Annamalaiyar Temple and Viewpoint - Yercaud

Called as poor man’s Ooty (perhaps, because it’s a less expensive hill station), Yercaud has number of places to visit and among the many Annamalaiyar temple is quite away from tourist sight, even it was mentioned on the board of places of interest in Yercaud it doesn't drag anyone. No, the place isn't less attractive anyway and moreover it was my most favorite place in Yercaud. May be lack of directions could be a reason people could not visit the place and moreover road to this temple was narrow and steep.

The temple has nothing to do with this viewpoint but only adding an ingredient to its quiet, calm and scenic location with awesome views on the Shevaroys or Servarayan Hills. At the top of 1400 m, you get a panoramic view on the series of mountains from here and the wind was embracing to cool since it was drizzling during our visit. One of the prime attraction of this site apart enchanting weather and nature was, a temple (tower) like structure built on a slightly grass mound for lighting lamp capture our attention, just being brightly painted in red.

Named as Annamalaiyar Temple, for anyone it would remind Thiruvannamalai but it has no connection with the popular Siva temple out there which is renowned for the grand festival - Karthigai Deepam. Anyhow, perhaps, it seems to shares a custom of lighting lamp on the full moon day, similar to Thiruvannamalai Deepam that lit on the Annamalai Hill. Being a summer vacation, the children from the nearby villages were playing around the temple and some even take advantage of climbing the pyramid like lamp tower.

The temple is also a simple yet beautiful structure with one small and moderate towers decorated with idols and painted in various colors. There was also a pretty well on one corner of the viewpoint with great scenery at background; the courtyard of the temple has a nice lawn created by natural green. The way up to the temple or viewpoint (one of the best bviews in Yercaud), was enveloped by quite green coffee and cardamom estates and the road was also narrow to allow only a vehicle to pass at a time. But gladly, rarely vehicles take this road and we encounter with an auto. But don’t you know an auto could pass with even a cycle gap? Lol

Visitor info: Annamalaiyar Temple is about 8km from Yercaud Lake, in the village of Thalaisolai.  

Anna Park, Yercaud

There’s nothing greater to describe about this park which lies in the center place of yercaud, but it has something to welcome visitors those visit yercaud. After searching for a botanical garden indicated by the sign board, which was nothing but a horticulture center that one needs to climb steep and steps, thus we landed in Anna Park.

This is a small park like garden with some beautiful flowers and roses in varies colors are the main attracts of the park. One part of the park decorates the red salvias, which looks like red carpet spread for visitor’s sight. In between shines the marigold alike the yellow bulbs and there are dual code marigolds too with red petals around it.

We head there in evening and it was cool enough to carry away in breeze since it looks like to drizzle quickly so as the dark clouds were covering the sky. We relaxed there some time on the green carpet and it wasn’t quiet as it was nearby roadside and summer time to be, so little crowded and children making noise by enjoying the slide.

The slide was something has the same way to climb and slide thus the cage like ladder to climb was locked, it was amuse and disturbing to see how children balance in sliding and slip down in unable. There were many white roses, some wild and pure white in bunches. There was a pretty orange rose with an umbrella like petal partly covering the pollen and it was interesting to see and capture a bee that come across collects the nectar and flew away instantly.

The fountain in the park center splashes nicely for some time goes off immediately before me likely to go near to enjoy the sprinkle. The park also exhibits nursery with yellow, orange and red flowering plants which could grow perfectly in hills alone, disappointed me later buying few roses and marigold in which only a rose blooms at home. Even it sounds noisier around the park, the three guys uncared about what’s happening around, enjoys there deep slumber in the lawn, beneath the decorative areca palms.

While visiting the park we received a call from a cousin, and when talking casually we surprise to know that they were too in yercaud. It was a great coincident and we know they were on traveling, but never thought we would meet at some point. After having cup of coffee and by receiving them and chatting over our journeys we apart to stay there and they continued their travel to Salem.

Later we spent some time in the lake bank and looking over the pedal boats rolling their latter rounds around the dazzling fountain in center of the lake. We spent there almost it went dark and moved to room only after clouds drive us before the thunder storm struck the yercaud that night.

Ayyanar special

Couple of weeks before we had been to yercaud – a hill station in Tamil Nadu on the Eastern Ghats – and it was a great escape from the summer heat, though it wasn’t much cooler like ooty or kodaikanal, it was quite pleasant and relaxing. As we moved to yercaud, we heard the laila storm blows away the heat rage and turned the city much cooler like a kodaikanal and I guess it was the reflection where the cool drizzle and heavy thunder rain and wind in yercaud.

