Trip to Yelagiri hills from Bangalore

[abhi89]

I would like to share my recent day trip to Yelagiri Hills from Bangalore.
 
Yelagiri is a hill station around 170 Kms from Bangalore close to Ponneri in Tamil Nadu. It is located 1400metres above sea level, Yelagiri is surrounded by orchard gardens and green valleys.
 
We started from the Bangalore and drove through Electronics city, Hosur and reached our first breakfast stop at Krishna bhavan,Shoolangiri, TN. Krishna Bhavan is located beside McDonald's and CCD outlets. It is strategically located on the highway to pull the crowd.
 
After breakfast, we proceeded towards Krishnagiri and we took the left to Chennai highway and proceeded till the Vaniyambadi toll booth. Yelagiri Hills can be seen from quite a distance (on right). From a left side break in the highway that comes approx 2 km after the toll gate, Turn right into the underpass road that takes to Tirupathur. Continue some 5 km and at Ponneri Junction took a left to Yelagiri Hills. The routes are all marked with signboards in English and Tamil.
 
Ponneri, the base of Yelagiri hills and there are a total of 14 hair pin bend in that 16kms stretch. 
The hair pin bends were not really tough ones like Ooty or Kodai. Be very careful as some curves are totally dangerous and blind. Be prepared to see some monkeys way up. It is a two way road,but cars and bikes have to stop to make way for a larger vehicle. 
 
We parked our car near a old abandoned view point and
and climbed the stairs. The entire valley could be seen amidst clouds. 
 
We visited to artificial lake called Punganoor which also had an adjoining park. Rested here for quite sometime, as the breeze was cool. Boating is also available here. There is a pathway along the bund with a panoramic view of the lake. 
 
We had a lunch in a local restaurant, bought some pure honey from the local vendors.
 
We roamed around to see if we can go for some more attractions but there are not many places to visit. There are places like Swami Malai and Jalagampari waterfalls for trekking but we skipped them.
 
Places to see in Yelagiri hills:
 
For trekking fans there are plenty of places in Yelagiri worth visiting:
 
Swami Malai
It is the highest peak, soaring to 4,338 ft from Mangalam, a hamlet at its base, takes the cake. Its an easy climb of about an hour with infrequent breaks (about a 1000 foot climb). Smaller peaks like Javadu Hills, Palamathi Hills and others are an easier climb. Start early though and be back before 9AM, for once the sun climbs up it can get rather uncomfortable.
 
Jalagamparai falls:
Jalagamparai waterfalls are a 5 km trek from Yelagiri downhill. It’s a tough trek, but the view from the sides of the mountain, of the valley, is truly rewarding. A short distance away, on the other side of the hill, is Jalagamparai falls, situated at a distance of 14 km from Tirupattur. The murmuring Attaru Rives flows through the Yelagiri Hills, and plummets down to form a highly captivating waterfall. It’s an hour, 5 km, and walk from Yelagiri downhill. Though there is a direct route from Yelagiri to the falls, it is often closed. One has to go all the way down the hill, take the plains, and then climb the hill on the other side. It’s an hour’s journey.
 
Punganur Lake:
This is an artificial lake, excavated in an area of 57 sq meters. The Elagiri Hills Development and Tourism Promotion Society runs the Boat Club, with pedaling and rowing boats. There is a pathway along the bund with a panoramic view of the lake on one side and the garden on the other. A connecting bridge leads the pathway around the lake. The pathway around the lake is particularly good for birding. There is also a small watch tower constructed next to a tree which can be climbed. Even though the water is not clear, the lake is pretty clean.
 
Note: It is daytrip from Bangalore and Chennai. There are plenty of stay options in Yelagiri to choose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sagar]

Lovely pictures @abhi89 .  When it's said to be just 170 kms from Bangalore, I'm sure this can be best suited for an awesome day drive. Nice information on the places to visit in Yelagiri. Short and Crisp. I think this place would look more beautiful during monsoons :). Any pictures of the Jalagamparai falls ?

[Gowtham]

Fantastic write-up and good pictures.

Bangalore weekend getaway list is never ending.
You guys are lucky for sure.

 

In Hyderabad we hardly have a proper weekend getaway.
That is the reason we cover more kilometers 

[abhi89]

Lovely pictures [mention=251]abhi89[/mention] .  When it's said to be just 170 kms from Bangalore, I'm sure this can be best suited for an awesome day drive. Nice information on the places to visit in Yelagiri. Short and Crisp. I think this place would look more beautiful during monsoons . Any pictures of the Jalagamparai falls ?

Couldn't cover the waterfall as it was off season and no water in falls.

[Sridhar Tandra]

Nice pictures @abhi89 like @Ranger said, I am jealous of Bangalore & Pune for there never ending weekend getaways but always in love with Hyderabad because we have an option to cover more miles!!  Nice write up buddy