5 best places to visit in Javadi Hills

 Javadi Hills or Jawadh or Jawadh Hills is located on the Eastern Ghats in Thiruvannamalai District of Tamil Nadu state. The main inhabitants of these hills are the Malayali tribes. The hills are segregated into two parts as the tributaries of the Palar, Cheyyar and Agharam rivers flow in between. Javadi Hills aggregate 3600 to 3800 feet above sea level.

The Hills are verdant with greenery and towards sunset, the hills look pretty with a purple tinge which relates to the colour of the granite which is bluish grey. The tribesmen plant a lot of fruit-bearing plants and medicinal shrubs. One other common tree that is found in the southeastern area of the mountains is sandalwood trees.

HISTORY

These hills have been mentioned in various documents during the British period. The hills were discovered by Henri Le Fanu, a French citizen in 1883, who loved these hills.

PLACES TO VISIT

1. Beemanmadavu Waterfall: This waterfall is located in the dense forest and is 12 km. from Jamanamarathur, which is 40 km. from Polur. There is water in the fall, seven months a year. The bottom of the falls is ideal for taking a bath. Jamanamaruthur is the nearest big village near Javadi Hills.
2. Kavalur Observatory: The place was selected by Vainu Bapu, an Indian astronomer. This observatory started functioning from 1967. The telescope inside the premises is named as Vainu Bappu Telescope after the famous astronomer. It is the biggest telescope in Asia. This observatory is generally used for research. Situated on a hundred acre plot, the other guests apart from visitors and locals are deer, snakes and scorpions. This Observatory is owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
3. Amrithi Forest: This is a place for the trekkers.
4. Yelagiri: It is a hill station and is 1410 metres above sea level. This place is a village located in the Javadi Hills. There are orchards, rose gardens and lovely green valleys.
5. Komutteri Lake: also known as the Kolappan Lake is the biggest one in the Javadi Hills. The surroundings of the lake are beautiful and there is a manmade island in the centre of the lake. This is a good place for picnics and boating.

ACTIVITIES

There is a trekking trail from Jamanamarathur to Amrithi Forest, which is worth the risk that has to be taken. There are other trails also and they pass through grassy knolls and lovely little villages. The Komutteri Lake in the hills has boating facilities.

HOW TO GET THERE

Javadi Hills is 75 km. from Thiruvannamalai. The nearest airport is in Chennai (206 km.) The railway station is 54 km. from the place at Katpadi. There is another railway station at Villupuram which is 60 km. away. There are buses from Chennai, Thiruchirapalli (269 km.) and Madurai (387 km.) to this town. Accommodation is not available in this town but in Vellore (72 km.). The roads are very good and local transport by way of buses and autorickshaws are available.  The people speak Tamil and English is a weak option. There are no shops in the Hill area and the nearest town is Vellore.

BEST SEASON

The best period to visit the Hills is from March to May. The average normal temperature ranges between 100 C and 300 C. The upper regions are generally cooler and moist.