Flanked by rocky cliffs and lush green hills and the river Ponniyar close by, the town is fast becoming a popular picnic spot. The town gets its name from the tall rocky three-pronged hill which appears like the trishula, Lord Shiva’s weapon. 

The rocky hill appears like the trident weapon or shoola of Lord Shiva and hence the hill is known as Shoolagiri (shoola - trident, giri - hill). Comprising three rocky peaks with the centre one being the tallest, the rocky hill range of Shoolagiri has a thickly bushy base. At the foot of the hill on the outskirts of Shoolagiri is a beautiful and quaint Varadaraja Swamy temple built entirely out of stone. The medium sized temple is supported by several intricately carved stone pillars but like in most ancient temples the pillars have been white-washed and it is difficult to appreciate and enjoy the detailing of ancient sculptures. A tall standing image of Lord Balaji, also known as Varadaraja Swamy is enshrined inside the sanctum of the temple. The ascent to the top of Shoolagiri hills begins right behind the Varadaraja swamy temple. One has to pass through several tiers of dilapidated fortifications with entrances (which is now blocke), to reach the top. The construction of the fort is ascribed to the Palegars or local chieftains who ruled over the region. Halfway up the hill is a very small temple of Anjaneya built underneath a large overhanging boulder. Exercise extreme caution here as a slip can take you down several hundred feet down into the valley. The hill is crowned by a small ruined Shiva temple. According to the temple priest worship takes place atop the hill only once a year during Shivrathri festival. Chinnar Dam

A visit to Shoolagiri would not be complete without taking a peek at the azure waters of the Shoolagiri-Chinnar reservoir, close by (5 km). The reservoir constructed across the river Ponniyar in 1981-84 has a total catchment area of 43.62 sq km and irrigates several thousand hectares of agricultural land. The dam built flanked by lush green hills and rocky cliffs presents a picture postcard vista of the surrounding countryside. The reservoir has a long bank which is easily accessible by vehicles. An evening walk along the banks of the reservoir will prove to be soulful and uplifting. It is an ideal place to rest and have a picnic lunch and siesta after an adventure of climbing up and down Shoolagiri hills. One can even take a swim or splash in the shallow stretches along the banks.