The road leading to Yelagiri has 14 hairpin bends, which offer breathtaking views of the hilly surroundings. Yelagiri Hills is a hill station in the lap of nature with remote surroundings and is still free from tourists who prefer swanky shopping malls and similar stuff.

Yelagiri is not as well developed as Ooty or other hill stations of Tamil Nadu. However, the government has now taken an initiative of developing Yelagiri hills and promoting tourism in this area by promoting paragliding and rock climbing in Yelagiri hills. There are 14 hamlets in Yelagiri.

Location

Yelagiri is located in the Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies off the Vaniyambadi-Tirupattur road between the towns of Vaniyambadi and Jolarpettai. Yelagiri lies at an altitude of 1410 metres and occupies an area of 30 square kilometers.

The road to Yelagiri is very good and there are numerous milestones and signboards for easy guidance. There are a number of petrol pumps also.

History

The hill station of Yelagiri dates back to the time when the British ruled India. The town of Yelagiri was once owned by a Zamindar Family whose house can still be seen in Reddiyur. The government of India took over it in 1950s.

Attractions

The Yelagiri Summer Festival

The summer festival of Yelagiri, which comes in May end, is very famous and is joined by people from all over the country. Flower show, dog show and other cultural programs are organized at this summer festival.

Punganoor Artificial Lake-cum-Park

This is an artificial lake located in the centre of the Yelagiri hills spread over an area of 57 square metres. Boating facility is also available here. There is also a fountain in the centre of the lake. There is a nice park for kids adjacent to the lake spread over an area of 6 acres. There is a pathway around the lake which is ideal for bird watchers.

Boating fee: Rs. 200 for 20 minutes for a 4-seater pedal boat

Herbal Farm

There is a herbal farm near the Punganoor Lake which has a collection of some rare Ayurvedic herbs.

Park near the Kodai Vizha Thidal

This is a very good park for the tourists. This park has got beautiful paths for walking and is spread over an area of 10 acres. There is an artificial fall, an aquariumand a musical fountain here. There are two shows of musical fountain every evening in the park, playing Hindi and Tamil songs. There is also a small lake called the Nilavoor Lake which provides boating facilities.

Telescope

There is a telescope installed for the tourists at the Ghat Road to enable them to view the deep slopes.

Velavan Temple

The Velavan temple lays on the topof the hills of Yelagiri. It is an excellent view point to have a look at the large plains lying beneath. It was built in the memory of Lord Murugan. All the Tamil festivals are celebrated in this temple in a very luxurious way. The sound of the temple bells ringing from the mountain top imparts life to the quiet surroundings.

Jalagandeeswarar Temple

This temple is located in the Vellore Fort and has a great mythological background.There are wonderful stone sculptures here. There is a big open ground here where the devotees can perform their holy rituals and prayers.

Jalagamparai Waterfalls

Jalagamparai waterfalls are situated at a distance of 14 km from Tirupattur. The Attaruriver, while flowing through the Yelagiri Hills, drops down at the village of Jadaiyanoor, to form the Jalagamparai Waterfalls. Many a times, there is no water in the falls. But this is a good trekking location. This is a 5 km trek from Yelagiri downhill. Make sure that you carry enough water with you if you go for trekking.

Swami Malai

Swami Malai is the highest peak of the region with a height of 4338 feet. There is a small village called Mangalam at its base. Swami Malai Hills are in the shape of a cake. It is also a good trekking location. It takes around an hour for this 1000 feet climb. Once you reach the peak, you can see the entire valley form there. The view is truly rewarding. There are other smaller peaks also which make up for easier treks like the Javadu Hills, Palamathi Hills, etc. For trekking, one should start early in the morning and should be back before 9 am to avoid the scorching heat of the sun.

Please see that you don’t confuse Swami Malai Peak with the town of Swamimalai near Kumbakonam.

Vainu Bappu Solar Observatory

This observatory located in Kavalur, 35 km from Thiruppathur, is one of the largest solar observatories. You need a prior permission to see this observatory.

YASA Club

Yelagiri Adventure Sports Association or YASA organizes adventurous activities like paragliding, etc.

Accommodation

There is a YMCA camp near Yelagiri which offers accommodation, dormitory accommodation, etc. for the tourists.There are also a number of resorts around the Yelagiri Lake which offer luxurious facilities like indoor games, gardens, swimming pool, etc.

Where to Eat

There are small eateries and restaurants around the Yelagiri Lake.

Best Time to Visit

Yelagiri can be visited throughout the year because of the favorable weather.

How to Reach

By Air

There are two major airports near Yelagiri, Bangalore Airport at a distance of 193 km and Chennai Airport at a distance of 219 km. One can easily get a taxi or cab from here to reach Yelagiri.

By Train

The nearest railway station to Yelagiri is Jolarpettai Junction. Tourists from Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, etc. need to get down at this railhead. Buses and cabs are easily available here to reach Yelagiri.

By Road

There are regular buses to Yelagiri from Chennai, Jolarpet, Hosur, Tirupattur, Salem, Bangalore, etc.