Plan your weekend: Yelagiri, A trekker’s paradise

The hill station is located at a height of 1410.6 meters above sea level. After a 5 km trek through Yelagiri hills, you will reach the Jalagamparai waterfalls. It’s said that the falls have medicinal properties because of the herbs that grow near the site.

The highest point in Yelagiri is the Swamimalai Hill, standing tall at 4,338 ft; Swamimalai is a destination and viewpoint for trekkers. The hill provides a number of trekking trails through thick reserved forests. Mangalam, a small village, is at the base of this hill. There are other trekking options that include smaller peaks like Javadi Hills and Palamathi Hills.

The must-visit places in Yelagiri include Forest Department’s Herbal Farm, Velavan (Murugan) temple, Jalagandeeswarar temple, telescope observatory and boating on Punganur Lake.

Location: Vellore district in Tamil Nadu

Distance From Chennai: 227 km

Interesting Fact: The whole of Yelagiri was once the private property of the Yelagiri zamindar family. It was taken over by the government of India during the Early 1950s. The house of the Yelagiri zamindars still exists in Reddiyur.