Yercaud , rightly called as the Jewel of south , is truly a memorable place to visit! Situated in the Shevaroys Hills of the Eastern Ghats, at a distance of around 230km from Bangalore is a perfect weekend getaway!
Yercaud, located in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, gets its name from the abundance of leaves present near the lake, called by locals as Yeri caud and finally over the years pronounced as Yercaud. Yercaud being just a 4 hours drive from Bangalore has become one of the ideal weekend getaways apart from Ooty, Mysuru ,etc. This weekend getaway boasts of various places of interests for tourist .
This trip dates back to sometime last to last year, around the months of Oct-Dec. It was a really unplanned one and we just decided to go as we had a car booked for 2 days. One fine Friday evening, after the usual office routine, we friends decided to have a small trip. Not sure of the destination, we just had our car booking done. Finally after some searching on net, we found this place to be more suitable as it was around winter and moreover this was just 4-5 hours drive from Bangalore. So, the next day we set off from Bangalore. We set off quite early and managed to reach by around 12 in the noon. We visited quite many places in our 2 days trip . Some of them are :
Yercaud lake
It is one of the most famous point of visit in Yercaud.
Situated in the heart of the town, it attracts all the visitors. This is a huge lake with lush green surroundings providing boating along
with retreat to eyes. Also with boating facility, its a relaxing place to rest and enjoy the nice surroundings.
Panaromic view of Yercaud Lake |
Anna park
It is situated just besides the lake.
The park is a good place to spend time and boasts of variety of flower
and some small games for your little ones to enjoy. This is one of the place to awaken the creativity in you. There are varieties of flower here that youll not stop clicking pictures of them. Also, the park has some small games for children where in your little ones can enjoy.
Welcome carving at the entrance of Anna Park |
Pagoda point
Located a bit away from the city, this place has a awesome view. Basically it's just a point in open located at a higher altitude but the view it provides is just mesmerizing. People usually drive here for the serene view it provides. This is one more calm composed place of this city.
View around Pagoda point |
32 km loop road
The 32km Loop Road |
This is one of the best part of Yercaud. Not many are aware of this but one must not miss this as there is no particular markings for this road. It starts near the lake and comes back to lake after covering whopping 32kms. Throughout the journey one sees different landscapes. The loop road covers stretches thru different variety of nature and natural vegetation. It passes thru the bamboo cover, paddy fields, dense thick forest, narrow curvy road, hill view points. Though the road is quite narrow at many points, but the journey is equally awesome.
Sunset View en-route along the loop route |
Ladys Seat
This is one more favourite tourist attractions of Yercaud offering a splendid view of the valley and surrounding areas. But the time we went in, the place was covered with clouds making it not so visible. However, off winters, the place will be fully filled with tourists, enjoying the view.
The view-tower in Lady's seat |
Shevaroy Hills
This is one more outstationed-place, located quite away from main Yercaud town. This place is named after the famous Shevaroy temple. On top the hill, theres a small temple, located inside a cave. Though the temple isnt that big, the view it surrounds attracts many. Also, one can have amazing tea here in the nearby tea stalls and shacks.
View from somewhere around Shevaroy hills |
Kiliyur Falls
This is one of the best waterfals in Yercaud. Though located quite down the hill, there are steps provided. People have to walk down the stairs for around 300-500 mtrs to reach the base of the waterfall. The waterfall is really nice but is usually crowded during weekends. The waterfall here is friendly, allowing people to get into it. If you want to enjoy getting down into the water, its advisable to go on a weekday.
Kiliyur Waterfalls |
Kiliyur water falls |
Overall Yercaud is a perfect weekend getaway to be spent with your family or your friends and would be highly recommended as its quite close to Bangalore.