Salem: A City in a Ring of Hills

Salem sprawls across a broad plain in the Kongu country of western Tamil Nadu, hemmed in on almost every side by hills — the wooded Shevaroys rising to the north-east, rocky Kanjamalai to the west and Nagaramalai closer to town — with the Thirumanimutharu river threading through its centre. One of the state’s larger cities, it has long earned its living from steel, textile mills and the trade in sago and mango, yet for the traveller it is best known as the gateway to Yercaud, the nearest hill station, and as a base for temples, lakes and a great dam on the Kaveri. This guide walks through the sights, in the city and just beyond it.

A city on the Kongu plateau

Set on the Kongu plateau, Salem is one of Tamil Nadu’s bigger industrial cities, its skyline of mills and steel works softened by the green hills that all but encircle it. The seasonal Thirumanimutharu divides the old bazaars from the newer Fairlands quarter. It is a working city rather than a polished resort town, but its markets, temples and ring of hills give it a distinct character, and its position — roughly midway between Chennai, Coimbatore and Bengaluru — makes it a natural staging post for the western hills.

Temples at the city’s heart

The Kottai Mariamman Temple is Salem’s best-loved shrine, standing near the old fort quarter (kottai means fort) on the banks of the Thirumanimutharu. Its presiding deity is Mariamman, a fierce mother-goddess form of Shakti, and it is counted among the oldest places of worship in the city; its annual car festival draws large crowds through the central streets.

A little way into the old town is the Sugavaneswarar Temple, an ancient Shiva shrine where the lingam is said to lean slightly to one side and the goddess Swarnambikai is worshipped alongside. Devotees of Shiva also make the short trip out to Ariyanoor, on the city’s edge, to the 1008 Lingam Temple, which gathers a thousand and eight lingams around a single central one.

Hills, lakes and a zoo

West of the centre, Kanjamalai is a low iron-ore hill long linked with the Siddhars: a shrine to the sage Kalangi Nathar sits at its foot, a small Shiva temple crowns the summit, and the climb rewards you with wide views over the plain. Closer in, Mookaneri Lake — a restored waterbody of around 58 acres with a lakeside eco-park and walkway — is a favourite for evening strolls and birdwatching.

For families, the Kurumbapatti Zoological Park, roughly 10 km out in the foothills of the Shevaroys, is the second-largest zoo in Tamil Nadu, home to deer, big cats, reptiles and birds (it closes on Tuesdays). Back in town, the Salem Government Museum at Fairlands keeps modest galleries of sculpture, coins, bronzes and natural-history exhibits — a quiet hour out of the heat.

Beyond the city: Mettur Dam and Sangagiri Fort

About 30 km north, Mettur Dam is the reason many travellers pause in Salem. Thrown across the Kaveri where the river spills onto the plains, it was completed in 1934 and inaugurated by Sir George Stanley, then Governor of Madras — the reservoir it holds back is still called the Stanley Reservoir. Among the largest dams in India, it feeds irrigation across the delta and generates power; a park, the old bridge and seasonal boating make it a popular day out, most dramatic when the sluices are opened.

To the south-west, near the town of Sankagiri, Sangagiri Fort climbs a hill of about 330 m in a series of walled enclosures. Built by the Vijayanagar rulers in the 15th century and later held by Tipu Sultan and the British, it is a monument protected by the Archaeological Survey of India; the Kongu chieftain Dheeran Chinnamalai was executed here in 1805. The stepped path to the top passes gateways, a temple and a small tank, opening onto broad views of the surrounding country.

Yercaud: the hill escape

When the plains grow hot, Salem’s escape is upward. Yercaud, the principal hill station of the Shevaroys, sits about 30 km and a winding ghat road above the city at around 1,500 m, with a boating lake, coffee and orange estates, and cool, mist-washed viewpoints. It makes an easy overnight from Salem, and a gentler climate for much of the year.

When to go and getting around

The kindest months are November to February, when the plain is dry and mild and Yercaud is crisp; the pre-monsoon summer of April to June is hot below though pleasant in the hills. Salem is a major railway junction — Salem Junction links Chennai, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and the far south — while Salem Airport at Kamalapuram, about 20 km from the centre, carries limited flights. Within the city, autos and taxis reach every sight, but the hills, the zoo and Mettur Dam are best done by car.

For the hills above Salem, read our companion guide to Yercaud at /india/tamil-nadu/guides/yercaud-hill-station-guide, and for the wider region see /india/tamil-nadu/guides/tamil-nadu-hill-stations.