Yelagiri Explained

Yelagiri
Settlement Type:Hill Station
Pushpin Map:India Tamil Nadu
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Tamil Nadu, India
Coordinates:12.5781°N 78.6407°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:Tamil Nadu
Subdivision Type2:District
Subdivision Name2:Tirupattur district
Subdivision Type3:Region
Subdivision Name3:Vellore
Unit Pref:Metric
Area Total Km2:29.2
Elevation M:1410
Population Total:4,409
Population As Of:2011
Population Density Km2:auto
Demographics Type1:Languages
Demographics1 Title1:Official
Demographics1 Info1:Tamil
Timezone1:IST
Utc Offset1:+5:30
Postal Code Type:PIN
Postal Code:635853
Registration Plate:TN-83Z

Yelagiri (in Tamil jeːlaɡiɾi/), 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.[1] 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.[2]

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.[3] [4] [5] The hills are mentioned in Tamil literature by Ottakoothar in 12th century CE.[6] It was under the control of Vijayanagara empire in the late middle age, who established sway over the region.[7] [8] 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.[9]

In the 19th century, Malai Vellalar (Malayali) hill tribes, populated the region.[10] Later, the British Empire took control of the region from the British East India Company in 1857.[11] The hills were organized as private properties of the Zamindars of Yelagiri.[12] 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.[13]

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.[10] 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%.[14]

Administration

The area is administered by a town panchayat as a part of the Jolapettai block of Tirupattur taluk.[15] 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.[16]

Geography

Yelagiri is located in Tirupathur district of Tamil Nadu.[17] Located at an altitude of, it forms a part of the Eastern Ghats mountain range.[18] The hills consist of 14 hamlets spread across an area of .[19] [20] Punganoor lake is a man-made lake covering in the hills.[21] The highest point is the Swamimalai hills at an altitude of .[20] The hills are rich in flora with orchards, rose-gardens, and green valleys.[22]

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.[23] It is situated about from the state capital Chennai and from Bengaluru.[20] The major access roads are maintained by the Department of Highways and Minor Ports of Government of Tamil Nadu.[16] 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.[20]

Tourism

Tourism forms a major part of the economy of the hills. The lake has boating facilities and is accompanied by a park.[19] Other places of interest include Jalagamparai waterfalls, Telescope observatory and Swamimalai hills.[23] [24] 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.[25]

