Velliangiri- Spritual Night Trek

Velliangiri trek is one of the best treks in the Western Ghats near Coimbatore, through forests to reach a Siva Temple at 1790 meters above sea level.


Also Known as the "Thenkailayam - Kailash of the South", these mountains are held and revered on par with spiritually most powerful place on the planet - Mount Kailash, the legendary abode of Lord Shiva. On the top of the Velliangiri Mountains, Shiva is worshipped as Swayambhu, one who is self-created and in this form, he graces the devotees.

Located on the Western Ghats, the hills are a part of the famous Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the Velliangiri Hills are considered as the Kailash of the South. The hills are a popular pilgrimage spot as well. The lush hills are a trekker's paradise as they are located at an altitude of 2438 meters, so do carry your walking shoes when you make your way to this picturesque landscape.


Myth:

These mountains became sacred because of a long time ago devotee of Shiva. There was a young maiden at the southernmost point of the Indian peninsular who aspired to hold Shiva's hand as a wife.

Her devotion and austerities crossed all levels of sanity and she remained absolutely focused upon him every moment.

This stirred Shiva's compassion and love. So he started making his journey to South India. Once he reached, villagers who didn't like their marriage said it was a bad day that day and asked Shiva to go back to Kailash and come back the next day before the sun rises. Shiva did that and before he could come back the next day, he could not meet the deadline due to a false setup which was created by the villagers. They put lots of camphor and burnt them making it look like the sun had rose. He was close but since he felt the time crossed he sat there itself. She was angry and left her body standing. Even today she stands there as Kanyakumari. There is a shrine on the very tip of this landmass which is known as Kanyakumari or the 'Maiden's Shrine.'

Shiva felt very disappointed with himself that he could not make it on time. He started walking back and needed a place to sit and work out his despondency. So he climbed up this Velliangiri mountains and at the peak of this mountain he sat. Wherever Shiva spent a little time, people call that place 'Kailash' due to the mountains imbibe his presence and reverberate it eternally. So they called Velliangiri Mountains the 'Kailash of the South'. The mountain peak is 6000 feet above the sea level, and its chillness, wind force, cloudy mist, and the steepness gives hard climbing for a devotee.


Season: February to May
Lord Panchalingesa and his Consort Manonmani amman alias Parvathi, bestow their grace on the devotees who throng here annually between February and May. Earlier ladies between 12 and 45 years of age were not permitted to go up the mountains. But now ladies are also allowed by the temple people to climb the Velliangiri mountains. There is a plan to provide shelters and temporary toilets near Andisunnai for the devotees during the season.


Transport:

The Transport Corporation ply buses between Coimbatore (Gandhi Puram) and Poondi every day. Special bus services are available during festive occasions like Maha Shivrathri. Coimbatore is on the international circuit with flights connecting it to Singapore and Sharjah. On the domestic front it is well connected to Kozhikode, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi by both rail and road.


For Stay:

The restaurants at the foothills allow people to sleepover on the floor. Nearby upscale Tamara Resort is one other option. These are the option for people who want to start climbing very early. There is no accommodation to stay at the hills. To stay at the hill, one has to carry tents and sleeping bags as it gets very cold at night.



For bath, since it will be too crowded during the season in the foot hills, its better to take a dip in Theerthakund (Dhyanalingam) before trek to Velliangiri hills.