Yelagiri | |
|---|---|
Hill Station | |
      Clockwise from top: Yelagiri lake; Siva-Parvati temple; An unpaved mud road; Velavan temple; A traditional hut; and Paddy fields | |
  Yelagiri Location in Tamil Nadu, India | |
| Coordinates:12°34′41″N78°38′27″E / 12.578104°N 78.640737°E /12.578104; 78.640737 | |
| Country |  India |
| State | Tamil Nadu |
| District | Tirupattur district |
| Region | Vellore |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.2 km2 (11.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,410 m (4,630 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 4,409 |
| • Density | 150/km2 (390/sq mi) |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Tamil |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| PIN | 635853 |
| Vehicle registration | TN-83Z |
Yelagiri (Tamil:[jeːlaɡiɾi]), also spelledElagiri, is ahill station located inTirupathur district ofTamil Nadu, India. Located at an altitude of 1,410 m (4,630 ft), it forms a part of theEastern Ghats mountain range. The hills consist of 14 hamlets spread across an area of 72 km2 (28 sq mi).
As per folklore, whenHindu godVishnu visited the earth, he planted his feet on the hills. As the people could not stand his weight, they yelled ‘yelo’ in fear (‘kili’ inTamil), which later became Yelagiri.[1][2] As perHindu beliefs, Vishnu came to the hills later to marry goddessLakshmi, who is known by the name "Yelagiri Thayar" and the region came to be known as Yeloshwaram.[3]
While the region was probably ruled by tribal chieftains during the earlySangam period, it was under the rule of theCheras,Pandyas andCholas over different periods of history.[4][5][6] The hills are mentioned inTamil literature byOttakoothar in 12th century CE.[7] It was under the control ofVijayanagara empire in the latemiddle age, who established sway over the region.[8][9] In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under theKingdom of Mysore and after theAnglo-Mysore Wars and thePolygar Wars, theBritish East India Company annexed the region to theMadras Presidency the early 19th century.[10]
In the 19th century,Malai Vellalar (Malayali) hill tribes, populated the region.[11] Later, theBritish Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857.[12] The hills were organized as private properties of theZamindars of Yelagiri.[13] AfterIndian Independence in 1947, the region was taken over by theGovernment of India and became part of theMadras State, which later became Tamil Nadu.[14]
Though the region has been occupied during prehistoric times, recent settlement occurred in the 19th century, when about 200Malayali tribes populated the area and practicedagriculture.[11] As per the2011 census, the hills had a population of 4,409 residing in 1,128 households including a population of 538 under the age of six. The population included 3,318scheduled tribes and 230scheduled caste. The population included 2,170 males and 2,239 females with asex ratio of 1,032. Theliteracy rate was 65.8%.[15]
The area is administered by atown panchayat as a part of theJolapettai block ofTirupattur taluk.[16] The panchayat is responsible for the basic infrastructure such as road, lighting, water supply and sanitation. There is one primary health center catering to healthcare needs of the population.[17]
Yelagiri is located inTirupathur district ofTamil Nadu.[18] Located at an altitude of 1,410 m (4,630 ft), it forms a part of theEastern Ghats mountain range.[19] The hills consist of 14 hamlets spread across an area of 72 km2 (28 sq mi).[20][1] Punganoor lake is a man-made lake covering 56.71 m2 (610.4 sq ft) in the hills.[21] The highest point is the Swamimalai hills at an altitude of 1,410 m (4,630 ft).[1] The hills are rich in flora with orchards, rose-gardens, and green valleys.[22]
Yelagiri's has a warm climate in summer and is cooler in the winter. The climate is considered to beAw according to theKöppen-Geiger climate classification.
| Climate data for Yelagiri | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 25.2 (77.4) | 28.0 (82.4) | 30.2 (86.4) | 31.1 (88.0) | 32.6 (90.7) | 30.8 (87.4) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.4 (83.1) | 28.3 (82.9) | 27.0 (80.6) | 25.5 (77.9) | 24.4 (75.9) | 28.3 (83.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.0 (59.0) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.6 (69.1) | 20.9 (69.6) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.5 (67.1) | 19.0 (66.2) | 18.4 (65.1) | 16.4 (61.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 17.9 (64.3) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 8 (0.3) | 7 (0.3) | 11 (0.4) | 38 (1.5) | 79 (3.1) | 61 (2.4) | 106 (4.2) | 132 (5.2) | 150 (5.9) | 193 (7.6) | 104 (4.1) | 66 (2.6) | 955 (37.6) |
| Source:[23] | |||||||||||||
The hills can be accessed by a mountain road with 14 hair pin bends, branching out fromNational Highway 48.[24] It is situated about 220 km (140 mi) from the state capitalChennai and 160 km (99 mi) fromBengaluru.[1] The major access roads are maintained by theDepartment of Highways and Minor Ports of Government of Tamil Nadu.[17] The nearest major rail head is atJolarpettai, located about 19 km (12 mi) away. The nearest airport about 155 km (96 mi) away is located atSalem, which has limited domestic flights with major international airports atBengaluru andChennai.[1]
Tourism forms a major part of the economy of the hills. The lake hasboating facilities and is accompanied by a park.[20] Other places of interest include Jalagamparai waterfalls, Telescope observatory and Swamimalai hills.[24][25] The district administration has taken up development of the hills in 2007. Though many of the facilities developed during the plan in 2007, have been badly maintained.[26]
A herbal farm is maintained by theGovernment of Tamil Nadu.[21] Temples include Kalyana Venkataramana Perumal temple, Nilavur Amman temple, Jalagandeeswarar temple and Velavan temple.[1][3][25]Trekking activities are carried out at Swamimalai hills and adventure sports such asparagliding androck climbing are being promoted by the Government.[27][1] The yeary "Yelagiri Summer Festival" is celebrated in May and is organised byTamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. Stalls from different departments, flowers show, dog show and various cultural programs are conducted.[25]
