 Yercaud Hill Station is a fascinating hill station of Tamil Nadu, situated about 8 kms from the district of Salem. It is situated at an altitude of 5000 ft above sea level, and the highest point in Yercaud is the Servarayan Temple, at 5,326 feet (1,623 m). As a popular tourist destination, Yercaud is also called as Jewel of the South. It falls on the Shevaroy Range of Hills in the Eastern Ghats. Thus the Yercaud hill area is also called the ‘Shevaroy Hills’. Sir Thomas Munroe, the then Governor of Madras exposed this beautiful hill station of Tamil Nadu in 1824.
Scenically, Yercaud is as enchanting and picturesque as the hill stations on the Eastern Ghats. There are a number of lakes big and small and waterfalls on this hill. The beautiful lake here has boating facilities. Yercaud is also ideal for trekking. Its low profile makes it a less expensive destination in South India. Yercaud’s pretty landscape mostly comprises coffee plantations and thickly forested slopes. It offers good trekking and boating opportunities. Yercaud has neither a biting winter nor a scorching summer. So, it is an ideal place to go around throughout the year. Etymology of Yercaud The term ‘Yer’ means beauty in Tamil, ‘Kadu’ means forest as this is flourished with fruit plantations like apple, cherry and orange. Hence, Yercaud in Tamil means ‘beautiful forest’. It is also explained as Seven Forest. Flora and Fauna of Yercaud The National Orchidarium and Botanical garden is situated in Yercaud, it is maintained by southern circle of Botanical Survey of India. The total area of Orchidarium is 18.4 hectares. There are 3000 trees and 1800 shrubs grown in Orchidarium. Insectivorous pitcher plant is among the interesting plants grown in the Botanical garden. Some of the original forests still exist in the Yercaud hills and contain several endemic species of plants and fauna. Coffee and citrus fruits, most notably oranges, are grown in abundance, as well as bananas, pears and jackfruit. The local wildlife includes bison, deer, ant-eater, rabbits, hares, foxes, mongoose, squirrels, partridges, snakes, bulbuls, kites, sparrows, swallows and paradise flycatchers. Tourism in Yercaud 
The major industry is tourism, eco tourism with resorts amid high trees and green coffee. Apart from the lush green landscape of Yercaud, there are several other tourism sites to visit.
Best time to visit Yercaud Yercaud experiences salubrious climate and is pleasant to be visited any time of the year. The climate of Yercaud is very pleasant and the temperature here never rises beyond 30 degree Celsius and never falls below 12 degree Celsius. Winters are fairly mild, starting in September and ending in December. During winter, the hills are covered in mist. Route to Yercaud It is situated on a fine motorable Ghat road with several hairpin bends linking the top after a 23 kms ride through coffee plantations. The nearest airports are Salem Airport at a distance of 38 km, Trichy Airport at a distance of 165 km and Coimbatore Airport at a distance of 195 km. The nearest railway station is Salem which is 38 km. There are plenty of buses to Yercaud. |
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