Yercaud Hill Station Trip

Yercaud is located in the Nilgiri Hills, is a popular hill station of South India.Yercaud is 4,500 ft above sea level in the orange and coffee-flavoured Shevaroy Hills of north central Tamil Nadu, India.

Yercaud is easily India’s cheapest hill station destination. Make that least expensive for so rich is Yercaud in its natural charm and dits potential for bountiful discovery that to label it cheap would be truly insulting. It’s sometimes referred to as the poor man’s Ooty, but smart man’s Ooty would be nearer the mark.

Yercaud is how the Brits got around the tongue twister Yercaud, tamil for lake forest. This little hill station lies in the Shevaroy Hills, part of the Eastern Ghats. Unlike the more lush Western Ghats, the Eastern Ghats are generally dry and feature short and rocky hills, and Yercaud is thus a wonderful aberration.

Spread over just 383 sq km, Yercaud is small enough not to tire you, and yet spread out in mysterious little ways to give you a sense of serenity. Less crowded than Ooty or Kodaikanal, Yercaud is where you go when you simply wish to apply salve to your soul. Or simply to recollect, alon with the poet, emotions in tranquility amidst sunflowers, dahlias and roses.

The 31 km uphill drive from the town of Salem takes about an hour. You will have to negotiate 20 fairly smooth harpin bends. As you approach Yercaud, you can’t miss the coffee plantations and orange groves. Check into your hotel, slip into your sneakers and set our to explore this quiet homage to lake and forest.

Big Lage, Small Boat

The main attraction is the Big Lake where much of the action takes place. But this being laid back Yercaud, the action is decidedly low-key and restful such as boating. You can hire 2 or 4 seater pedal boats and 4 seater row-boats. Near the lake is Anna Park, which a well-groomed garden. It’s crowded in ?May, when a week-long summer festival takes place. But if you or your kid’s fancy flower shows, dog shows, boating races and fairs, that’s a good time to go. Also check out the Small Lake, fed by seven wells, situated close to town.

Shevaroy Temple and Bear’s Cave

Situated atop Servaroyan Hill, the Shevaroy Temple is the highest point in Yercaud, 5,326 ft above sea level. The temple is dedicated to the local deity Servaran and his consort Kaveriamma. Local tribals celebrate their annual festival here each May. On the way to the temple, near the Norton Bungalow one of the oldest in Yercaud is Bear’s Cave believed to have been the entrance to an escape tunnel of a long gone raja. Today the cave is covered over with vegetation an drocks. Though it is on private properly the public an still visit it.

Killiyur Falls

This 300 ft-high waterfall is situated amidst picturesque surroundings. The water comes via a stream from Big Lake.

Botanical Garden

The Botanical garden is home to hundreds of plants, including rarities like the pitcher plant. You will also find specimens of the famous kurinji flower, which blooms once in 12 years. The garden has an orchidarium, reputed to be india’s third largest, after the ones in Kolkata and Shillong. It houses over a hundred species of orchids, of which about 30 are exclusive. In fact it has an orchid or three found nowhere else in the word. Plant lovers mustn’t give this a miss.

Route: NH7 to Omalur via Hosur, Krishnagiri and Dharmapur; Shevaroy Hills to Yercaud.