Best places to visit in Kolli hills
List of places to visit in and around Kolli hills
1.Aagaya Gangai waterfall
2.Seekuparai viewpoint
3.Arapaleeswarar temple
4.Namma aruvi
5.Masilla falls
6.Sitraruvi
7.Solakadu market/ Pazhangudiyinar market
8.Ettukai Amman temple
1.Agaya Gangai waterfall
The aagaya gangai waterfall is dry during the summer season. The best time to visit agaya gangai fall is from November to January. The water flows from a height of 300 feet. Needle-like drops and cold water will give you a great experience. Since the water is flowing from a 300 feet height, you will get drenched even before taking a bath at the waterfall. The agaya gangai waterfall is considered sacred and healthy because the water flows through various medicinal herbs in the Kolli hills forest.
The best time to visit kolli hills is during the monsoon season (October - November) or December. Every hill station has two shades. One is during summer and the other is in winter. I have visited kolli hills during both the seasons. The monsoon/ winter season will give you a different shade of Kolli hills. During monsoon, the roads will be slippery and water overflows in most waterfalls. You gotta be careful and equipped with proper travelling gear. Undoubtedly, aagaya ganga is one of the important places to visit in Kolli hills.
Seeku Parai's viewpoint is one of the best viewpoints in the Kolli hills. The viewpoint is located 2kms from Semmedu. Kolli hills's view points are always extraordinary . Early morning and evening is the best time to visit seeku parai viewpoint so you can enjoy the cool mist and witness mists moving up toward you. There are a lot of hotels, and cottages available nearby this viewpoint to experience this scenic beauty and climate. The government has also built a watchtower to witness the entire beauty of kolli hills. This view point is one of the best places to visit in Kolli hills.
Arapalleeswarar temple is one of the oldest and most powerful Shiva temples. Arappalleswarar temple was built during the Chola dynasty 1500 years ago. It is believed that, When king Valvil Ori ruled the Kolli hills, the place was called Arapalli. Hence, the god was called Arappalleeswarar. It is said that during plowing a suyambu lingam was found in the farming land. Siddhas recovered the lingam and built a small temple. It is belived that a small mark caused by the plough is still found in the statue of arapaleeswarar. This temple is one of the important places to visit in kolli hills.
There are two unique things in Arapaleeswarar temple. Some stones predict our wishes. You have to keep your left hand over your right hand on the stone and pray for your wish. If the stone moves after some time, it is believed that the wish you prayed for would happen soon.
There is a stone made with Ashtalakshmis on the roof of the ambal statue. If you pray and wish for things to happen below the chakra, it is believed that your wish would happen within 48 days. If you are worshipper of lord Shiva, Arapaleeswarar temple is one the must visit places in Kolli hills.
Namma aruvi is located 1km from the Ettukai Amman temple. This is a small waterfall but the water flows from a certain height which gives a great experience. Namma aruvi waterfalls give a great offbeat experience for people who love driving and trekking. You have to go for a small hike to reach the foot of the waterfall. The best time to visit namma aruvi waterfall is in November-January since the water flow will be amazing. if you love to spend quality time with you family and get drenched, Namma aruvi is one of the best places to visit in Kolli hills.
Sitraruvi in kolli hills is located adjacent to the arapaleeswarar temple. You need to climb down a few stairs and cross a ground bridge that goes through the middle of the river. The water that flows through this river goes to the Aagaya gangai waterfall. Though the waterfall looks tiny, it never fails to amaze us. Sitraruvi is definetely a must visit place in Kolli hills. Sitraruvi attracts families because there are a lot of bathing points with a decent water flow. During monsoon, the rocks will be slippery and water flow will be heavy. It is not advisable to take a bath if the water flow is heavy. The waterfall may look small and harmless but the heavy flow can easily drag us.
We have already said, Kolli Hills is not only famous for its waterfalls, mysteries and herbs. It is also famous for its fruits. Solakdu market is one of the best places to visit in kolli hills if you love to source some fresh fruits and spices. Mountain bananas, pineapple, and Jackfruit are cultivated in Kolli hills. The pineapples grown in the Kolli hills have a unique taste and are completely different from the pineapples we buy from the cities. The farmers in the kolli hills use organic farming to cultivate the crops. Both white pepper and black pepper are cultivated here. The black pepper grown here is not polished and you can feel the real essence of the pepper. The price here is also less compared to cities. If you want to buy quality spices, you can spend half a day in this market to explore new crops. Other items are indigenously grown in kolli hills like black beans and Acacia concinna (Shikakai) which are available in the market. The government should educate farmers to directly contact the buyers in the cities to sell the products at a better price by bypassing the middlemen. If you are visiting kolli hills, support our farmers and indigenous products.
