Sathuragiri Hill Trek

The Sathuragiri Hill trek starts at the forest check post, where entry passes to the hill are released. The entryway fee is Rs.10. After trekking through the forest check post, you’ll see a long, winding concrete path surrounded by thick forest. Initially, you will walk on this concrete course till you reach Lord Karupusamy temple. You begin on the rugged trail after a short climb through the stairs. Once you cross Lord Karupusamy temple, the trail gradually transforms into an unequal rocky surface. It initially leads you to the Mangani stream. Right after you cross the Mangani stream, you will see that the trail has become rugged. You are required to walk carefully here to reach the first crucial point on the trek, Vazhukku Parai. In Tamil, Vazhukku Parai suggests “Slippery Rock.” Steps are sculpted on a rock. While walking through the Vazhukku Parai, you will know why it is called so. Although the Vazhukku Parai stretch is exceptionally short, you need to gingerly negotiate it because a couple of missteps will lead you into the stream listed below. The climb starts gradually after you cross the Vazhukku Parai. You must trek on the same rugged trail for around 700-800 meters to reach the next fantastic area, Sangili Parai.

In Tamil, Sangili Parai suggests “Steel Chain Rock.” The steel chains go between 2 boulders at Sangili Parai. People hang on to these chains to reach the other end of the Sathuragiri River when the water circulation is high. Sangili Parai is a longer and harder variation of Vazhukku Parai. It is relatively high, too. After crossing Sangili Parai, walk 5-10 minutes on a muddy-rocky path to reach the steepest part of the trek, Kona Thalai Vasal. The Kona Thalai Vasal is a one-kilometre-long zig-zagging trail. When the trail is crowded during special occasions, the unequal, narrow rock path makes ascending challenging, so be cautious of this section when climbing.

The Kona Thalai Vasal stretch is exhausting. Nevertheless, the beauty of this stretch is such that as you walk up, you will see sensational big rock developments and rich greenery to your right and a deep valley with the Sathuragiri stream flowing to your left. This is likewise an ideal place to identify certain types of birds. The Kona Thalai Vasal stretch takes the wind out of you, so it is advised that you drink water regularly, starting every 15 minutes. From here, you will reach a location called Kaaram Pasu Thadam after a 20-minute climb. This is where the footprints of cows can be found on a rock. The trail after Kaaram Pasu Thadam is as challenging, with little break. The Sage Korakkar cavern is a short range from Kaaram Pasu Thadam. To get to the Korakkar cave, you need to cross a stream, and it is believed that Korakkar himself set up the Lingam inside the cavern. A covert waterfall a short range away from the cavern flows through a narrow canyon after the Korakkar cavern, a 10-minute walk to the Rettai Lingam temple.

After the Rettai Lingam temple, the trail becomes less difficult, with a mix of flat and sloping terrain causing Chinna Pasu Kidai. At Chinna Pasu Kidai, a signboard indicates the area of ‘Naval Ootru,’ a water source thought to have recovery properties for incurable ailments. However, the water source dries up after the monsoon season. From Naval Ootru, the trail continues irregularly surface until Lord Pilavadi Karuppar temple. The course ahead of the temple is rough and rocky, and caution ought to be worked out due to slippery moss development on the rocks. When this section is browsed, the tricky part of the trail is over, and the course ends up being relatively simple until the temples at Sathuragiri Hill. Several stores sell praise and food items on both sides of the trail. The climb to the temples at the top starts from here, where the temples of Lord Sundara Mahalingam and Lord Santhana Mahalingam lie. The Santhana Mahalingam shrine’s water source is a hassle-free location to fill up water bottles, and complimentary food is likewise offered inside the temple for those who require it.

Before descending the hill, you can spend some time at the Santhana Mahalingam shrine, which overlooks the lush green hills. You might likewise take a time-out before Sundara Mahalingam shrine, which ignores Thavasi Parai. A 1 km thick forest path results in Thavasi Parai from Sundara Mahalingam shrine. Practicing meditation at this spot is believed to be a course to enlightenment.
You must be on all fours to enter the small Thavasi Parai cave. But once inside, there is enough space for at least ten individuals to sit simultaneously. Nevertheless, forest officials have recently closed the trail to Thavasi Parai cave because of the wild animal movement.