Travel Articles
Yercaud
Yercaud - the poor man`s Ooty
Yercaud - the poor man’s Ooty
If Ooty is the `Queen of the Hills`, then Yercaud is a princess. The other districts of the region are hot and humid with the only silver lining, Yercaud.
Yercaud is how the Brits got around the tongue – twister `Yericaud`. Yercaud got its name from the combination of two Tamil words `yer` and kaddu which correspondingly mean lake and forest.
Yercaud is one of the India’s cheapest hill station destinations. Yercaud is so rich in its natural charm and its potential for bountiful discovery that to label it `cheap` would be truly insulting. It’s sometimes referred to as the ``Poor man’s Ooty``, but ``smart man’s Ooty would be nearer the mark..
In southern India when ever some one talks about a hill station then the two names that come into mind are Ooty and Kodaikanal. No mention is ever made, even in passing, of Yercaud. A majority of people don’t even consider Yercaud as a hill station. Yercaud is as beautiful as Ooty and Kodaikanal but is remarkably cheaper than both of them. May be this is the logic behind calling it as the `Poor Man’s Ooty`.
All along the route to Yercaud one will find monkeys playing high jinks and trees with violet flowers make one wonder where one is heading towards. There is greenery every where which is a new experience, for the city bred. Yercaud is famous for coffee and pepper in much or less the same way, Ooty and Kodaikanal are famous for tea.
The Britishers used Yercaud as summer retreat and their inheritance is all over the place. Rows of houses, much like ants moving in files, speckle the entire hills. The number of places to be seen in Yercaud may not be many, but each one of them is really worth the visit. "October and November are the best months to visit Yercaud. Yercaud is a less expensive place than other tourist destinations in Tamil Nadu and is preferred by the middle class. The entire family can tour Yercaud on a budget of about Rs.1000 by a car. An annual flower show is organized in the month of May. Another major difference between Yercaud and any where else in Tamil Nadu is the difference between the prices.
