Yelagiri or Elagiri is a small hill station located in between the towns of Vaniyambadi and Jolarpettai (Tamil Nadu, India). Yelagiri, at a height of 920 meters above sea level, stands majestically amidst four mountains. This place has a salubrious climate prevailing throughout the year so that winters do not keep visitors away. However ,it can never be compared with top stations like Ooty and Kodaikanal.
Punganoor (Punganur) Lake is one of the popular and amazing place in Yelagiri. It's very close to the main road and easy to locate. There is a lush green park adjacent to the lake. The visitors can either enjoy the beauty of this place either by boating or walking on the footpaths on the banks of the lake. Also there is an entry fee to get into the premises.
Views of Punganoor Lake
During the visit to Punganoor Lake , I tried to capture the scenic beauty of this place from various angles. Also I have taken few of this photos in small aperture to get the sun in star shape. Most of my snaps are of the same kind and I love to take such ones.
Punganoor Lake - Sunset
Swamimalai Hills is the highest point in Yelagiri. This place is a worth for those who loves trekking. The trek to Swamimalai is around 3 km from the valley and it take nearly one / one and half hour to reach the peak point. At the top ,there is a small temple and also a watch tower to enjoy the astonishing view of the region.
Swamimalai -Valley
The trek to Swamimalai was an awesome experience for me. The climate was cool in the morning and we started by around 6 AM. It was easy to trek in the beginning as there were enough steps in the pathway (See the second photo below). Gradually it became harder as slope was steeper. Being in a group , we engaged in humorous talks and capturing moments. The peak point gifted us some great moments , as the view was breathtaking. We took many snaps using the timer option in my DSLR. Also I didn't forget to capture the scenic beauty of the hills.
End of the Journey
Where to stay in Yelagiri
Being a prominent tourist location , there are enough number of resorts and hotels in Yelagiri. The yelagiri hotels are cheap and offer budget stay comparing with other tourist places , but we have to find out the quality ones. During our trip, we were not insisted upon getting a well equipped room with all faciilites. Our group was of 4 members and our only intention was to get the budgetary one from the available rooms in Yelagiri. This resulted in pre-booking a 800 Rs per day room with 4 beds in hotel Lakeview. It's not more than enough to get a room of 200 Rs per head. (The tariff could have changed by this time).How to reach Yelagiri
From Bangalore
Yelagiri is about 150 km from Bangalore , good for a four hour bike ride with breaks along the way. Take the NH7 out of Bangalore towards Hosur, turn towards Chennai (onto NH46) at Krishnagiri and continue until you get just before Vaniyambadi. You can see the Hills from quite a distance (on your right). From a break in the highway that comes approx 2 km after the toll gate, turn right into the underpass road that takes you to Tirupathur. Continue some 5 km and at Ponneri Junction take a right to Yelagiri Hills. The routes are all marked with signboards in English.
From Chennai
Yelagiri is about 258 km from Chennai-Tambaram. Take the Poonamalee High Road out of the city to Ponamalee Town. From Poonamalee, take the Bangalore highway towards Vellore. The distance to Vellore is about 140 km and the route passes through Sriperumbudur, Walajapet. Vellore would be a good place to plan a break, there are a lot of eating places right on the highway. From Vellore continue on to Ambur and then towards Vaniyambadi. On the highway about 45 km from the third toll station, watch out for a signboard for "Elagiri - 22 kms". Take a left at this exit. Its easy to miss this left and if you overshoot this you would reach the Vaniyambadi toll station in about 1km. Continue on this road (SH18) till you reach Ponneri junction which has Thirupathur straight and Yelagiri on the left. Watch out for this one as it is easy to miss.
By train
If you are coming by train from Bangalore, Chennai or Coimbatore you have to get down at Jolarpettai Junction. Cabs and buses are available from there.
Public transport
If you prefer to take public transport, buses come from Thirupattur and Jolarpet. You can take a taxi also from these places. You can negotiate for about 1200 INR (2011) to drop you in Yelagiri Hills from Jolarpettai Junction.
There are 14 hairpin bends on the ghat road from Ponneri to Yelagiri and the road is pretty narrow so you can't actually park a car to enjoy the view except at some of the wider hairpin bends. Bikes won't have this problem though.
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