As we pack up in Chennai, it was scorching sunshine and even thought it doesn’t reflect much inside the car, the environment was damn hot. Just not even to forget or exit we can’t keep heads off, and it was such intense the heat waves. We could call it as the worst days of the year, while the temperature crosses 41*C. Not to forget the dry and bored highways that lacks everything except good road condition until we turn near tirupattur, a state highways that lead to Salem en route Uthangarai, Harur and Kuppanoor, where the ghat way begins to yercaud.

Not to forget, the road from tirupattur to kuppanoor was lovely laid, even though it was a double lane there are many ups and downs making the ride interesting with beside huge trees and stretching hills and often visiting villages are completely reminding me the earlier days of ride. Not to forget the huge statues of Ayyanar with a sword in hand that come on the way was noticeable.

The Ayyanar – guardian deity who is believed to protect the rural villages – was sitting so majestic on a stage and accompanied by a white horse rode by him are painted colorfully, which is a common sight in rural Tamil Nadu. The Ayyanar was also surrounded by few more statues and one of it was a ten hand statue holding various weapons, and stamping on someone evil and a sword piercing the body. In most Aiyanar temples, the various clay figures and idols reflect the social hierarchy and the gods are ranked acceding to the social and economical hierarchy in the village.

The Aiyanar temple built in an open space – with a little compound wall around the Ayyanar – like every other such temples that have no building and only figures get importance. In many villages the Aiyanar is ascribed as traditional family deity by various communities and clan groups, and these temples are usually built on the outskirts or at the border of rural villages throughout Tamil Nadu and the way they represent are in village guarding position.

The Aiyanar is a Tamil word derived from the root word ‘aiya’, which is a title often used by Tamils to call respectable people; and the popularity of aiyanar became even more pronounced from the chola’s period onwards.

As we move near kuppanoor, the temperature began to reduce and wind started to blow heavily as we land at check post for coffee. It was great blowing wind, so cool and rising with sand and dust to branches and leaves to fall off and on road, it was something refreshingly new. After climbing least elevation on ghat, we find another Aiyanar statue among the bamboo forest and interestingly it was accompanied by statues of tiger, goat and snake-charmer.

The statue was just striking red in color and the place was quite silence, except the sound of crushing leaves and a dry stream appears near the temple. While climbing down the hills after visiting yercaud, we saw buzzing people around the temple, where some rituals going on along sacrificing goats. But we didn’t stop to watch and just viewed while passing away. It seems like the temple was some families traditional diety, and people gathered for some family ceremony.

Ayyanar worship is a very ancient ancestral clan-based worship system linked to nature and fertility worship. The festivals of Ayyanars are celebrated in sacred groves during spring season by all the related clan. The ayyanar temples are always associated with weapons such as trident, sickle or lance. The priests are usually non-Brahmins; and however animals such as chicken and goats are offered to the deity, the sacrificial offering is pure vegetarian, according to wiki!

In poor man’s ooty

On the hills of Servarayan lies the popularly known poor man’s ooty, Yercaud. The name which derives from the Tamil words ‘yeri and kaadu’, which mean ‘lake and forest’. It’s almost pleasant and cool throughout the year and it could be reached from any where through buses and its nearest city is Salem. Placed at an elevation above 1500 meter from msl, the yercaud is famous for its coffee plantations, which was introduced in state in late 18th century by British.

As we climb on the hill, the weather started to wrap with cool wind and dry leaves crushing over the lonely road. The route takes us via coffee and pepper estates, and it wasn’t a bus route so it was vast empty and narrow with little hairpin bends and curves. The kuppanoor is the footstep of this ghat road that comes in between Salem and harur.

As we reached yercaud, it started to drizzle slowly and even while enjoying the climate, the disappointment came from the resort that we booked for saying they don’t allow pets… and even after much explanation they refused to allow. It’s indeed our mistake of not informing the resort formerly that we bring a pet (maya) with us and thought they will adjust if we say, but no way had we to seek for another place to stay.

We then moved into the town searching for rooms while raining outside, we met an auto drive who guide us to a cottage belong to someone. It was a two story building and they gave three of us a room in ground floor and for others in second floor, it was somehow comfort with mosquito menacing in night. The next day we shift to second floor, with the aid of cousins caring me away it was better than before from the troublesome mosquitoes, which fly from the nearby sewage canal that we fail to notice in night.

