference.
There is a fort on the hillock. There
are two rock-cut cave temples here,
one dedicated to Narasimhaswamy and
the other to Ranganathaswamy. There
is also a big Hanuman statue of about
20' height here carved out of a single
stone.
Aragalur,
is about 4 kms South East of Talaivasal
on the right back of Vasishtanadhi.
The name of the village in Tamil means
"Village of six trenches".
The village was ruled by a prince named
Ekambara Mudaliyar. It has two imposing
temples, one is dedicated to Sri Kameswara
and the other to Karivaradaperumal.
There is a big Budhdha statue at Thiyanganur
village on the outskirts of Aragalur
Village.
Bhavani,
the Sangameswarar temple here is situated
at the confluence of the rivers Bhavani
and Kaveri. It is one of the most important
pilgrims centres in South India.
Vedanthangal,
is one of the largest bird sancturies
in India. It is a marshy, 30 hectare
park with lake visited by over 1,00,000
migratory birds every year. The majority
of these birds can be seen between November
and February. The variety of birds include
Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans,
Sandpipers, White Ibis, Cormorants,Blue
winged teals and Swans.
Mettur
Dam, this multi - purpose dam
built on the River Cauvery is a nice
picnic spot, situated as it is, amidst
well - maintained gardens. Water from
the Stanley reservoir is used for irrigating
a major portion of the plains of central
Tamil Nadu.
Kolli Hills,
this is the second hill station in the
district at an altitude of 1190 mts.
Sri Kapaleeswara Temple is located on
the top of the hills called Chathuragiri
is one of the oldest. The terrace type
of 70-hair pin bend ghat road, the fruits
cultivated, honey, and the unchanged
tribal culture are unique memories.
The wonderful Agasakangai Waterfalls
flowing from a height over 2000 feet
is a unique scene.
Tiruchengodu,
is one of the seven Sivasthalams in
Kongunadu. This is another pilgrim centre
which has an ancient temple dedicated
to Ardhanareeswar - a unique concept
of Saivism where the deity is half male
and half female. |
| How
to reach |
| Yercaud
can be easily accessed through air,
train and bus. |
By Air :The nearest
airport is Trichy, 163-km from Yercaud.
Other options are Coimbatore or Bangalore
for convenient air connections. Coimbatore
is 190-km away. They are all connected
to Chennai, which has an international
airport.
By Rail
: Ideal would be to take the Yercaud
Express from Chennai. Salem Junction
is 36-km away from Yercaud and Salem
town is located at a distance of 33-km.
Since Salem station is a junction, all
southbound trains passing via Salem
stop at Salem. Trains link Salem to
Cochin, Erode, Trivandrum and Mangalore.
By Road: Yercaud
30-km away and an hour's drive from
Salem can also be reached by bus or
taxi. Regular bus services ply from
Chennai, Salem and other important points.
There are buses every half-hour from
Salem. Yercaud is well connected by
road to Trichy, Madurai, Bangalore,
and Coimbatore. Buses, both private
and government-owned, ply throughout
the day to Salem. Private taxis are
also available. |
| So,
what are you waiting for...!! Just
pack your bags and Get going for the
most adventurous vacation of your lifetime
in Yercaud with us. |
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