Yercaud
Introduction and Histroy : Yercaud is a hill station near Salem, Tamil Nadu. It is part of the Servarayan range of hills in the Eastern Ghats. Located at altitude of 1,500 meters the town derives its name from lake located at its center of a forest. In the local language Tamil ‘Yeri’ means ‘lake’ and ‘Kaadu’ means ‘forest’. It is known for coffee plantations and orange groves. It also has an orchidarium run by the Botanical Survey of India. The main crop of Yercaud is coffee, which was first cultivated on the ‘Grange Estate’ in the year 1820, the year in which coffee plants were brought from Africa to Yercaud by Mr. M.D. Cockburn. The highest point in Yercaud is the Servarayan temple, which is situated at a height of 5326 feet. Hence the Yercaud hill area is called Shevaroy Hills.
What To See : As a small but very attractive tourist place, Yercaud offers multiple tourist attractions. Starting from the list of lakes like The Big Lake Or Emerald Lake and Ornamental Lake there are multiple attractions like Arthur, Interesting rocks like Lady’s Seat, Gents Seat and Childrens Seat, Silk Farm, Rose Garden, Pagoda Point, Monfort School, Retreat, Kiliyur Falls, Sri Raja Rajeswari Temple, Shevarayan Temple, Bears Cave, Kottachedu Teak Forest, Bears Hill, Tipperary View Point and White Elephant Tooth. The wild life includes bison, deer, rabbits, hares, foxes, mongoose, squirrels, partridges, snakes, bulbuls, kites, sparrows, swallows and the bird of paradise. Yercaud experiences salubrious climate and is pleasant to be visited any time of the year. However summer is the best time to visit as the summer festival is held during mid of May.
Things To Do : As Yercaud was one of the attractions for the British, multiple options are available for staying. Multiple budget, luxury and resorts are available at a range of price points. Accommodation charge per day can go up to 5000 rupees per day.
Mode Of Transport : Tiruchirapalli or Trichy is the nearest Airport located about 165 Kilometers from Yercaud. The nearest railway junction is Salem (36 Kms), which is well connected with other parts of South India. It is well connected by road with nearby cities like Coimbatore (190 Kilometers), Bangalore (220 Kilometers) and Chennai (357 Kilometers).
Related links :• Tourist information: http://www.yercaud.com/
See also (Nearby places): Salem, Kothagiri, Yelagiri and Coorg are some of the nearby hill stations to Yercaud.
