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INTRODUCTION

Yercaud otherwise known as the 'Ooty of the poor' is situated in Tamil Nadu in Salem town amidst the greenery of Shervaoyan Hills.Yercaud got its name from combination of two Tamil words 'yer' and kaddu which respectively mean lake and forest. So if you want to stay away from the bustling noise of the town and the busy city life, you can take off to this beautiful hill station.

Yercaud apart from its beautiful landscapes it is also spaced with some plantations like Coffee, cardamom and black pepper. Some people believe that these hills were part of the ancient megalith-builders' domain which stretched from Cornwall through Brittany and Iberia to India.

ORIENTATION

Yercaud about 33kms away from a town called Salem lies in the Shervaoyan Hills situated in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

HISTORY

It was only after cultivation of coffee here in this area, slowly the place started to develop as a hill station. The cultivation of coffee here in Yercaud was promoted by a Scottish Collector of Salem named David Cockburn. The Grange, his old home which still stands, was fortified and equipped with ramparts and cannons, to act as a sanctuary for the European community here, in the event of another uprising after the Indian Mutiny. Slowly after this the place started in picking up of other resources.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Yercaud is a place which can be visited in any part of the year and has a conducive weather throughout.

PLACES OF INTERESTS

THE SERVAROYAN TEMPLE

Though this place still remains undiscovered by most of the tourists visiting Yercaud, it is one of the spot which should never be missed. This is a beautifully carved cave temple located in the highest point of Shevaroy hills. The other attraction of this temple is the festival which falls in the month of May. This festival which draws a huge local crowd is organized by the local tribes.

GREEN HOUSE

Green house is situated near the lake and it houses an orchard which has a nursery of different varities of rose nursery and other flowers. Apart from this there is also an orange farm which has loads of orange trees which when are fully laden present the most exotic views full of color. It gives a peace of mind which gets fully boosted when it sees extraordinary colours.

BIG LAKE

The Big lake is also popularly referred as the Emerald Lake and it draws a major attention of the tourists visiting Yercaud.The lake entertains the crowd with boating which includes both self pedaling and rowing boats. The other highlight of the lake is the excellently maintained garden along with a small play area for the children in its bank.

SMALL LAKE

The Small lake is situated a little away from the town and it has a wild beauty which attracts the tourists. This scenic lake is serene with everlasting beauty and is believed to be fed by many wells. It does not dry up even in summer. The lake is surrounded by a road and at one end of the lake is the famous Montfort school. As this lake is preserved in its natural form with surrounding woods and trees, it gives a chance to enjoy the beauty of nature in its wild form.

KILLIYUR WATERFALLS

The reach to this waterfall can also be made quite interesting by trekking which takes an hour from the Big Lake. The Killiyur waterfall get its water when the Yercaud Lake is full and also from the Shevaroy Hills. This waterfall falls from a height of 300 ft which leaves you with a long breath.

LADY'S SEAT

This is actually a cluster of rocks with a drop of about 200 ft down the valley. There is also a small telescope station from where one gets a spectacular view of Salem town and also in nights it gives a splendid sight of the Salem town with its light. The other attraction of the Lady’s seat is the Gent’s Rock and Children’s Rock adjacent to this place.

THE GRANGE

The Grange is an example of a beautiful architectural castle seen in Yercaud.It was built in the year 1820 by the then collector of Salem M D Cockburn. Also the Grange takes the pride of the first area in Yercaud where commercial plantation of coffee, oranges and apples was done. After this it was slowly started to be used as a summer resort for the people of English East India Company. Nowadays, there is a beautiful and exotic resort in the vicinity of the Grange that is located in between the coffee and orange plantations and will be an ideal place for holiday.

BEAR'S CAVE

Though Bears cave is believed to lead to the Shervaroyan Temple, till date no one has taken the risk to make it through the cave. It is located within a private coffee estate and the main portion of the cave is located 7 feet below ground level with a deep gorge.

PAGODA POINT

The Pagoda point is otherwise known as the pyramid point concentrated more towards the eastern side of the Shervaroy hills. The main feature of the Pagoda point built by the local tribes is that it has four piles of stones arranged so as to form a pyramid shape. There is also a Rama temple here. One can get a thorough view of the town of Salem and a little village called Kakambadi from this hill.

NATIONAL ORCHIDARIUM

The National Orchidarium which is located 2 km from the Emerald Lake has a wide variety of orchids which includes 30 orchid species that are exclusively found here. Many endangered species of orchids are persevered in this orchidarium which is ranked the third largest of all the orchidariums in India.

ANNA PARK

Anna Park situated near the lake is known for the flower shows held here annualy in the summer months. The park also has a wide collection of different and rare varities of plants and trees. There is a breathtaking Japanese garden inside this park in which plants are grown in Japanese style.

SHOPPING

Though there is nothing much to shop in Yercaud, the nearby Salem town is very famous for textiles and bright handloom fabrics. The main area of shopping in Yercaud includes the Salem Co-operative Super Market Branch and the Main Bazaar.