Yelagiri Hills: Bucolic Delights

If doing nothing in peace and quiet in cool climes is your idea of a perfect weekend, Yelagiri would fit the bill perfectly. It’s a one-horse town dignified by one main road, which has teashops, liquor shops, and a couple of supposed fancy stores. There is a conspicuous lack of places for sightseeing, shopping, touts, souvenir hunting and tourist groups.

Yelagiri’s charm lies in its moderation – the hills around are gentle, the lake is pretty and just large enough to stroll around, and the weather is uniformly pleasant, even during May and June.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Sit by the lake during the day and watch the sun set over the hills in the evening. A good idea is to take a bus to the nearby villages – autos and buses are available for moving around in Yelagiri – or trek through the wooded slopes. Or visit some of the temples the locals recommend.

Punganoor Lake

Tourism in Yelagiri revolves around this smallish, artificial lake. You can take a serene ride on the lake by rowboat or pedal boat. Having done that, you could stroll across to the other side of the lake, where there’s a hanging view point, a platform on top of a tree, from where you get a bird’s eye view of the lake and the nearby areas. There’s the garden around the lake, with slides and other games for the smaller kids.

Visitors trekking up Swamimalai Hill

V. Muthuraman

Government Silk Farm

It involves a longish walk along mulberry plantations and might involve climbing over a couple of fences, but if you manage to get a friendly official to show you around, the sericulture tour is very interesting. To get to the silk farm, located at Mangalam, head to Yelagiri’s bus stand at Athanavur. From here, it’s a straight road (5 km) to Mangalam.

Swamimalai Hill

Perhaps the most strenuous activity here would be a trek up the Swamimalai, at 4,338 ft, the highest point in Yelagiri. This climb could be around 2 hours, including breaks to catch your breath. This hill has some good trekking routes through dense reserved forests, which remain pretty busy on weekends. The best time for treks to Swamimalai is November to January, when it’s deliciously cool.

Zeenath’s Taj Garden Resort

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

Touchstone Resort (Tel: 04179- 294600; Tariff: ₹2,300-3,500) is a 5-minute walk from the lake, offering clean and comfortable rooms, swimming pool, snooker and Wi-Fi. Near the Murugan temple is Sterling Resorts’ Marigold Ridge (Cell: 09655167374; Tariff: ₹5,000) with large, clean and well-appointed rooms, a multi-cuisine restaurant, swimming pool and spa. Also close to the temple is Hotel Landmark (Tel: 295410; Tariff: ₹2,820-4,200), a beautiful property with fabulous views, good food, a swimming pool and ample space for kids to play. Zeenat’s Taj Garden Resort (Tel: 245231, 245445; Tariff: ₹2,000-3,000) is a great place to stay. It offers family cottages, with 24 rooms in all, spread over 11 acres, and arranges taxis, sightseeing and trekking in the hills around. They also have a restaurant.

Hotel Yelagiri (Cell: 09486268956; Tariff: ₹1,000) is at Athanavur, not far from the boathouse. The hotel can arrange sightseeing trips all around Yelagiri, plus treks up to Swamimalai, Jalagamparai Falls and to the Nilavoor Mariam man Temple.

Emerald Dove (Tel: 245264; Tariff: ₹3,000-5,000) has five cottages, some of them with hill views. The hotel has a park for kids plus a swimming pool. It is best to stick to your hotel’s restaurant for meals since there aren’t many standalone restaurants in the area.

AROUND YELAGIRI

Jalagamparai Waterfalls (44 km) The Attaru river flows through the Yelagiri Hills, resulting in a lovely waterfall about an hour’s trek from Yelagiri. Adjacent to the falls is a Murugan temple, constructed in the shape of a lingam. You can also drive to Jalagamparai via Jolarpettai and Tirupattur. At Tirupattur, take the road opposite Sacred Heart College for the falls. This last stretch is 10 km. You can also drive to Mangalam, and then trek 4 km (one way) to the falls. Hotels arrange guides for the trek for approximately

₹300 both ways. The best time to do this would be after the monsoon when the falls are at their best. The worst time is between the summer months of April and June, when they’re bone-dry.

When to go November to March Location in north Tamil Nadu, 251 km southwest of Chennai Air Nearest airport: Bengaluru Rail Nearest rail: Jolarpettai