The cottage was little beneath the dead end road and was surrounded by trees, plants and shrubs; and one of the plants were attractive with huge leaves similar to lotus ones. Morning I wake to see wet everywhere and flowers bloomed in red and blue and small species like frogs, toads, moth, millipedes existing everywhere. The Maya who was excite to see those species was keen to catch them away.

There was a restaurant called Karuppaiya Mess at the junction near the lake was very familiar in taste and too good to have. Throughout our stay we get foods from here, but there’s limited choice of food. The view from our balcony wasn’t great but the little house opposite to ours was simply nice, with a small portico and two tiny elephants guarding each end of the gateway in stone. I’m not a person always or never wish for greater in life, even a small and simple home is enough, and in this way I wish I live there sufficiently.

To add, the swing inside the terrace was attracting everyone to swing ones!

Moved by silver oak grove

The silver oak grove in yercaud is very quiet and pleasant. Lying on the way to manjakuttai viewpoint to the east of yercaud, the place is simple cool and green. I know this place already through a tourism program on TV and remind to check and while leading manjakuttai (yellow tank) I saw this place and clicked few snaps. After while return from manjakuttai – a sunrise view point which is spectacular for its early morning views and it was simple a viewpoint for us who visited it nearby noon – I wished to spent sometime in the grove and so stopped the vehicle and relaxed a while moving into the grove’s in wheels.

The silver oak trees are well planted with certain distances in narrow lines neatly and cut off branches for nearly bottom half of the trees. It seems like the oak trees are still under development for the pepper creepers to climb on in future. As it was noon and time for lunch, we decided to bring the food to this place as it is 5 km to yercaud and so leaving us, cousins went to collect food parcels from the hotel. Meanwhile it was time for me to examine and take a leisure ride on wheels along the stretching grove’s slowly and inhaling the cool breeze and gazing the clean and green environment.

The Crown of Thorn is everywhere, which is pretty and poisonous, protects the grove as fencing. The woody, spiny and climbing succulent shrubs growing up to 6 feet in height and leaves that are found new growth has flowers shaped in small conspicuous pair of petal-like bracts in red, which also variably pink or white. As it was raining last night, everywhere it looks green and surprisingly clean. A couple of foreign girls came across us and seeing our pet, one come close to say cute and wanting to know will she bite, asked mom blindly ‘bite’ brought blink and think sophisticated!

I observed a spider web and it was interesting to note how they climb their net and move. I never seen spider practice with web and caught up with things, as I would be away if a spider comes near me. The oak grove is pretty to walk and to capture by standing in the narrow lines that extends like no end, but we didn’t complete the whole area and don’t know how length the road leads between the grove’s that pass hardly by any vehicle.

Servarayan hill

(click pictures for enlarge)

The Servarayan hill’s of yercaud is a feel so good place that lifts spirit in the air! The cool breezy atmosphere attracts many visitors to this peak – the highest elevation of the yercaud, which welcomes throughout the year for a quite relaxing vacation. The spacious servoroyan hill has a pleasant view of green mounds and unspoiled valleys with very fewer concrete structures to exist and it was little hazy when we arrive in morning. The uphill road has several tall trees to somewhere conceal the sky with certain long standing in history.

The Servarayan hill is noted for Servarayan temple, where the Lord Servarayan resides with his consort Kaveri inside a narrow dark cave. The cave is believed to extend up to 480 km leading Kaveri in Karnataka, which connects the Hill with River Cauvery. The cave is also believed to be explored by very few and some saints to travel fully; which is pitch dark with no ventilation and snakes movement after certain distance. The Tipu Sultan was also supposed to use this Bear cave as a hideout and secret route to escape at the time of war.

The Servarayan hill has couple of viewpoints to enjoy the green valley and to entertain children; there was a swing and giant wheel to cause a sense of floating in the air. I wish I was a child to enjoy the swing to the moving wind and little above the sky to wonder how cloud nine.

We spent there some time breathing the fresh air and feeling the cool atmosphere and having few spicy mango slices. It was a day went without hurry and we took our own time to relief ourselves from the strong toxic and carbon emission that we unveil to. We had a brief movement around the wide peak, watching down the valley and the far away bauxite mine that looks like a land on mars.

