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Yercaud
Is situated in the Shevaray Hills
at a height of 1,515 metres from the real-level. Coffee plantations and
verdant locations shelter the calm hill station of Yercaud.
Some people believe that these
hills were part of the ancient megalith-builders' domain which stretched from
Cornwall through Brittany and Iberia to India. Clearly visitors have been
streaming into Yercaud from well before recorded history.
Around Yercaud
Enroute to Yercaud, you will come
across the textile town of Salem. Ethnic handloom fabrics will be
available at half the price, you would pay elsewhere.
Brightly coloured idols catch the
right of the travelers, situated at the left side of the road just before the
road begins to climb the mountains. There guardian deities, unique to
Tamil Nadu only, are worshipped as protectors of villages and are often known as
Aiyanars.
On the way up the winding hill
road with its 20 hairpin bends, stop at a thatched wayside stall selling 'Fresh
Garden Produce': packets of cloves and pepper. Then come the coffee plantations
before entering cottage-dotted Yercaud.
You can amble around leisurely,
or do a tandem tour of the lake in a pedal boat, or hire a taxi to 'do' the
sights. 3 km away is the rocky escarpment overlooking the plains. It is known as
Lady's Seat and some wag has named another viewpoint as Gent's Seat.
Pyramid point, 3 km away,
has cairns of stones and was once a Stone Age fortress shrine before the new
temple was built. 7 km from the lake is the Servaroyan Temple with a
modern, striped, facade leading to an old cave temple.
Once you get into this soothing,
lake-centred, quiet and undisturbed green place, you don't have to do anything
but unwind .
Places of
interest
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.
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.
How to get there
Air: Nearest airport is
Madras
Train: Salem railhead is 30 km away.
Road: Tourist taxis and buses are available from Salem
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