Yercaud
Yercaud is called as poor mans Ooty and is visited by many. Yercaud is a low cost hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu. This place is ideal for people who take a break from full fledged tourist places and still want to have the same enjoyment. The city of Yercaud is ideal for a welcome break from the city life as it is peaceful there. The place has literally no pollution and free of dirt, noise and pollution. The place is best if you want to go for a trek.
The town of Yercaud gets its name from the lake that is located in the center of the place. The name Yercaud means, lake forest in Tamil. The place has a number of coffee plantations and orange grooves. There is a beautiful orchidarium run by the botanical survey of India which is worth visiting. The Servarayan temple is the highest point in Yercaud. It is situated at the height of 5326 feet above sea level. Hence, the place is also popularly called as Shevaroy hills.
Shervaroyan temple is an important spot in Yercaud. It is a small temple worth visiting when you are in Yercaud. The temple is dedicated to lord Shervaroyan and Goddess Kaveri amma, who are the important local deities. The temple is a narrow cave and you have to bend and walk on your knees to enter the temple. The local people believe that the tunnel goes 450 kms beyond the temple and goes till Talai Kaveri in Karnataka. So, this place is to be visited for the sheer experience of going in the tunnel.
The Yercaud lake is the heart of all the places in Yercaud. The calm and beautiful waters attract tourists in Yercaud. Boating in the lake waters is a favorite pass time in Yercaud.
There are a number of view points in Yercaud. The most popular ones are the Lady's seat, Gent's seat and the pagoda point. All these points are worth a visit and worth experiencing. The Lady's point is the best of the lot and has excellent views of the ghats. The vehicles dwindle through the ghats around the bends and it is a sight to behold. The views of the plains below are breathtaking. You can use the telescope mounted at the Lady's seat to get the better views and get closer details.
Other places of interest in Yercaud are the botanical garden, Anna park, the horticultural research station, Rose garden, ottachedu teak forest and the silk farm. There are a number of rose plant species in the rose garden and the colors of these roses are amazing. You will find all colors of roses here in this garden at Yercaud.
Kiliyur falls are located about 3 ms away from Yercaud. The falls are amazing and have a height of 300 feet and you will have to have a small trek to reach there. The Trek to the falls is very interesting and adventurous than the falls. But it could be a dangerous spot when the waters are in abundance. The roads are slippery and it is really adventurous to reach the falls.