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), 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 Cheras, Pandyas and Cholas over different periods of history. The hills are mentioned in Tamil literature by Ottakoothar in 12th century CE.
During the late Middle Ages, the region came under the control of the Vijayanagara Empire, which established its authority over the wider area. In the latter part of the 18th century, the region came under the Kingdom of Mysore. Following the Anglo-Mysore Wars and the Polygar Wars, the British East India Company annexed the region to the Madras Presidency in the early 19th century.
In the 19th century, Malai Vellalar (Malayali) hill tribes, populated the region. A surviving traditional dwelling at Upper Nillavur, constructed with clay walls and a thatched roof, has been reported as representing a form of housing formerly common among the hill community. Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857. During the colonial period, the hills were organised as private properties of the Zamindars of Yelagiri. The 1881 census recorded seven Malayali villages in the Yelagiri hills, with a population of 748 inhabitans. William Wilson Hunter's Imperial Gazetteer of India, published in 1887, described Yelagiri as a hill tract then forming part of Salem district, with an average elevation of about and a highest point of . It describes wheat and millet among the crops cultivated on the hills.
After Indian Independence in 1947, the region was taken over by the Government of India and became part of the Madras State, which later became Tamil Nadu.
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 . The highest point is the Swamimalai hills at an altitude of . Punganoor lake is a man-made lake covering in the hills.
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.
Flora and fauna About (88%) of the area is covered by forests. The hills are covered mostly by semi-evergreen forests with eucalyptus widespread. Private teak and silver oak plantations are found on private lands. The hills are rich in flora with several orchards and rose-gardens found across the region. Several birds, butterflies, and monkeys can be observed on the route to Swamimalai. Wildlife recorded in the adjoining Jalagamparai forest at the foothills of Yelagiri include peafowl, grey junglefowl, monkeys, Russell's viper and cobra, and several species of forest birds.
Demographics Though the region has been occupied during prehistoric times, recent settlement occurred in the 19th century, when about 200 Malayali 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 scheduled tribes 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 Jolapettai 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.
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 and recreation
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. Nature-based recreation includes trekking and forest stays. The forest department operates tent-camping and forest rest-house accommodation as part of the Yelagiri–Jalagamparai ecotourism circuit, which is intended to support responsible tourism and provide economic benefits to local communities. A herbal farm is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu. Trekking activities are carried out at Swamimalai hills and adventure sports such as paragliding and rock climbing are being promoted by the Government.
Temples include Kalyana Venkataramana Perumal temple, Nilavur Amman temple, Jalagandeeswarar temple and Velavan temple. The annual "Yelagiri Summer Festival" is celebrated in May and is organised by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. It includes stalls maintained by different government departments, flower shows, dog shows and cultural programmes. The district administration has taken up development of the hills in 2007. Several facilities created as part of the programme were subsequently reported to have deteriorated or fallen into disuse.
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