Yelagiri: The perfect place for a serene trip

Yelagiri is called a ’half horse town’ where there is one main road, three teashops and maybe five liquor shops. This place is situated in Tamil Nadu in Vellore district. This small town is one place where one can cool their heels and do nothing but enjoy the climate. The hill station is at an altitude of 1410 metres above sea level and so the climate is cool.

There are a few odd villages around spread over a couple of hills and does not have the pretensions of a hill resort. There are orchards, rose gardens and green valleys and the most ambitious can lazily walk around the place and relax under a tree, read a book, or count the number of birds that perch on the branches or watch the sun setting in the west over the hills; what one can call an idyllic vacation.

The Government has organized a Summer Festival in May annually and the exhibits comprise of flowers and dogs.

HISTORY

Yelagiri belonged to the Yelagiri Zamindar family. It was taken over by the Government in the early 1950s. The family still maintains a house near Reddiyur. The hill station is yet another reminder of the British era. It is also said that the Vellala Gounders who were a part of the Tippu’s army settled down in this place as cultivators in the seventeenth century. The Malayali (meaning people of the hills) tribes also made this area their home 200 to 400 years back.

The Malayalis are basically Hindus. There are Christians and Muslims in this area also.

PLACES TO VISIT

1. Punganoor Lake: This is an artificial lake and the entire hill station revolves around it. There are rowboats and pedal boats to go around with. On one end of the lake, there is a hanging view platform on the top of a tree from where one can have a bird’s eye view of the lake and its surroundings. There is an entertainment centre for the kids also. There is an entry fee to the lake and picnics are not allowed.
2. Velavan Temple: A wonderful place on a hillock, the presiding deity is Lord Murugan with a gigantic figure of Gadothkach at the entrance. The view of Yelagiri from this hillock is magnificent.
3. Swamimalai: A trekker’s haven, it is a strenuous climb up an altitude of 4338 feet. Trekking up may take two hours with intervals in between to catch one's breath.  The path is muddy but exciting all the way. The climb is worth it as at that altitude the view of the valley below is simply breathtaking. There are many trails through dense undergrowth. Trekking is generally advisable in the months from November to January as the climate will be cooler.
4. The Government silk farm: This place is 5 km. away from Yelagiri in Mangalam. The visit will be a bit longish through the farm and if the official is not otherwise busy, will show the intricacies of silk business.
5. Jalagandeeshwarar Temple: This is in Vellore, where there is a fort built in the 1500s by the Vijayanagar Kings. A well-kept fort, there is a temple in the midst with excellent craftsmanship. The sculptures are so magnificent that it surpasses the beauty of sculptures in Madurai Meenakshi temple. The story goes that during the reign of a Vijayanagar king war was raging against the Adil Shahis of Bijapur. The king feared the victory of the opponent hid the lingam that was the main deity and was never found. The temple as the local calls it,’ daivam illathu kovil,’ meaning, a temple without a God.
6. Jalagamparai waterfalls: This falls can be reached after an hour’s trek from Yelagiri. The best time to visit the place is post monsoon. The Attaru River flows down the Yelagiri hills and at the Jadaiyanoor village, it plummets down. There are no shops in the vicinity and visitors are advised to carry their food and drinks. Not an ideal place during summer.
7. Don Bosco School: The school provides education in IT for the poor students. They have an IT training centre, Software Development Centre and the IGNOU study centre.

ACTIVITIES

The District administration has taken up the work of providing facilities for para-gliding, mountaineering and rock climbing in this place. There is an artificial lake where rowboats and pedal boats are available. This is an excellent location for trekking. The trek up Swamimalai is arduous but exciting.

ESCAPE TO THE HILL STATION

The best time to visit Yelagiri is from November to March. The temperature in winter is 110C and in summer it hovers around 340C.

HOW TO REACH

The nearest railhead is at Jollarpettai which is 20 km. The road to Yelagiri from Bangalore is through Krishnagiri, Bargur via Ponnari. The nearest airport is Bangalore which is 192 km and Chennai, 217 km. The National Highways leading to Krishnagiri and further to Chennai are wonderful and there is a diversion that must be taken on the Chennai highway to reach Yelagiri. There are indicators on the way which cannot be missed. There is fourteen hairpin bends to be negotiated before one reaches Athanur town.

WHERE TO STAY

There are a few hotels in Yelagiri. There are homestays also in the area. During weekends it may be difficult to get instant accommodation in hotels and visitors are advised to book their rooms prior to their departure. Visitors are advised to wear cotton pullovers in summer. The local inhabitants speak Tamil and a few speak English also.

TRAVEL ADVISORY

There are armies of monkeys on the way. Visitors are advised not to provoke them or keep food especially bananas on the dashboard. Monkey bites can be nasty. Keep the window glasses closed. While in Yelagiri, visitors are advised not to rustle the shrubs and hedges as this place is the home of a variety of snakes. There are no petrol pumps in Yelagiri and has to be filled in the lower plains. The hotels do not accept credit cards and it is advisable to carry cash.