Yelagiri (), also spelled Elagiri, is a hill station located in Tirupathur district of Tamil Nadu, India. Located at an altitude of , it forms a part of the Eastern Ghats mountain range. The hills consist of 14 hamlets spread across an area of .
Etymology
As per folklore, when
Hindu god Vishnu visited the earth, he planted his feet on the hills. As the people could not stand his weight, they yelled ‘yelo’ in fear (‘kili’ in
Tamil language), which later became Yelagiri.
As per
Hindu beliefs, Vishnu came to the hills later to marry goddess
Lakshmi, who is known by the name "Yelagiri Thayar" and the region came to be known as Yeloshwaram.
History
While the region was probably ruled by tribal chieftains during the early
Sangam period, it was under the rule of the
Chera dynasty,
Pandyas and
Cholas over different periods of history.
The hills are mentioned in
Tamil literature by
Ottakoothar in 12th century CE.
It was under the control of Vijayanagara empire in the late
middle age, who established sway over the region.
In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore and after the Anglo-Mysore Wars and the
Polygar Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency the early 19th century.
In the 19th century, Malai Vellalar (Malayali) hill tribes, populated the region.
Demographics
Though the region has been occupied during prehistoric times, recent settlement occurred in the 19th century, when about 200
Malai Vellalar tribes populated the area and practiced
agriculture.
As per the 2011 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 3,318
and 230
scheduled caste. The population included 2,170 males and 2,239 females with a
sex ratio of 1,032. The
literacy rate was 65.8%.
Administration
The area is administered by a town panchayat as a part of the
Jolarpet block of
Tirupattur taluk.
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.
Geography
Yelagiri is located in Tirupathur district of
Tamil Nadu.
Located at an altitude of , it forms a part of the
Eastern Ghats mountain range.
The hills consist of 14 hamlets spread across an area of .
Punganoor lake is a man-made lake covering in the hills.
The highest point is the Swamimalai hills at an altitude of .
The hills are rich in flora with orchards, rose-gardens, and green valleys.
Climate
Yelagiri's has a warm climate in summer and is cooler in the winter. The climate is considered to be Aw according to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.
Transport
The hills can be accessed by a mountain road with 14 hair pin bends, branching out from National Highway 48.
It is situated about from the state capital
Chennai and from
Bengaluru.
The major access roads are maintained by the Department of Highways and Minor Ports of Government of Tamil Nadu.
The nearest major rail head is at Jolarpettai, located about away. The nearest airport about away is located at Salem, which has limited domestic flights with major international airports at Bengaluru and Chennai.
Tourism
Tourism forms a major part of the economy of the hills. The lake has
boating facilities and is accompanied by a park.
Other places of interest include Jalagamparai waterfalls, Telescope observatory and Swamimalai hills.
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.
A herbal farm is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu.
