Dazzling through the woods on top of hills of the Eastern ghats is the road that bends the most. Located in the high altitudes of the Eastern ghats, the Kolli Hills derive their name from the Goddess who guards the hills-ettukai Amman, also called the Kollipavai. Run wild and free in the unrevealed greenery.
The region was reigned over by Vavil Ori, a benevolent king during the year 200CE who is known to have kept the mighty trio of Chera, Chola, and Pandiya quests out of the region. The hills are home to some of the calmest and most silent landscapes, so sages and spiritualists choose these hills for meditation and penance.
Dazzling through the woods on top of hills of the Eastern ghats is the road that bends the most. Surfing and cornering through South India's highest number of hairpin bends with cold wind against the face is nothing but a paradise for every biker. Located in the high altitudes of the Eastern ghats, the Kolli Hills derive their name from the Goddess who guards the hills-ettukai Amman, also called the Kollipavai.
The Kolli hills belong to the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu and are not far from important hubs like Trichy. Among Kolli Hills' many distinct identities, the head-spinning 70 hairpin bends make it a must-see for motorcycle enthusiasts. On riding up the hill, the temperature shifts from warm to cool, and the changing sights are dramatic and cognizable. The cold wind against the face, cornering through every bend as if the bends and the road are never going to end, takes the rider to the next level of thrill.
The vantage points all along the way pose spectacular scenery where shutterbugs can stop for a fantastic photo against a backdrop of bluish hills. This hill road is for sure a getaway from the daily boring office commute and rejuvenates the energy to ride more and more. There's also a watchtower to get better views of this magnificent spot.
The region was reigned over by Vavil Ori, a benevolent king during the year 200CE who is known to have kept the mighty trio of Chera, Chola, and Pandiya quests out of the region. The hills are home to some of the calmest and most silent landscapes, so sages and spiritualists choose these hills for meditation and penance. This place is equally strange and eerie, owing to the unexplored terrain and thick vegetation. The Tamil Nadu Forest Department manages three reserve forests, Ariyur Solai, Kundur Nadu, and Pulianjolai, which are home to a plethora of endemic flora and fauna.
After passing through all the spectacle the zone of coffee, pepper plantations, and paddy fields which is nothing but Semmedu. Semmedu is dotted with a few stores, tea stalls, and a couple of hotel options. The Seekuparai viewpoint and the Agaya Gangai waterfalls are upcoming points to stop and feel on a longer haul. The view of the green valley accentuated by brown hills set against a blue sky is sure to be breathtaking.
The hills are an abode to lush evergreen Ariyur shola forest on the higher altitudes, along with coffee plantations and fruit orchards. The grand waterfalls that invite any tourist into the Kolli hills are nothing but the Ganges from the sky. The prime tourist attractions list obviously starts with the Aghayagangai, literally meaning the Ganges of the sky. This is a beauty to behold since the water falls into the cliff while turning into a white gush of medicated water.
It is a place of repository for all nature lovers, trekking enthusiasts, tourists, meditators, and so on. Masila Falls and Namma Aruvi are other smaller escapes in the vicinity. The Arapaleeswarar saktham is a poem of sangam times that talks about Lord Arapaleeshwara whose temple can be found in the foothills itself. Lord Arapaleeshwara stands guard to all living beings in the hills. This temple is also the very sanctum of Ettukai Amman, or the Kollipavai, from which the place derives its name.
The Kolli hills do not confine themselves to all these descriptions and not even to the imagery that people who have been there might tell you. The bike ride to the hilltop is an elevation gain of over 1400m above sea level and takes you directly into the clouds and mist that are divine and serene. The unexplored terrain has so much more to offer to eager trekkers and nature-loving hikers.
