Aug 20, 2005 03:55 PM
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(Updated Aug 20, 2005 04:03 PM)
Thinking of spending a weekend out of town ? Need some peace and quiet ? Tranquility ? Head to Yelagiri hills in Tamilnadu. 180 km from Bangalore and 240 from Chennai, the destination is ideal for the Techie crowd, which we were not. Me and a quartet of friends, from Thrishur, Kerala made the 500 km plus trip to Yelagiri for the Indipendance day weekend on Saturday reaching Jolarpet (the nearest rail head) at 5 in the evening. We were off on an invitation from a business acquaintance who was lucky to own a large rose farm in the hills. From Jolarpet we made the 18 km uphill journey to Athnavur, the main hub which took 1.5 hours on a packed bus. The scenery at each hairpin bend was breathtaking to say the least.
The places to visit are Swamimalai, the Yelagiri Lake, Jagalamparai waterfalls and the Velavan Templeat Nilavur. The 1000 ft climb to Swamimalai will tax the city dweller some, providing a good workout to your body and lungs. The lake is artificial and still undergoing expansion. You get the facility for boating and a small park to stroll around in. The temple is nothing remarkable, with zero architectural embellishments, but pleasantly cossetted in the open moorland. Mention must be made of the two large statues standing guard at the mouth of the entrance.
Rather than places of interest, it is the open widespread land and the ever winding roads that suit the idle traveller, which Yelagiri has aplenty. You can stroll down the quiet streets for hours without witnessing any automobile, occassionally coming across villagers going about their errands. And of course the dogs. There are a large no. of dogs who leave you to your own but at times may follow you in hope of peanuts (literally). We didnt have any problem out in the open even during moonlit strolls.
The Climate which turns chilly in winter and in the monsoons is pleasant for the rest of the year. No blazing sunshine even at mid-day. It gets pleasantly cold at night, with strong breezes if you're out in the open. Having frequented a 2 km distant teashop during our stay at Nilavur, we got friendly with the locals to the point of being offerred free treats.
Though you may have to walk for hours to find one, the local tea shops will provide you with strong sweet brew made from goats milk and steaming hot local snacks like ''vadai'' and ''bonda'' which come cheap at 50 ps. More discerning gourmets will have to visit hotels in Athanavur or Ponnery for elaborate meals and tasty fish & meat cuisine. Otherwise branded snacks and beverages are aplenty. Fruits including guava's, jackfruit, pomegranate and banana's are aplenty in cornerstores. Wild honey is available cheaply at Rs.25 for 200 ml.
Tipplers are well advised to stock up from the foot hills at Jolarpet or the lone wine shop at Ponnery (5 km from Athanavur). Also be warned that the shops stock only quarter or pint sized bottles, so that if you're planning a binge you'll have to tote a lot of small bottles around.
To get to Yelagiri, there are frequent trains from Erode and Chennai. For those without own transport, the most viable option are the local buses which ply at hourly intervals. There are Autorikshaws that will take you shorter distances, but are unable to climb for long uphill. Taxis are available at Jolarpet to take you to the hills but will charge anything upto Rs.350 for a ride. Accomodation is aplenty and should be freely available in a normal weekend. Try the YMCA if all else fails.
Yelagiri is ideal as a weekend getaway, but be sure to spend a night. A climb to Swamimalai in the early morning and a visit to the Jagalamparai Waterfalls in the rainy season is recommended.
