COIMBATORE: The trekking season is set to commence at Velliangiri Hills in the Western Ghats on February 1, and devotees and public will be allowed to trek and visit the seven hills till May 31.
The officials of Boluvampatti forest range, under which Velliangiri falls, receive applications from the tribals seeking giving permission to set up shops from the first hill to the seventh hill, a 6.5 km long route consisting of hills and rocky terrains. Thousands of devotees offer prayers to the Lord Shiva statue on the seventh hill, located at an elevation of 1850 metres above sea level, and during these four months, tribals set up over 45 shops that sell refreshments and other goods.
The forest department and HR&CE officials have advised people with health complications such as heart and breathing ailments to avoid the trek as seven people died of health complications while climbing the hills.
"While 2.3 lakh people visited the hills in 2024, this number went up to 2.50 lakh in 2025, even though the trek was closed a week before the scheduled time in May due to a red alert of bad weather. We are expecting more crowd than last year, especially during Shivarathri festival. Our staff will be on duty to regulate the crowd,” said a forest department official.
Forest department officials have also appealed to the people visiting the hills to avoid carrying plastic materials and dumping them in the hills, since it is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR).
"Last year alone, volunteers collected a total of 10,900 plastic food wrappers from the seven hills in four months. This will reduce if the devotees bring the snack items and food in utensils,” the official added.