yelagiri Trip

Recently I visited yelagiri with my friends. Its one of the nearest hill resort from chennai.

Route: Koyembedu --> poonnamale --> sriperamabadur --> vellore --> vaniyambadi -->ponneri --> yelagiri hills. we stayed in Hotel Lake view
I gave the itinerary to yelagiri what circulated during our trip

Cost estimation:

Kilometers approx 500 (up& down from chennai)

Kilometer 7/km

Driver charge/day 250 per day so total Amount is 4000

Type: 10 bed Dormitory. Accommodation: 250 per head. Food: Hotel Lake view itself

Extra expenses: tollgate fee, parking fee, entry fee etc.. Total Cost (Travel + accommodation) 4000+2000 = 6000. Shared by 8 peoples: 750+250 =1000 per head

Individual Expenses:Food, water Bottles, Snacks, and others

Essential things for travel

Shorts and 1 set of Dress, Cameras with chargers, Mobile chargers ,Shoes and chapels
Torch light, Match box/lighter

Beside this, don't forget to carry things like comb, soap, face wash, shampoo pouch, toothbrush, tooth paste, deodorant

Day 1:

Date: 09-08-08 -- Sturday Depart to yelagiri by 5.00 am from chennai. having the break fast in vellore (katpadi) Will reach Yelagiri in approximately by 10'o clock.
We decide the places after we reached yelagiri. after checking in the hotel we visited the artificial Park near the lake. we spend nearly 2 hours in the park by taking photographs. nothing special in the artificial park. finishing the lunch in the near by hotel, we returned to the hotel. after taking a small break we visit the artificial lake. Punganoor Artificial Lake-cum-Park go on a boat ride.
Entry fee need to be paid to enter the lake and park. Worth it.



Day 2:
Swamimalai
Possibly the highest peak around and the best place to go on a lovely trek is Swamimalai. It's an easy trek along a muddy path starting from the eastern side of the lake, which is about 3 kilometres long and pretty scenic too. Most visitors to Yelagiri Hills, who have trekking in mind, often climb up Swamimalai.

Make sure you have enough water and light snacks before you set-off up the hillock.


Place of Interest:

Jalagamparai Waterfalls

The River Attaaru, runs through the valleys of Yelagiri Hills, and at the village of Jadaiyanoor, flows over to form the waterfall. It's perhaps the only distant spot from the main town (over 30 kilometres) and fairly frequented by visitors to the Hills. Larger groups picnic out here, but because of its isolation don't expect too many facilities. Jalagamparai Waterfalls is also an ideal place to go on a day long trek and if you do decide to go there, just make sure you're well-stocked with water and food.

A word of caution: the waterfalls are dependent on the river being full and the river is dependent on substantial rainfall. Yelagiri Hills hasn't any monsoon season of its own; rainfall here is mainly a 'spill-over' of rainfall in nearby Bangalore or Chennai regions. Unless there is rain here, Yelagiri Hills can largely be dry.

Murugan Koil
If perchance the need arises to seek divine intervention drop by at the Murugan temple to offer prayers and invoke blessings from the deity. For whatever its worth, a trip or even a trek to the holy spot is bound to invigorate energy, health and peace of mind.

Telescope House
You come across this when you're driving up the Hills. It's supposed to be open on weekends, but one has always seen a huge padlock at all times. They say there's a telescope housed inside and from where one can get a good view of places in the distance. But from the naked-eye one can easily get a view of Thirupathur Town or Jolarpet down below; no need for telescopes, really. Besides, it's a waste of time and petrol to drive 2 kilometers to find a padlock at the gates.
mangalam village

siva temple on top of the hill from mangalam village (atleast 1.5 hour up the hill)
Summer Festival
May and June each year is the time for a Summer festival at Yelagiri Hills. Main attendees are local village folk and like-minded people from nearby areas of Vellore District. The government-sponsored event aims to showcase the customs, culture and traditions of the tribal belonging to the areas that fall under Yelagiri Hills. Invitees include state ministers, government officials, members of various panchayat unions and local headmen.




What actually happens is that there are a lot of cultural programmes, music blaring out of loud speakers all across town and a general destruction of peace and quiet. Many welfare measures are announced amidst all the merry-making, but like its every where else, nothings ever achieved.

Talakona Falls Near Thirupathi

AnandRaj! Thanks for this Write up.

July 2008
Chennai.

