Kolli Hills
Seventy hairpin bends to a quiet Eastern Ghats plateau
A Kolli Hills tour climbs about 70 hairpin bends to Agaya Gangai falls, the Arapaleeswarar Temple and an August festival for the archer Valvil Ori in Namakkal.
Overview
Kolli Hills is a forested range of the Eastern Ghats in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, at roughly 1,200 metres and about 45 km from Namakkal town. It rewards travellers who enjoy a long hill drive, a waterfall walk and a quiet Shiva temple. Tamil Nadu Tourism lists June to October as the best stretch for a Kolli Hills visit, while the district's own page points to August for the Valvil Ori festival.
The drive up is the first event. Travel writers count 70 hairpin bends on the ascent, and the district names three road routes: from Namakkal by way of Sendamangalam, from Rasipuram by way of Kallappanaickenpatty, and from Salem through Mettala, Mullukurichi and Nariankadu.
Agaya Gangai is the main walk. The waterfall, reported at about 300 feet, lies below the Arapaleeswarar Temple, and getting down to it means a stairway of around 1,000 steps, though counts of the steps vary. Two Siddhar caves, those of Bogar and Agastya, are near the falls, and two more, of Korakka and Kalaanginatha, lie deeper in the forest on a trek of two to three hours. Tradition ties the Arapaleeswarar shrine to Valvil Ori, a Sangam-age chieftain famed for his archery, and the hills also have a temple to Ettukai Amman.
Other stops are gentler. Vasalurpatti has a man-made lake with a walking edge and boats, Seekuparai is a viewpoint, and the botanical garden near Semmedu has a rose garden and a children's park. The district notes the hills for medicinal herbs, and a local dish of attukalkilangu soup is sold as a remedy for sore knees. Fields and plots on the slopes yield black pepper, jackfruit, bananas, pineapple, oranges and tapioca, and the hills are home to the Malayali tribal community.
Each Tamil month of Aadi, around August, the district holds the Valvil Ori Vizha, with folk and classical performances, a flower and herbal-plant display and an archery contest for local school students.
For access, Salem Junction is the nearest major station, about 88 km away, and the district's Namakkal page lists Salem Airport at about 72 km and Tiruchirappalli at 93 km, though another page gives 133 km. Hills are green in spring and the monsoon, and one travel writer notes a nip in the air in any month.
Known for
About 70 hairpin bends on the climb
Happening soon
Updated Oct 3, 2026Valvil Ori Vizha
culturalUsually in the Tamil month of Aadi, around August. Exact days vary by year and may fall between 2 and 18 August.
A yearly Kolli Hills festival for the archer-chieftain Valvil Ori, with folk and classical performances, flower and herb displays and a school archery contest.
Reach out to us for the confirmed datesQuick facts
Green in spring and through the monsoon, with a nip in the air in any month, according to one travel article.
Salem Airport, about 72 km, and Tiruchirappalli International Airport, about 93 to 133 km
Salem Junction, about 88 km. Namakkal railway station is also listed for the district, and the hills lie about 45 km from Namakkal town.
Three road routes reach the hills, from Namakkal via Sendamangalam, from Rasipuram via Kallappanaickenpatty and from Salem via Mettala, Mullukurichi and Nariankadu. The climb has about 70 hairpin bends.
Treat Agaya Gangai as its own outing, since the waterfall is reached by around 1,000 steps (some count more), and allow about 30 minutes down and an hour back
Allow extra drive time for the ascent, as it climbs about 70 hairpin bends
Check the exact festival days with the Namakkal district office if you are timing a visit for Valvil Ori Vizha, because the August dates vary
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