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With a name that translates to “Forest near the lake” (English translation of “Yercaud”), the hill station has to be good. Well, Yercaud does live to its promise and positions itself as a good weekend retreat from Chennai or Bangalore
Reaching There: From Bangalore By train – Take any train or bus to Salem (in Tamilnadu). There are frequent buses from Salem. If you are coming by train, please note that bus stand in Salem is nearly 3 Kms from the railway station By Car : (Route Map – Bangalore to Yercaud) Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri (Excellent Road till Krishnagiri) - Dharmapuri-Omalur-From Omalur take the state highway to Yercaud. The last stretch lasting an hour (30 Kms) is a mountain road with twenty hairpin bends carefully numbered by the highway department. Accommodation: There are numerous hotels and resorts across all budget.
Yercaud Hotels and Resort with Reviews Yercaud is situated on the southern part of the Shevaroy ranges. Elevation of 4,700 means that the climate is pleasant through out the year – neither too hot nor too cold. Attractions: Yercaud Lake The key attraction is the famous Yercaud Lake. To some extent, natural beauty of the lake is spoilt with an artificial fountain sponsored by a local company (Opinion is divided on this as many find the fountain attractive). As in most of the lakes in a tourist spot, there are mandatory rowboats and pedal boats. The garden surrounding the lake is well -maintained (in parts) and one can spend endless hours. If truth be told, there are not too many conventional activities that a holiday maker can indulge in Yercaud – so you will have plenty of time on your hands.
Lady’s Seat I could not really fathom why a viewpoint should be called Lady’s seat (In Public transportation across India, lady’s seat refers to seat reserved exclusively for ladies – but thankfully, no such reservation for this viewpoint). You can walk down to Lady’s seat (less than 1.5 kms from the lake) for excellent views of the mountains and the town of Salem. There is a telescope house on the top which obviously has a telescope mounted. If the telescope house is open, then consider yourself lucky as the view is exceptional from the telescope. At night, the sight from lady’s sight is enchanting with lights of distant Salem town appearing as some sort of a light show. Not to be outdone, there is a Gent’s seat, just above lady’s seat, which also provides panoramic view of the plains below. Pagoda Point: This is at 5 Kms east from the lake. Atleast the reason for the name is not a mystery. One can see stones placed by tribals (long ago) that resembles pagoda.
Orchidarium Botanical Survey of India maintains an experimental garden with more than 35,000 different kinds of plants. The Orchidarium is a treat to any botanist. Even non botanist who have come to Yercaud for a weekend break should visit this place (2 Kms from lake)
Kiliyur Falls: At around 7 Kms from the town, this falls comes to life only during monsoons when water from the nearby dam cascades down. If you are visiting Yercaud during Monsoons, a visit to the falls is a must-have in your itinerary. During monsoons, the entire stretch transforms into one thick carpet and creates a spectacular sight.
Shevarayan Temple: The temple on top of the highest peak offers spectacular views of the Shevaroy range. The temple dedicated to Lord Shevarayan and Godess Cauvery, is a naturally formed cave. Shevaroy ranges is named after Lord Shevarayan. The temple is popular among the people residing in the nearby areas and an annual fair is held in the month of May. The Grange Grange is an ancient building built during the times of Raj. The most interesting feature is the cellar which was apparently built during sepoy mutiny. Britishers were afraid that the building would be under siege and they had built the cellar to maintain food stock. The coffee estate surrounding the Grange is reputed to be one of the oldest in South India. For long, Yercaud was known only for its coffee and silver oak estates. However, now it more popular as a weekend getaway.
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