Yelagiri Hills

The Yelagiri Hills are located in Tamil Nadu. These hills are spread over an area of 30 sq km having an altitude of 3500 ft. It lies between four mountains, at an elevation of 920 m above sea level. These hills lie in the Vellore District of Tamil Nadu, near the Vaniyambadi Tirupattur road.

Vellore is the closest city and Athnavur is the closest town from these hills. Yelagiri also lies 19 km from the small town of Jolarpettai. These hills also lie in proximity to major cities like Bangalore and Chennai.

The area experiences a moderate climate, which doesn’t get too chilly during winters. Fourteen main villages surround these hills, whose residents are mainly tribal and are engaged in the rural hill folk occupations of agriculture, horticulture and forestry. The major agricultural products of the place include jackfruit and honey. Orchards, rose gardens and green valleys, surround these hills.

The main town of Yelagiri Hills is Athanur, which comprises a winding road through the hills with isolated villages and dwellings on both the sides. Way to the hilltop of Yelagiri goes through this winding Ghat road. The top of the hills are covered with lush green forests.

These hills have some well known trekking trails. The highest point at Yelagiri is the Swamimalai Hill, which is 4338 ft tall. This hill is a popular destination for trekkers with plenty of trekking trails passing through thick reserved forests. There is also a small village, Mangalam, on this hill.

Other trekking hills in the region include the smaller peaks of Javadi Hills and the Palamathi Hills. Adventure sports like paragliding and rock climbing are rapidly being introduced and promoted in the area.

The Punganur Lake is a manmade lake and one of the popular attractions of the region. The popular Velvan Temple is situated at the top of the hill. There is a large sculpture of Gadothgajan present at the entrance of this temple. A festival is held at this temple around July and August, which depicts the local culture.

The telescope observatory present near these hills along with the Jalagamparai Waterfalls are its other attractions. The epicentre of this destination is Athnavur town, which has also become a weekend gateway for travellers from Bangalore and Chennai.

Yelagiri Hills can be visited year round. During summers, between March and June the temperature ranges from 18˚ Celsius to 34˚ Celsius. Best time to visit Yelagiri Hills is in winters i.e. between November and February, when it’s usually cool and temperature ranges from 11˚ Celsius to 24˚ Celsius. Yelagiri Hills hosts the Summer Festival for three days in the month of May which attracts many tourists.