Places to Visit near Salem

Salem is one of the most popular tourist destinations down South. However, it is not just Salem which offers visual delight for its visitors. The places adjoining Salem are equally enthralling and spell binding. Given below is a description of major tourist attractions near Salem which one can visit while visiting Salem.

Tourist Places near Salem

Belur Temple

This place is about 24 kms away from city of Salem situated on the banks of river Vashistanadhi. The white rock situated at the northern side of Belur is believed to represent the ashes of the Yagam (Sacrificial fire) performed by a saint named Vashista.

Namakkal  Hanuman Temple

Located at about 45 kms south of Salem is the religious town of Namakkal famous for itstemple of Hindu god Vishnu accompanied by the fort and the massive statue of Hanuman. The town is amazingly situated at the foot of the rock, about 200 mts. high and about ½ mile in circumference. Also, there are two rock cut cave temples dedicated to Narasimhaswamy and Ranganathaswamy gods highly revered in the southern part of the country. An amazing characterstic of Hanuman statue is that it is magnificently carved out of a single stone.

Thammampatti Cultural Centre

Thammampatti is an important cultural centre visited by avid devotees from different parts of the country. The Kashi Vishwanathar Aalayam is one of the prominent shrines of this place. River Swetha passes throughthis shrine. The centre area in this temple is square in shape. According to the folktales, it is believed that the five Pandavas of Mahabharata once visited the town. A fest named Kumbhabhishekam is organised in this temple annually.

Another important shrine situated in Thammampatti cultural centre is Sri Ukra Khadali Narasimha Swamy Temple. It is beleived to be almost 580 years old. In 2007 the fest of Kumbhabhishekam was organised in this temple. Besides this , there is a temple of Lord Murugan. Also in a rare feat a mosque and a church stand here in perfect harmony with each other. It stands as an example of peaceful co existence of the people of various denominations residing in the town.

Sankakiri Fort                     

The Sankakiri Fort is one of the most famous historical attractions of Salem, situated about 29 km away from the city. The fort is majestically located on the Sankakiri Hills, at a height of about 40 ft. This fort complex consists of following- 11 compound walls, 6 temples, 2 mosques and 5 platforms.

The significant and historical attractions present at this fort include the weapons, pistols and jewels of some of the most well known rulers of this region,like Tipu Sultan and Theeran Chinnamalai. The St. Antony’s Church is located en route to the Sankakiri Fort. This is another example of communal harmony and co existence and stands testimony to the rich and varied culture of India which beautifully encapsulates different religions.

Tharamangalam Temple    

The town of Tharamangalam is situated at the outskirts of the city  at a distance of 28 km .Of the main feature of this town is the Kailasanathar Temple, which is known for its marvellous architectural beauty that consists of very detailed and intricate statues and stone carvings, accompanied with a beautiful rotating lotus flower in its ceiling.

Yercaud Hills (Salem's Ooty)

Yercaud is one of the most well known hill stations of Tamil Nadu, also known as Salem's Ooty, located at a distance of 23 km from the city of Salem. These hills form an integral part of the Servarayan Range in the Eastern Ghats and are situated at an altitude of 1520 m(4,921 feet) above sea level.

These hills are also popular for coffee plantations and orange and palm groves, along with an orchidarium, which is run by the Government organisation called Botanical Survey of India.. It is also home to the Murugar group of temples. The place also has a beautiful  lake nearby, which is used mainly as a boating site but is also known for its beautiful gardens.

The town gets its name from the lake located at its center - in Tamil 'Yeri' means 'lake' and 'Kaadu' means 'forest'.At the highest point of Yercaud Hills is the Servarayan temple, which is situated at a height of 5325 feet. Hence the Yercaud hill area is also sometimes called Shevaroy Hills.