Ettukai Amman or Kolli pavai is one of the ancient temples in kolli hills. It is located in Semmedu. This temple attracts many pilgrims over the full moon or new moon day. Even on other days, the pilgrims will visit the temple. It is believed that sages chose this place for meditation and atonement. However, they were disturbed by demons. They prayed to Ettukai Amman and she killed demons with her enchanting smile. If you are visiting the kolli hills, visit the temple and get the blessings of Ettukai Amman.
Kolli Hills are famous for their spices and waterfalls. The spices grown in kolli hills are indigenous to Tamilnadu. After Theni, the Kolli hills are the only place in Tamilnadu where spices are cultivated. Kolli hills are known for their pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. In addition, Kolli hills are the only hill station in Tamilnadu with many waterfalls. Kolli hills are known for its four waterfalls namely Aagaya Ganga, Namaruvi, Chitraruvi, and masila aruvi.
How many hair pin bends are there in Kolli hills?
Indeed, kolli hills is a difficult road with 70 hairpin bends with turns and twists. Kolli hills road is not dangerous if driven properly. The kolli hills roads are clean and maintained well. The 70 hairpin bends spread across 15 kilometres are a pleasure to drive on these roads. Some of the hairpin bends are narrow and the drivers need to drive cautiously especially when you are driving up a hill. Kolli hills roads are perfectly safe for tourists. However, there are only limited options for stay and food. If you are going with your family, it is better to book a stay in advance.
Are kolli hills open for tourists?
Kolli Hills is completely open now for tourists. There were few restrictions even in 2021 due to covid-19. All the restrictions were lifted in the year 2022. The waterfalls in Kolli hills are now open for visitors. Kolli Hills is a hill station worth visiting.
Which is better, Kolli hills or Yercaud?
This is a tough question. I would personally prefer Kolli hills over yercaud. Since both the hill stations are located almost the same distance from Chennai, most people prefer yercaud because it is familiar, and has a pleasant climate with great amenities. Being an ardent lover of waterfalls and nature, I prefer Kolli. As the love for nature varies from person to person, yercaud has its fan base.
2.Seekuparai viewpoint
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| Seekuparai View Point |
3.Arapaleeswarar Temple
Arapalleeswarar temple is one of the oldest and most powerful Shiva temples. Arappalleswarar temple was built during the Chola dynasty 1500 years ago. It is believed that, When king Valvil Ori ruled the Kolli hills, the place was called Arapalli. Hence, the god was called Arappalleeswarar. It is said that during plowing a suyambu lingam was found in the farming land. Siddhas recovered the lingam and built a small temple. It is belived that a small mark caused by the plough is still found in the statue of arapaleeswarar. This temple is one of the important places to visit in kolli hills.
There are two unique things in Arapaleeswarar temple. Some stones predict our wishes. You have to keep your left hand over your right hand on the stone and pray for your wish. If the stone moves after some time, it is believed that the wish you prayed for would happen soon.
There is a stone made with Ashtalakshmis on the roof of the ambal statue. If you pray and wish for things to happen below the chakra, it is believed that your wish would happen within 48 days. If you are worshipper of lord Shiva, Arapaleeswarar temple is one the must visit places in Kolli hills.
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| Arapaleeswarar Temple |
4.Namma aruvi
Namma aruvi is located 1km from the Ettukai Amman temple. This is a small waterfall but the water flows from a certain height which gives a great experience. Namma aruvi waterfalls give a great offbeat experience for people who love driving and trekking. You have to go for a small hike to reach the foot of the waterfall. The best time to visit namma aruvi waterfall is in November-January since the water flow will be amazing. if you love to spend quality time with you family and get drenched, Namma aruvi is one of the best places to visit in Kolli hills.
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| Namma aruvi |
5.Masilla falls
Masilla falls is located 5kms from Ettukai Amman temple. There is a temple known as masi periyanna Swamy located at the top of the Kolli hills. This temple is reachable only through trekking. Since this fall is located near the masi periyanna Swamy temple, it is also known as Masi parai aruvi. Masilla falls will resemble a small waterfall, but the force of the water will be strong enough to prove it is not. This waterfall attracts many families due to its parking facility and easily identifiable location. Masila Falls has a separate dressing room for both men and women. If you love waterfalls, that is less risky with good amenities, masilla waterfalls in one of the significant places to visit in Kolli hills.