Predator

Some kind of wild or unknown insect, which perhaps looks like a sort of mosquito. From a long back visit to Yercaud 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Payphone or telephone booth

We live in Smartphone era, but there was some period, peoples depend on phone were only on telephone booth and payphones fixed at some particular place or office or junction. For many people in India and abroad these payphones still helps at communication in absence of mobiles or emergency contact. Before telephones arrive at our homes, we used to visit the telephone booth or PCO (public call office) to make phone calls; and in my childhood days I have accompanied many a time my aunt to the red telephone booth or payphone in our area (Adyar) to make calls to her friends. I really enjoyed accompanying her not only because it was fun dropping the coin into the photo box and then dialing the rotary dial, she also get me chocolate or ice-cream while back home. 

Apart telephone booths, sometime we also visit our neighbor’s house (one or two houses that have telephone connection then) to make emergency call and also give their number to our relatives and friends to call in case of anything important. The same thing happens when we bought telephone, some of our neighbors get calls from their relatives and we have go and call them at their home… which only then we realized how difficult we gave to others. Lol

There were also few shops in our area then had telephones, which they also make it as a public phone and collect money for talking. We were also asked to press a red button (an additional device attached to the phone to calculated our talk time) when beeps rise at the end of each minute of the call, like how we drop one rupee coin in the payphone boxes at the end of each minute to continue our talk. 

Those days, I guess, we can’t make STD (subscriber trunk dialing) calls or talk out of our city or town from the telephone booth or payphones but only visiting the specify shops that has STD or ISD facilities. Making an STD also means paying more money, so people don’t make much calls unless important and also put their calls short and sweet thinking of the high rate. These days we can’t find any of those pretty red telephone booths, but only the yellow payphones fix to the walls or poles in public places or in front of the shops and the minimum rate of call to make allover India is Rs.1 per minute. These payphones are provided by public telephone sector ‘BSNL’ and the amount received through these boxes are collected by neither shop owners nor BSNL employees, for which they are paid commission.

Footnote:

The picture above is a coin operated payphone… kept at a shop in a village called Kuppanur, on the foothills of Yercaud, Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The yellow phone was catching my attention for photo and it was the inspiration to write on phones here.

Park gate and flowers

Actually this shot doesn’t focused on the blue gate barred in spike/arrow bars, but on the flowers which are commonly known as spider flowers or spider plants belong to the family of Cleomaceae. Close to the gate of Anna Park in Yercaud, the colourful flowers make beautiful lines on both sides as inviting visitors into the park. Though it isn't a big park or garden, there are number of beautiful flowers esp. roses to admire and during summers they conduct flower shows displaying number of flowers.

I was looking for a photo for Good Fences Thursday (run by Run A Round Ranch) and come across this look like newly painted gate of Anna Park from my storage in laptop. To say about the spider flowers, they are native to South America and blooms in purple, pink or white with four petals and six long stamens.

PowerShot Sunday - Bright in colors

This is a hotel in Yercaud serves homemade Biriyanis… and while waiting outside, I find the colors painted on the hotel was very bright and catchy! It was slighting drizzling then, which are the drops on the image (as I shot it from inside the car) and the rain that last from previous night had added glorious to the green trees behind looks stunning.

Love in flower

Love is a beautiful flower
like a peace tower
Love is a delighted flower
like life under shower
Love is an enchanting flower
like we receive power
Love is a blooming flower
like we’re for each other

Love has symbol as flower
like heart hung for lover
Love is a kind flower
like a kiss from her
Love is a warm bonfire
like the weather we bond each other
Love is a whispering rose bud
like lovers utter in silence

Love is an essence in flower
like heart plays a concern
Love is a season to flower
like blossom between lovers

p.s. it’s been a while I blogged regularly and there’re few things I could say about not blogging, but what I deserve these days is not less than anything more. It’s been vacation time for schools and cousins are off to home to spend there holidays and its one important thing that keep me away from blogging. One of my cousin ashwin stayed along with me throughout his vacation and helped a lot taking care of my little needs and being a passionate gamer, he couldn’t leave me pc so easily and I couldn’t press him more in love and affection we share. He’s a very sweet boy and annoy at same time, and being fragile I didn’t show him any sign of disappointment and sometime I think there’s no other better way of showing back the deed he done in need and reducing my parents little stress.

In between we traveled to some places and tried to hide ourselves from scorching summer and never like before the heat ways are heaver these days. Evenings are very pleasant at same time and we had plenty of chats everyday outside the terrace and there were more fun and understand between us. I used to think why these communication and stable relationship’s were gone ones vacations are over? This is something disturbs me a lot in sharing, that whatever we forgive or exhibit a true love, there mind changes immediately when a pretty offer is stretched. Overall it’s a change I accepted and keeping away the virtual world, reading, thinking and capturing deserve me some knowledge and thinking back about blogging, I’m seeking a refreshing mind to begin newly. I hope to collect my energies and blog regularly. Thanks for your comments in my previous posts and the flower bloomed here is, from one of the rose plants I purchased in yercaud is yet to add more color to my home garden.