“Too tired. Let me sleep”
“There is an implementation over the weekend. So cant go out of town”
“Jagan has come to Chennai. Let me have a drink with him. Bugs would also come. It will be fun”
“Who cares about implementation. That’s not my responsibility”
“Have to go on a trek this weekend. Its been too long. If we drink, cant make it”
“Dad’s not in town. I have to go home and spend the weekend at home with mom rather than doing something else”
“The client will escalate if there are problems in implementation”…

These are the thoughts that run thru my mind on Friday evening. Finally the devil rules and I decide to go have a few drinks with my college mates Jagan and Bugs. As usual, it is the Tiruvanmiyur guest house, which was Keshor’s rented house before running away to the Bush land. Signature - tastes good. We go the beach at around 2 a.m, enjoy the sea breeze, stare at the stars and hear the rush of the waves (only Jagan and me)!

“Get up”… zzz 5 mins.. “Eh”… “lets go have breakfast”… “Eh”….
That is Jagan constantly waking me up. He is really become a pain in the neck. Keeps nagging, has started asking too many questions, talking too much. 10 a.m in the morning. Gosh! Can we go for the trek now? Talakona. That’s the place we have in mind. One of bug’s friends had made some good use of the internet, searching for waterfalls and this is one of them. All we know is this is in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh. Couple of phone calls and we decide to start by 12 noon. Gopal joins without any hesitation. It is said he has a bag pack always ready to jump in anytime for a trek. A crazy guy who makes others crazy with his arguments! So Bugs, his friend, Gopal and I meet in Koyembedu bus-stand at 2:00 p.m. Board the bus to chittoor.


Chennai ---Bus (4 hours)----- > Chittoor ----Bus (2hours)---- > Peleru --- Night Halt


Peleru -----(Bus) 1 hour--------- > Bagrapet ---Jeep (30 minutes)---- > Talakona



We start at 5 am from Peleru on Sunday after our halt at a hotel in Peleru. Get into a dabba bus, which takes us to Bagrapet. “Talakona epdi’lu pogunnaru’lu? Dabbu endhuku? Evalo dhooram’lu?” Stuttering and stammering with a language we did not know. Its pathetic, isn’t it. So close to Chennai, but don’t know the language. Have to learn telugu in 30 days, ok, lets atleast make it 60! Anyvays, from this place, one has to take a share jeep to Talakona, covering 21 km. The Jeep driver initially asks for Rs.250 and finally settles for Rs.100 for four of us!!! Later we realize, the share jeep rate is only Rs.20 per person. At Talakona, there are a couple of huts which are busy preparing breakfast at 6.30 in the moring. Hot idlis, dosa and vada. For a south Indian, nothing can beat this combination. We have breakfast, order for lunch and start our trek. By the way, there is a guest house here (having 6 double rooms – Rs350 for non-ac) run by AP govt of tourism. One has to book in advance though.


The trek to the falls is roughly about 3 km. Pretty easy and pretty green all along the way. We look at the falls from a distance and the water falls from about 200 feet. Quite high right. But it doesn’t look that great. We actually want to climb even further before getting into the falls. So find a small route that actually turns out to be very very steep. Bug’s friend decides to stay back. Bugs, Gopal and I take frequent breaks before we finally make it to the top. My God. Amazing! Worth very breath we took to reach to the top. A hill or a mountain, however small, is always rewarding once you get to the top. Green all over, good view points, the damp smell of the trees, the sound of the water flowing in the valley – chancey illa. Sooper! Sooper! Sooper! We roam around for an hour. We also get to see a big red tailed squirrel. I initially thought it to be a mongoose climbing trees :-)) Silly me… !

We get back and get ready for the water fall. Thanks to gravity, one gets to enjoy a waterfall :-)) Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh…….. Oooooooooooooooohhhhhhhh! The other guys out in the falls are shouting at the top of their voices. And they do it only at certain times. Think they are crazy. No one is staying in the falls for more than 10 minutes! Why? Lets find out. We get in. Ayyo! The water is so chill. And the water is literally drumming our backs. Due to the wind it sways and hence you find water hitting you for a few seconds and the next moment it is gone. And when it hits again, we start shouting, without even realizing it. I cannot explain that feeling. It is cold. It is crazy. Your head and back aches because of the hitting water. But you don’t want to get out. It is so much fun. It actually gives you a kick! You are overjoyed. You remain in the waterfall for a half a day, you will keep laughing and go mad I guess :-) We spend about an hour in the falls and then return. One of the best waterfalls I have been to.




It is not like Tada falls where guys come, drink, litter, spoil the whole place and roam around in underwear. The place is quite descent with families also coming and enjoying.

On the way back, encounter a few hungry monkeys trying to grab the musk melon that we carry. So watch out!

Take the return route via Tirupati and reach Chennai by 11 in the night.


Talakona -- > Bagrapet ---Bus (45 mins)--- > Tirupati---Bus (3.5 hrs)---- > Chennai

Some snaps.
http://good-times.webshots.com/album/564112659cENjhX?vhost=good-times


I remember My friend Bugs always telling me “The best things in life are always for free!”

A road Less Travel to ooty

A road less travel to ooty