Yercaud
Jewel of the South

Located just 3 km faraway from Yercaud Lake, Killiyur Falls may be a cascade of water that plunges from a height of about 300 ft. This falls is nestled within the Shevaroy Hills of the Eastern Ghats and falls right down to the Killiyur Valley. within the valley, tourists can enjoys fun water activities like boating and swimming. it’s best to go to this falls after the monsoon season when the water level is maximum and it thrives altogether its glory. The falls is fed by the waters of the Yercaud Lake and other surrounding water bodies within the hills. Adventure lovers would also find this spot appealing as they will trek from the lake to the falls, all the while enjoying the verdant and pristine surroundings and therefore the pleasant weather. For a greater challenge, they will also find their way through arboraceous forests, while trekking from the lake to rock bottom of the hills.

Namakkal is that the headquarter of Namakkal district, located about 80 km from Yercaud. it’s situated at the bottom of the only Rock Hillock. one among the premier attractions of this region may be a rock fort perched on top of a hillock. cover a neighborhood of one-and-a-half acre, the fort is accessible from the southwest direction via a flight of narrow steps. it had been a centre point for various power struggles between Hyder Ali, the ruler of the dominion of Mysore (later his son Tipu Sultan) and therefore the British.
Today, it’s home to a cave temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha and Lord Lakshmi Narasimhan. The place is additionally fashionable devotees of the 1500-year-old Digambara Anjaneya Temple. The unique feature of this temple is that the statue of Lord Anjaneya is made in such how that has its eyes are fixed at the divine feet of Lord Narasimha, whose idol is enshrined at the hillock. Namakkal is that the first ISO 14001-2004 certified municipality in Asia for environmental management, especially provision and maintenance of water system , solid waste and waste management, city planning , lighting and other social services.

The name of the town of Salem has been derived from the word ‘sailam’, which suggests a neighborhood surrounded by mountains. Salem is one among the main hubs of steel, magnesite and handloom industries in India. The Kottai Mariamman Temple and Sugavaneswarar Temple are two important places of worship here. Another popular attraction is Mettur Dam, which is additionally called Stanley’s Dam. it’s around 1,700 m long and has been built on River Cauvery to irrigate the region. to find out more about the treasures and history of the region, one can visit the govt museum.
Salem has been alive since the prehistoric times as is clear from the invention of Paleolithic and Neolithic stone implements and tons of dung ash within the region. The 12th century witnessed the Hoysala rulers rise in parts of Salem and by subsequent century that they had established their rule. However, some regions of Salem remained under the rule of the Pandiyan dynasty. Salem was also a neighborhood of the trade route with the Roman Empire but was later governed by the Poligars, who constructed variety of temples and forts within the region. Before it had been captured by Tipu Sultan’s father, Hyder Ali, Salem was a neighborhood of the famous Vijayanagara empire. After the Mysore-Madurai war, it had been ceded to British in 1768. Today, as Salem is one among the fastest growing tier II cities in Tamil Nadu , the government is getting to establish an IT park and a steel SEZ (Steel Special Economic Zone) within the Salem steel mill . There already is an exclusive electrical and electronic industrial estate in Salem city’s Suramangalam area.

Yercaud Lake is one among the striking attractions that visitors can see within the hill station of Yercaud. it’s a pristine water body surrounded by variety of trees and gardens. Moreover, what sets it higher on the tourist map is its alleged position because the only naturally-formed lake across Capitol Hill stations of Tamil Nadu .
Also called Emerald Lake and large Lake, visitors can enjoy boat rides at this waterfront as both rowboat and motorboat facilities are available. Located on the banks of the lake are a deer park and a leisure park, where visitors can sprawl back and luxuriate in the encompassing natural beauty. At the deer park, particularly popular among children, one can see deer, swans, hamsters and peacocks. There are open spaces where kids can play. The lake also boasts a floating fountain that adds to its beauty. It remains closed after 5 pm.

Sankagiri, located in Salem district, is about 68 km from Yercaud. it’s home to a magnanimous fort, which is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). inbuilt the 15th century by the Vijayanagar rulers, the fort served as a British tax storage facility and was once a crucial military base for Tipu Sultan, the legendary ruler of the dominion of Mysore. just one side of Capitol Hill on which the fort is situated is scalable because the others are too steep to climb. Sankagiri Fort has two temples, two mosques, a well, a granary and administrative buildings constructed during British rule. Noted Tamil chieftain and insurgent Dheeran Chinnamalai, who bravely fought against British Malay Archipelago company was hanged here on July 31, 1805, during the Indian Independence movement. Dheeran was the son of Rathina Sakarai, who was the adopted son of Kotravel Kaminda Mandradiyar, a chieftain of the Kongu region.