Busiest days with joy also

Hi my sweet friends, I had been away for just few days, but thinking always about this place and you all. This gap was with a reason of expectations, though here nothing happens as I expect. The cousin whom I like more and me asking my uncle every day when his exams finishes? has spent couple of hours and left me alone and went on his way, now he was holidaying in his grannies village. That makes me repent, the time I worked have been speeded mostly for the times to share with him. My another cousin who have to be away from me in this summer days, with no way to avoid it; even it makes me feel, I am glad he was to be away to progress his life.

I am happy for my cousin bro Aravind, who has left to experience great movements in his life in Western Ghats, the queen of hills Nilgiris, to continue his studies from boarding school in Kotagiri. Its dream place for many to study form a lovely environment, cool weather and standard education. In this my bro is lucky. All were not willing to this idea, even me, but I solace this step is must for his life; I hope this place will realize him who he was and it create him as a responsible person. My dad used to worries sometimes telling his wish to join me in the Mont fort School in Yercaud (a hill station) when I was in my childhood, but that times his wealth was lack, when we were wealthy, my health was obstruct to his wish.

Even In my busy works I was enjoying with a special person who is non-than my small cousin brother Ashvin. He won’t stay anywhere without his mom, this time he was with me over four days. Sitting beside me and frequently asking some doubts, I join with him as a kid to play with small cars that I do always before. We went to nearest beach in evening stay till night, chatting with bro and going along the street in the beach side with power chair is pleasure in this summer weather.

8 Lane Expressways! Environment Destruction

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has taken oath in assembly to lay green road to Salem from Chennai, an 8 lane expressway through Tiruvannamalai-Harur. I really think is there a real need to execute this 8 lane project on the already 2 lane state highway? Anyone who has travelled this road would know how beautiful and scenic the entire stretch was with farmlands, reserve forests and mountainous landscape with number of trees lining up the road makes it a pleasant driving. I have travelled on this road to (to and fro) Yercaud and I enjoyed it both the ways to become my favourite. I really disturbed hearing this project and thought its quite waste of money and destruction of nature and environment… there’s already couple of national highway connecting Salem with Chennai and they were also 4 lane but this 8 lane roadway is unnecessary and that too the selection of this route is wrong. There aren’t many significant industries on this section and the need for transportation is also less and most part of this stretch is dedicated to farming and has certain amount of Eastern Ghats and five reserve forests on its way which is in need of production.

The pictures posted here were shot during my travel on the beautiful  state highway , what the government decided to make 8 lane expressway by chop off the trees and farmlands

The prime road to Salem from Chennai through Kallakurichi isn’t much busy and only 40% of vehicles use this road and that road too needs improvement as it wasn’t good in shape and smooth at some places and turns from 4 to 2 lanes at the bypasses. To make people irritate there are toll gates for even short distances. First these things have to rectify before they go creating a new section of road where there isn’t need for such fast pace 8 lane expressways. Even though they make it with a long time vision, at what cost matters lot? Destroying the environment and nature, forest and farming which upholds our life and make certain we live. What kind of development are we taking ahead or presenting to our future generation is to inhale dust and smoke. Forests and trees are our air purifies and if we lose these filters how could we breathe healthy?   Any development that destroys nature and environment should be prevented as much possible.

A  part of ghats section and reserve forest the govt. want to destruct. 

The other important roads like Tindivanam to Tiruvannamalai and Villupuram to Thanjavur were still partially done.  For every New Moon lakhs of devotees visit Tiruvannamalaai for Kirivalam (Circumambulation of the mountain) which means thousands of vehicles and buses take the Tindivanam road which is in bad state because of abandoned road work for many years. I wonder why the CM is serious about this project when a lot of problems, which need immediate actions, are pending on… 8 lanes for this stretch of road only gives doubts. Not more than a decade back highways has lot of trees along the roadside but they were all cut down for the widening 4 lane roads and no trees were re-planted as promised by authorities and our highways on all side are bare enough now. Stopping the car even for an emergency on the roadside is difficult these days without a tree for shadow. Though Salem was his region doesn’t mean he has to execute this project that only destroys farm and forest landscape. We are in need of more green space and forestry to preserve our rain sources as we are   inadequate of water, bringing the Cauvery should be our prior and preserving the environment is much.

The already enriched green road and what better the government could do on it?