A herbal farm is maintained by the Government of Tamil Nadu.[21] Temples include Kalyana Venkataramana Perumal temple, Nilavur Amman temple, Jalagandeeswarar temple and Velavan temple.[20] [2] [24] Trekking activities are carried out at Swamimalai hills and adventure sports such as paragliding and rock climbing are being promoted by the Government.[26] [20] The yeary "Yelagiri Summer Festival" is celebrated in May and is organised by Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. Stalls from different departments, flowers show, dog show and various cultural programs are conducted.[24]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kili word in Tamil. Agarathi. 1 May 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135721/https://agarathi.com/word/%E0%AE%95%E0%AE%BF%E0%AE%B2%E0%AE%BF. live.
  2. News: A sacred grove up the hill. The Hindu. 14 July 2016. 1 December 2023. 23 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220623025225/https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/A-sacred-grove-up-the-hill/article14488651.ece. live.
  3. Book: Menon, A. Sreedhara. Kerala History and its Makers. D C Books. 2011. 978-8-126-43782-5. 23.
  4. Book: Mahajan, Vidya Dhar. Ancient India. 1968. 978-9-352-53132-5. S. Chand. 570.
  5. Ali. Daud. 2007. The Service Retinues of the Chola Court. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. 70. 3. 487–509. 10.1017/S0041977X0700081X. 40378936. 162530217. 0041-977X. 27 January 2024. 9 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230509181151/https://www.jstor.org/stable/40378936. live.
  6. Book: Ramaswamy, Vijaya. Historical Dictionary of the Tamils. 2017. 978-1-538-10686-0. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 256.
  7. Book: Sastri, Nilakanta. A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar. 978-0-1956-0686-7. Oxford University Press. 1976. 7,69,179,199,214,239.
  8. Web site: Tirupathur history. Government of Tamil Nadu. 1 December 2023. 2 December 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231202160536/https://tirupathur.nic.in/history/. live.
  9. Book: Rajayyan, K.. Rise and Fall of the Poligars of Tamilnadu. 1974. University of Madras. 2.
  10. News: Yelagiri hut shelters 200 years of hill tribe history. The Hindu. 13 August 2023. 1 December 2023. 14 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230814230418/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/yelagiris-lone-hut-houses-200-years-of-a-hill-tribes-history/article67190774.ece. live.
  11. Book: Hibbert, Christopher. Great Mutiny: India 1857. 1 March 2000. Penguin. 221. 978-0-1400-4752-3.
  12. Yelagiri, hill station. R. Kannan. S. Kumaran. T. Milton. Madurai Kamaraj University. 1 June 2023. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135720/https://mkuniversity.ac.in/new/centre/thm/journal/Dr.%20R.%20Kannan/20%20-%20Yelagiri%20%E2%80%93%20A%20Delightful%20Hill%20Station%20-%202018.pdf. live.
  13. Book: Constitution of India. Article 1. Government of India. 31 December 2015. 2 April 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064301/http://lawmin.nic.in/olwing/coi/coi-english/coi-indexenglish.htm. dead.
  14. Web site: Elagiri hills. Census 2011. 1 May 2024. 22 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211022131741/https://www.census2011.co.in/data/village/631076-elagiri-hills-tamil-nadu.html. live.
  15. News: Tamil Nadu's Yelagiri hills panchayat selected as model village under SAGY. The Indian Express. 26 May 2023. 1 May 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135726/https://adgebra.co.in/afpf/TPHtmlTemplate?p1=181&p2=null&p3=1&p6=6729&p7=0&p8=0&refUrl=https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2022/May/25/tamil-nadus-yelagiri-hills-panchayat-selected-as-model-village-under-sagy-2457937.html&p4=newindianexpress.com. live.
  16. News: Tourists and residents irked over poor interior roads in Yelagiri. 29 January 2024. The Indian Express. 1 May 2024. 10 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240210115737/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2024/Jan/29/tourists-and-residents-irked-over-poor-interior-roads-in-yelagiri. live.
  17. News: Miles to go for Yelagiri Hills as a tourist spot. The Hindu. 25 May 2008. 19 January 2019. 12 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112165012/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Miles-to-go-for-Yelagiri-Hills-as-a-tourist-spot/article15229314.ece. live.
  18. Nocturnal birds in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. February 2016. Patrick J David. Vinoth Balasubramanian. 1 June 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135725/https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Eastern-Ghats-of-Tamil-Nadu-Legend-YG-Yelagiri-JV-Javvadu-GG-Gingee-Hills_fig1_298068914. live.
  19. Web site: Yelagiri lake. Government of Tamil Nadu. 1 May 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135743/https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/destinations/yelagiri-lake. live.
  20. News: Hidden hills of Yelagiri. 9 February 2022. 1 December 2023. Deccan Herald. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135725/https://www.deccanherald.com/archives/hidden-hills-of-yelagiri-551735.html. live.
  21. Web site: Yelagiri Hills. Government of Tamil Nadu. 1 May 2024. 26 April 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240426170904/https://tirupathur.nic.in/tourist-place/yelagiri-hills/. live.
  22. Book: Flora of Eastern Ghats: Hill Ranges of South East India. T. Pullaiah. Rao Muralidhara. D. Muralidhara Rao. K. Sri Ramamurthy. Daya Books. 2002. 978-8-187-49849-0. 10 November 2016. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135724/https://books.google.com/books?id=pSXidQZupHYC. live.
  23. Web site: Yelagiri. Government of Tamil Nadu. 1 May 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135849/https://www.tamilnadutourism.tn.gov.in/destinations/yelagiri-hills. live.
  24. News: In the lap of nature – places in Yelagiri. The Times of India. 24 May 2018. 1 May 2024. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602134429/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/in-the-lap-of-nature-places-in-yelagiri/articleshow/59160833.cms. live.
  25. News: Last used in 2008, Yelagiri's amphitheatre unkempt since. The Indian Express. 3 March 2023. 1 May 2024. 8 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230308065705/https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/mar/03/last-used-in-2008-yelagiris-amphitheatre-unkempt-since-2552788.html. live.
  26. News: Yelagiri hills, for paragliding. The Hindu. 20 August 2008. 19 January 2019. 2 June 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240602135448/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-tamilnadu/Yelagiri-Hills-for-paragliding/article15285382.ece. live.

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