6.Sitraruvi
Sitraruvi in kolli hills is located adjacent to the arapaleeswarar temple. You need to climb down a few stairs and cross a ground bridge that goes through the middle of the river. The water that flows through this river goes to the Aagaya gangai waterfall. Though the waterfall looks tiny, it never fails to amaze us. Sitraruvi is definetely a must visit place in Kolli hills. Sitraruvi attracts families because there are a lot of bathing points with a decent water flow. During monsoon, the rocks will be slippery and water flow will be heavy. It is not advisable to take a bath if the water flow is heavy. The waterfall may look small and harmless but the heavy flow can easily drag us.
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| Sitraruvi kolli hills |
7.Pazhangudiyinar market or Solakadu market
We have already said, Kolli Hills is not only famous for its waterfalls, mysteries and herbs. It is also famous for its fruits. Solakdu market is one of the best places to visit in kolli hills if you love to source some fresh fruits and spices. Mountain bananas, pineapple, and Jackfruit are cultivated in Kolli hills. The pineapples grown in the Kolli hills have a unique taste and are completely different from the pineapples we buy from the cities. The farmers in the kolli hills use organic farming to cultivate the crops. Both white pepper and black pepper are cultivated here. The black pepper grown here is not polished and you can feel the real essence of the pepper. The price here is also less compared to cities. If you want to buy quality spices, you can spend half a day in this market to explore new crops. Other items are indigenously grown in kolli hills like black beans and Acacia concinna (Shikakai) which are available in the market. The government should educate farmers to directly contact the buyers in the cities to sell the products at a better price by bypassing the middlemen. If you are visiting kolli hills, support our farmers and indigenous products.
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| Solakkadu market kolli hills |
8.Ettukai Amman temple
Ettukai Amman or Kolli pavai is one of the ancient temples in kolli hills. It is located in Semmedu. This temple attracts many pilgrims over the full moon or new moon day. Even on other days, the pilgrims will visit the temple. It is believed that sages chose this place for meditation and atonement. However, they were disturbed by demons. They prayed to Ettukai Amman and she killed demons with her enchanting smile. If you are visiting the kolli hills, visit the temple and get the blessings of Ettukai Amman.
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| Ettukai amman kolli hills |
What are Kolli hills famous for?
Kolli Hills are famous for their spices and waterfalls. The spices grown in kolli hills are indigenous to Tamilnadu. After Theni, the Kolli hills are the only place in Tamilnadu where spices are cultivated. Kolli hills are known for their pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon. In addition, Kolli hills are the only hill station in Tamilnadu with many waterfalls. Kolli hills are known for its four waterfalls namely Aagaya Ganga, Namaruvi, Chitraruvi, and masila aruvi.
How many hair pin bends are there in Kolli hills?
Indeed, kolli hills is a difficult road with 70 hairpin bends with turns and twists. Kolli hills road is not dangerous if driven properly. The kolli hills roads are clean and maintained well. The 70 hairpin bends spread across 15 kilometres are a pleasure to drive on these roads. Some of the hairpin bends are narrow and the drivers need to drive cautiously especially when you are driving up a hill. Kolli hills roads are perfectly safe for tourists. However, there are only limited options for stay and food. If you are going with your family, it is better to book a stay in advance.
Are kolli hills open for tourists?
Kolli Hills is completely open now for tourists. There were few restrictions even in 2021 due to covid-19. All the restrictions were lifted in the year 2022. The waterfalls in Kolli hills are now open for visitors. Kolli Hills is a hill station worth visiting.
Kolli hills weather
The weather in the Kolli hills is pleasant all around the year. The best time to visit Kolli hills is from October to December to explore the real beauty. The Kolli hills weather in January drops below 15degrees. The summers are hot in Kolli hills and exceeds 30degrees. If you love mist, December is the best month to visit. People who love bike rides, rains, and drizzle, November is the best month to visit Kolli hills.
Which is better, Kolli hills or Yercaud?
This is a tough question. I would personally prefer Kolli hills over yercaud. Since both the hill stations are located almost the same distance from Chennai, most people prefer yercaud because it is familiar, and has a pleasant climate with great amenities. Being an ardent lover of waterfalls and nature, I prefer Kolli. As the love for nature varies from person to person, yercaud has its fan base.
