Shazneen Mistry
www.mediaeyenews.com
Yercaud is a hill station in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu and is situated in the Shevaroy Hills, which are known for their orange groves, coffee, fruit, and spice plantations. Yercaud hill is located in Salem District and is also called as Ooty of Poor people. The height of Yercaud hill is 5, 325 feet, and the area covered by 383 square kilometres.
Yercaud was founded by Sir Thomas Munroe, who discovered it in 1842. The planters made a beeline after David Cockburn, the collector of Salem in the 1820s, facilitated the establishment of plantations with coffee, pepper, orange, apple, and other citrus fruit plants, that had been imported from South Africa.
Yercaud is also famous for the Yercaud Lake, which has a boathouse, and is surrounded by gardens and woods. On the lake’s eastern shore, Anna Park has local plants and a Japanese garden with bonsai. To the southwest, Lady’s Seat vantage point has a watchtower with a telescope.
The winter season which extends from October to February is the best time to visit Yercaud. The temperature ranges between 13°C to 25°C. Summer in the region starts in March and lasts till June, but the climate is quite cool which makes it possible to see this place in summer as well.
The trip to this place can be done in two days, after exploring all the main attractions of this place or for four days, if one wishes to spend more time in the lap of nature.
Yercaud offers Several tourist spots such as Kiliyur Falls; Emerald Lake; Bear's Cave; Pagoda Point; Lady's Seat; Botanical Garden; Tipperary Viewpoint and Annamalaiyar Temple. Along with tourist spots, this place is also very famous for its textile, spices, coffee powder, and natural cosmetics.
While some people praise this place for its natural beauty and greenery, others have complained that Yercaud does not have any worthy tourist spots to visit. The lake itself is tiny and its sidewalk can be covered in 2 to 3 minutes. Other spots are not worthy and just advertisements but when you reach there, you find there is nothing at all there. They even complained about this place is not safe and that they were not comfortable here. These are just a few views of some people…One should make their own decisions and not get carried away by what others say.
