Hill Station Honeymooner’s Delight Beaches Wild Life Waterfalls Nightlife in Metro Kids Fun Places

Yercaud

''Yercaud, located on the Shevaroy Hills of Tamil Nadu is a hill station in the Eastern Ghats. Located at the height of 1515 meters, its striking scenic beauty and pleasant weather brings in many tourists. Although Yercaud is sometimes referred to as the ‘Poor man’s Ootacamund’, for things here are more affordable as compared to the other famous hill stations like Ooty.
Yercaud is fastly gaining popularity among the locals and foreign tourists. The name Yercaud is derived from two Tamil words – ‘Yeri’ (lake) and ‘Kadu’ (forest). ''

Yercaud is known for its plantations majorly of coffee, orange, jackfruit, guava, cardamom and black pepper. Coffee is the main produce and was brought to Yercaud by the Scottish Collector Mr. M. D. Cockburn in 1820 from Africa. There is also a reserve forest, which has the woods and wildlife in the original unexploited state.

The forests of Yercaud have an abundance of sandalwood, teak and silver oaks. From wild animals like bison, deer, foxes, mongooses, snakes, squirrels to birds like bulbuls, kites, sparrows and swallows can be found in these forests. Even though Yercaud is a hill station it never gets extreme temperatures, making it easier to pack clothes for the tourists and avoid those heavy winter wear which is difficult to carry.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Yercaud is October to June, avoiding the monsoon.

PLACES AROUND YERCAUD

Yercaud Lake - The first thing that attracts a visitor is the lake. It is a picturesque pool surrounded by gardens and well wooded trees. Boating in the cold water of the lake is enchanting as well as refreshing.

Botanical Garden - Any traveler interested in getting familiar with different varieties of plants species can visit Botanical garden. It is the best place where one can feel fresh air along with a fragrance of flowers.

Pagoda Point - Also dubbed as pyramid point, Pagoda Point is positioned on the eastern part of Yercaud hills. The place has perfect ambience offering pleasurable and enjoyable experience to the travelers.

Anna Park - Situated near the Yercaud Lake, Anna Park is very beautiful. Nearby, there are few other parks like Lake Park, Gandhi Park, and Children Park.

Shevoray Temple - Located atop the Shevaroy hills, Shevoray Temple is devoted to Lord Shevaroyan and is visited by hundreds of pilgrims from different parts of the globe during the month of May. The sight from the Shevaroy shrine is beautiful with many peaks around Shevoray. And a lovely vision of Yercaud and Nagalur can be witnessed from here.

Killiyur Falls - An amazing waterfall about 3 km from the Yercaud Lake is an idyllic place to pay a visit on holidays in Yercaud. And it shines and looks amazing during North East Monsoon.

The Grange - The Grange is one of the oldest buildings in Yercaud, built in 1820's by the then District Collector of Salem, M D Cockburn.

CLIMATE

Yercaud tenders pleasant climate round the year. The temperature in the summers varies from 160C to 300C and during the months of winters, it has a temperature of 130C to 250 C.

HOW TO REACH THERE

Air: The closest airport to reach Yercaud is Trichy International airport, about 163 km away. The others airport in proximity to Yercaud are: Bangalore (230km) and Coimbatore (190). Taxis are also available from the stations to this beautiful place.

Rail: The nearest railway stations to make it to Yercaud are Jolarpettai and Salem Junction, located 20km and 35km away. One can also take a taxi or bus from these railheads to arrive at Yercaud.

Road: It is well connected to the main cities of India by a good network of roads. State owned transport buses private buses are also available from the nearby cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore and many more.