About Yercaud – An Overview
Yercaud is situated nearly at the summit of the Shevaroys at an elevation of 4700 ft. above MSL. The Shevaroys hills are a small group of hills in the Eastern Ghats. This covers an area of one hundred and forty eight square miles in extent. Also about seventeen miles long from North- East to South- West and from South-East to North-West are twelve miles broad. The highest point in the Shevaroys, the Shevaroyan hill (Solaikaradu).
There are 67 villages and 27 hamlets with a total population of above 60000 of whom 45000 are tribals. The elevation ranges from 2500 ft. to 5200 ft. above MSL. The mean temperature changes between 22°C to 25°C. In winter temperature may rarely go below 7°C and on extremely hot days temperature may shoot upto 32°C. The average rainfall is about 45” to 60” from both the South-West and the North-East Monsoons.
Montfort School and Sacred Heart Convent are situated here and are famous all over the world. The big lake is a natural formation and the Ornamental Lake in town is man-made.
In the Vaniyar Valley teak is grown by the Forest Department. A drive through this area is both refreshing and an eye opener to the beauty of this valley. The hill tribes who cultivated these lands are said to have abandoned this area after a plague struck the area. The Reserve forests are getting denuded. Original tree species are dwindling.
Wild Gaur’s are frequently seen in the teak forest which is 11kms. away from town. Yercaud has around 40 varieties of Orchids. There is an Orchidarium belonging to the Botanical Survey of India with a vast collection of Indian Orchids and rare plants. The Botanical garden is opened on weekdays. Visitors are allowed to go around and explore the flora and fauna.
