Easing into the slow lane

Kalpana Sunder

Yercaud in the Shevaroy hills in Tamil Nadu, often referred to as the poor man’s Ooty, retains its old-world charm

The 20 hairpin bends from the town of Salem is lined with curious monkeys and reckless bikers. As one climbs the twisting road, gardens aflame with poinsettias and yuccas, coffee plantations and silver oak trees entwined with pepper vines, compete for attention with the rolling hills.Yercaud, in the Shevaroy hills in Tamil Nadu, was ‘discovered’ as a hill station by the arrival of a Scottish officer and planter, named David Cockburn, the collector of Salem during the 19th century. Known as ‘Father of Yercaud’, Cockburn converted it into a summer retreat. He visited Yercaud in 1820 and introduced Arabica coffee procured from Africa.

The cool climate of Yercaud soon attracted Christian missionaries and they established the Sacred Heart Convent for girls and Montfort School for boys. Yercaud is an anglicised name for Yeri Kadu, which, in Tamil, translates to forest-lake. It has always been the neglected sibling of hill stations in Tamil Nadu, overlooked by tourists who prefer Ooty or Kodaikanal. Many people call it ‘the poor man’s Ooty’. There are traces of the colonial past everywhere. English-style bungalows, red-roofed whitewashed cottages and Christian convents with immaculately maintained gardens line the streets of the town. The grey stoned Montfort school dating back to 1917 with its historic chapel is where director Nagesh Kukunoor shot his movie Rockford. The recently renovated Church of the Holy Trinity was built by the British in 1853. Stained glass windows, red oxide floors and an atmospheric graveyard with tombs of old settlers, this is a great way to spend a morning. The Grange bungalow was the first camping place of the British. During the First War of Independence in 1857, it was fortified with ramparts, gun placements and cannons with enough food in an underground cellar to last a six-month siege. It is rumoured that Robert Clive came here as a young recruit and Yercaud’s weather made him so homesick of England that he tried killing himself, but the gun didn’t fire!

A great place to stay is INDeco’s Lake Forest Hotel built around a coffee estate, and around the heritage Bungalow built during early 1800s by Henrietta Charlotte Rosario who resided in the Shevroy hills during the British days. Their eco friendly practices are praiseworthy: the wood used in this hotel is recycled from old buildings; not a single tree was cut to accommodate this hotel, they still grow, in corridors, bedrooms and bathrooms.

Driving up from the town, is the cave temple of Lord Selvarayan, the deity who is supposed to protect the 64 villages in this area. The temple has a modern facade and they say that the cave here goes right up to Coorg. Local tribals celebrate their annual festival here every May. Like every hill station, the centrepiece of Yercaud is the lake. This is the most ‘happening place’ in the otherwise staid town! Swan-shaped peddle boats and row boats take you around this glassy lake. American corn-on-cob andhot chilli bhajjis (giant green chillies fried in gram flour) are ubiquitous as well as luscious fruits ranging from fresh figs with honey to mangoes.

Walking is the best thing to do here-past small hamlets, past children playing a game of marbles or cricket and old women with wizened faces carrying loads.

There are tall kitschy idols of the guardian deities of the villages called Aiyanars. It’s a pace of life dictated only by nature and seasons. Come evening, one can see the vast expanse of Salem below with its lights twinkling like stars below. The local Botanical Gardens is home to hundreds of plants including rarities like the pitcher plant and the Kurinji flower which blooms once in every 12 years, and the orchidarium, reputed to be the third largest in India. There are also private nurseries everywhere with medicinal, ornamental plants and orchids. You can visit the Rose Garden or the Orchidarium to admire more than 100 species of orchids including rare varieties like the Vernonia shevaroyensis and lady’s slipper orchid as well as carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant. Or trek inside a coffee plantation and learn about coffee’s journey from beans to powder.

A must-do here is a visit to Bhavani Singh’s perfumery to get a peek into this local success story. The effervescent owner, Hari Singh, is the second generation entrepreneur, whose father was a freedom fighter from Kutch. He owns more than 150 hectares of land where he cultivates both medicinal plants and plants for aromatherapy oils. There is the famous flagship product ‘Black Panther oil,’ which he prescribes as a panacea for all ills, from cold and cough to infections of the respiratory system. His celebrity customer list has sportsmen, politicians and even scientists buying the ‘wonder products’. His selling points: totally natural, no preservatives.

To get a bird’s eye view of the town, drive to pagoda point. Named after three neat stacks of stones roughly placed like a pagoda, there is a panoramic view of picture perfect tribal villages (this area has more than 60 villages) and hazy blue mountains from here. Another popular point where you can get a view is the Lady’s Seat. This was where a British lady spent her evenings taking in the magical views below; there is a precipitous cliff here like a Suicide Point where many lovelorn people have taken a plunge!

By the end of one’s stay, one realises that a Yercaud sojourn is therapeutic; mobile phones signals don’t reach here; one has time to stand and stare and enjoy the company of friends. Bracing walks around the lake rejuvenate you for the return to city life. You find the space to introspect or read a book. And breathe the silence and the elixir of pure mountain air! Or take a walk down a nameless mountain street with dogs barking, children playing marbles and the distant loudspeaker with the sounds of Tamil film music. Special evenings wrapped in shawls and looking at the mesmerising lights of Salem, with the only sounds being the distant blare of a lorry horn linger in one’s memory. You can take these special moments home, along with bottles of essential oils and mountain honey.

FACT FILE

How to get there: Reach Salem by train or fly into Trichy and drive from there.