Yercaud

 Yercaud, a hill station in Tamil Nadu, is located on the Sarvarayan mountain range on the Eastern Ghats. Cheaper than other hill stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal, the place is not as popular yet. That is why there is not that much crowd here. This is a perfect tourist destination for those who want to feel close to nature. Many scenic spots here can make you crazy.

Yercaud Lake and Anna Park

Yercaud  Lake

Anna park

The biggest attraction of Yercaud is the lake here. Its cold air will freshen you up. There is Anna Park near the lake which has many attractive species of flowers, they are also exhibited in the month of May when the Summer Festival is organized here. In the middle of the lake is an island that can be accessed by the overbridge. There is an abundance of deer and peacocks on this island. Boating can also be done here, but you need to be careful.  

Shevaraya Temple and Bear Cave 

Shevaraya Temple

Bear cave

On the Sarvarayan hill is the Shevaraya temple 5326 feet above sea level. It is the highest place in Yercaud. It is the temple of the local deity Saravaran and his wife Kavaramma. The tribe living here celebrates its annual festival in May every year when a grand festival is organized at this temple. On the way to the temple is the bear cave near Norton Bungalow. It is said that a long time ago it was the entrance to a king's secret tunnel. This cave about 60 feet long is so low that in this you have to walk on your knees. 

Killian Falls

Killian falls

There is a waterfall 3 kilometers from Yercaud. The name of this waterfall is 300 feet high. The way to reach here is very exciting. However, the elderly may have difficulty moving here.

Ladies seat

lady's seat

The view of Ghat Road is visible from this place. The city of Salem, illuminating from here at night, looks very beautiful. There is a telescope on the Ladies Seat through which it is very fun to see the plains. Ongoing left from here, the Mettur Dam on the Kaveri River will also be seen.

Botanical Garden

Botanical garden

There are many species of plants in this plant of Yercaud, including rare species like a pitcher plant. Kurinji flower can also be seen in this garden, it is said that it grows once in twelve years. It also has the third-largest orchidarium in India. There are more than a hundred varieties of orchids. Some of them are so rare that they are not found anywhere else in the world.

Places to see nearby

Salem: 30 km from Yercaud, this is the largest city in the region, Salem. There are some ancient temples here. But its main identity is from the industries here. Among them are steel, sago, and handloom industries.

Namakkal: Namakkal is located at the bottom of a small hill 48 kilometers away. There is a fort atop this hill. There are two cave temples dedicated to rock-cut Narasimhaswamy and Ranganathaswamy. There is also a 20 feet high statue of Hanuman Ji at this place which was made by cutting a single stone.        

Arangalur: At a distance of 74 km from Yercaud is the village of Arangalur where Ekambra was ruled by a king named Mudaliar. There are also two major temples here. One temple is Sri Kameshwara and the other is Kariverdperumal. The village of Tisanganur on the outskirts of Aranmalur has a huge statue of Lord Buddha.

How to go

Getting to Yercaud is not difficult at all. The nearest airport here is Tiruchirappalli. Apart from this, it can also be reached from Coimbatore and Bangalore airports. You can also come here by rail route, for this, you have to come to Salem Junction, 31 km from here. It can be reached from Salem via bus and taxi. Apart from this, Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, Bangalore, and Coimbatore are also connected by road to Yercaud.