Ornamental Lake, Yercaud
This is
also known as Small Lake and lies in the heart of the town between the Yercaud
Library and Sports Club and the Monfort School. A fort like compound wall has
unfortunately obscured this picturesque lake in the heart of town and made it
look like a well. Ornamental lake in Yercaud is very small when compared to the
Emerald Lake.
Although
it is not as attractive as the Emerald Lake, the surrounding areas of the water
source have the appearance of a wild beauty. The wildness of the scenic lake is
because of the presence of thickly growing greeneries and wooded trees in the
adjoining areas. The water to the ornamental lake in Yercaud is fed by seven
wells and hence the small lake can be considered as a manmade water source.
It is
said that the lake does not dry up even during summer. The small lake is
assumed to have developed from rocks that were cut out during the construction
of the nearby Montfort School. The lake is one of the renowned tourist
attractions in Yercaud. Visitors can relax at this place while taking a walk
along the lake banks for viewing the panoramic scenes present in the nearby
area. This is an enchanting place to be visited in the Yercaud hill station.
The lake
can be viewed perfectly while entering into the Montfort school campus. This
unique tranquility is the main feature of this locality. These specialties have
made this landscape region an ultimate place for relaxation for the visitors
who come with their family members. The lake is surrounded by a road, the
quarter of which is marshy and disgusting and hence looks unimpressive.
Even
though boating is possible through the water source, there are not much boating
facilities at the lake to meet the requirements of the visitors. The poor
condition of the ‘Alankara Yeri’ (Ornamental Lake) near Gandhi Park in the hill
station is proving to be an eye sore. Owing to its improper maintenance, the
Alankara Yeri, a major tourist attraction of this hill station, is fast turning
into drainage.
The
‘Alankara Yeri’ situated in the heart of Yercaud hills receives abundant water
during the monsoon months. This helps to improve ground water level to a
considerable extent in the surrounding areas and also in the domestic wells in
Langilpettai and other localities. Moreover, the tourists have made it a habit
to consume liquor on the banks of this tank, and later throw the empty bottles
and leftover food into the lake. The presence of water hyacinth is another
perennial problem affecting the quality of water.