சேலம் ஏற்காடு📍 கிளியூர் நீர்வீழ்ச்சி | ஏழைகளின் ஊட்டி ஏற்காடு | Kiliyur waterfalls Yercaud 🌿

சேலம் ஏற்காடு📍 கிளியூர் நீர்வீழ்ச்சி | ஏழைகளின் ஊட்டி ஏற்காடு | Kiliyur waterfalls Yercaud 🌿 #viral


Here is a summary of the history — and natural-heritage background — of Kiliyur Falls (near Yercaud), combining the waterfall’s origin and how Yercaud itself came to be settled and developed over time.


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🌄 What is Kiliyur Falls & Its Natural Origin

Kiliyur Falls is a waterfall located in the Servarayan (Shevaroy) hill range of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu.

The waterfall is formed by the overflow from the lake in Yercaud (often called “Yercaud Lake” / “Big Lake”). When the lake’s surplus water flows down from the hills, it plunges into the valley below, creating the falls.

The drop height is about 300 feet (≈ 91 m).

To reach the falls from the nearest road (or from the lake area) you need to traverse a trek + descend around 200–250 steep steps through forested pathways — so it remains relatively natural and less “built-up.”

Because water flow depends on rainfall and the overflow from the lake, the falls are at their best in/after monsoon season — that’s when water volume and flow are greatest, making for a dramatic waterfall.


So, Kiliyur Falls is not a man-made waterfall or a dam-spill output; it is a natural cascade formed by overflow from the hill-station’s lake + catchment in the hills of the Eastern Ghats.


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🏞️ History of Yercaud — Context for the Waterfall

The story of Yercaud’s development gives useful context to Kiliyur Falls, because the falls’ water source and tourist interest tie into how Yercaud became inhabited and popular.

The name “Yercaud” comes from two Tamil words: “Yeri” (lake) + “Kaadu” (forest) — i.e. “Lake-Forest.” This underlines the fact that the lake (which feeds Kiliyur Falls) and the surrounding forests were central to the settlement’s identity.

The hills around — the Shevaroy (or Servarayan) Hills — are part of the greater Eastern Ghats.

The modern development of Yercaud began under British colonial influence in the early 19th century. A key person here was M. D. Cockburn (Scottish, Collector of Salem between 1820–1829), who is often called the “Father of Yercaud.” He introduced coffee plantations, as well as fruit orchards (pears, apples, citrus) in the region.

The first formal survey of the Shevaroy Hills was reportedly done around 1827, and the first European house (bungalow) was built around 1840.

Over time, more plantations (coffee, citrus, spices) took root — which meant Yercaud developed as a hill-station and plantation economy. This development also made it a retreat for Europeans seeking a cooler climate — which indirectly popularised its scenic spots like the lake, hills, forest and waterfalls.

While the ancient history of human habitation around Shevaroy Hills is less well-documented, there are findings of “stone-age implements” from shrines near these hills (about 5 km from the lake), suggesting that the region was inhabited in very ancient times — though how continuous that habitation was isn’t always clear in modern sources.


Therefore, when you visit Kiliyur Falls today — or Yercaud generally — you are walking on terrain that has both natural heritage (forest + Eastern Ghats geography + seasonal rain-fed waterfalls) and historical/colonial-era plantation legacy (coffee, fruit & spice plantations; British hill-station development).


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🧑‍🌄 Why Kiliyur Falls Has Significance — Then & Now

For the local ecology and geography: The falls represent how natural water-management via lakes and hill drainage in the Eastern Ghats can create perennial (or seasonal) waterfalls — a feature that draws biodiversity and scenic beauty.

For humans/settlement: The presence of a lake + forest + moderate climate made Yercaud attractive to early British planters (coffee, fruit), which shaped the area’s economic and demographic history.

As tourist heritage: The blend of forest-hills, waterfalls, plantations, colonial-era buildings and natural vistas gives Yercaud (and thus Kiliyur Falls) a heritage that includes both “nature” and “history.” The old colonial-era legacy (plantations, bungalows, heritage-homes revived as resorts) co-exists with untouched natural beauty.



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📌 What’s Less Known / Uncertain About History

There is no clear “foundation date” for Kiliyur Falls per se — because it is naturally formed. So there is no “inception year.” The falls have existed as long as the geography/climate allowed — though of course rainfall patterns over years determine its flow.

While some sources mention stone-age artefacts around Shevaroy Hills (suggesting ancient habitation), detailed, academically verified continuous human-history for the hills before colonial times is sparse.

Much of what people experience today — plantations, trekking paths, access — is shaped by colonial-era and post-colonial tourism/planning; so the “natural + human history” is layered