https://www.teamgsquare.com/2010/03/places-to-visit-around-bangalore-bengaluru-trek-around-bengaluru-niceplace-around-bengaluru-1.html
1 Savandurga
2 Mandharagiri
Type :Hill, Jain temple
Direction: Via Tumkur road (NH4) : just before reaching Tumkur, you will find this place on your right side with its name painted on the hill.
Landmark: There is an arch at the entrance and a weighbridge besides the arch..
About: There is a Jain temple at the top of the hill, a small lake besides it and a few ruined structures here and there. A huge lake is present behind the hillock (we are not aware of its name though) which is a good place to spot water birds.
3 Kalavarabetta/Skandagiri
Type :Hill, Fort
Direction: Via Hyderabad road (NH7): reach Chikkaballapur, then take a right turn and travel for about 1km to reach the destination .
About: This is our only night trek till date. This place is famous for night trek, sunrise and clouds . There is a temple and a mutt at the base of hillock. One can find a lot of remains of fortification on the way to the peak. The Sunrise here is very beautiful. One can also view of Nandi hills from the top. Kindly carry a source of light while trekking during night. More details here
4 Devarayanadurga
Type :Hill, Fort,Temples
About: The rocky hills are surrounded by forests and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarashima and the Bhoganarasimha temples. The Yoganarashima temple is on the top of the hillock and the Bhoganarasimha temple at the base . There are three sacred ponds or Kalyani's here, known as Narasimha-theertha, Parasara-theertha and Pada-theertha. Places nearby include Namada Chilume , myth has it that Sri Rama on his way to Lanka halted here. As he did not find water anywhere around to wet the "Nama" (a kind of paste Hindus apply on their forehead), he shot an arrow into the ground, and water sprung from there. Thus the name (Rama)-Namada Chilume. The spring can be still seen, and there is a foot impression of Lord Sri Rama next to it. There is a deer park in the garden of Namada Chilume. Another place worth a visit is the very famous temple of Mahalakshmi at Goravanahalli.
5 Adichunchanagiri Mutt
Type : Hill, Temples, Wildlife
About: Major attraction here is the temple and mutt. This place is considered one among the Pilgrimage sites of Karnataka. Very well maintained temple and good facilities for the lodging is available here.There is a provision for rock climbing with the help of chain and pegs at certain places.We heard that this place also has a peacock sanctuary. We tried looking around for it, inquired a few locals but in vain. On walking around for a long time in search of peacocks if any, we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of a colorful peacock. It was a pleasure to the eye. We also read that the forest department ran jeep safaris and made provision for trekking inside the sanctuary . This probably was a long time ago since we did not see any such facilities.
Type :Hill, Fort
Direction: Via Magadi road: Travel till Magadi, then continue towards Kunigal to reach Hosapalya village which is about 8kms from Magadi, the take a left turn and travel 8kms further to reach Santepalya, take another left turn over the zigzag road to the base of this hill.
About: This fort is believed to be built by Kempegowda (founder of Bangalore). This is a classic example of an 8 tiered fort, with major part of the fortification still intact. Yes its surprising .There are two fortified hillocks around this village. It has a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Nandi. Puja to deities is performed only on Mondays and Fridays. Despite being so close to Bangalore, very few people are aware about this place. Read more
8 Nijagal Betta
Type :Hill, Fort,Temple, Mosque
Direction: Via Tumkur road : Cross Dabs pet flyover, travel for about 2-3km to reach this place which is on the the left side of the road.
About: There is a temple and a mosque on the top of the hill. There are many cave temples. This place is a local pilgrimage center. Animal sacrifices to the deity is common here. The fort is believed to be built by Vijayanagara Kings, which was later captured by Hyder Ali, Marathas, Nayaks, and the British.
9 Sangama, Mekedatu
Type : Water, Picnic
About: This place is the confluence of river Arkavathi and Cauvery. One needs to cross the river and walk for about 3kms or take any other mode of transportation available to reach Mekadatu (goat's leap). Nice place with lot picturesque hills surrounding the place. There is also a water fall nearby called Chunchi falls which is about 6kms before the Sangama.
10 Bannerghatta National Park
Type :Wildlife
About: This place houses a zoo, safaris, museum ,butterfly park, and reserve forest. There are many places inside the national park apart from the safari and zoo to be explored such as the Swarnamukhi Falls, Doddaragi Betta, Chikkaragi Betta and the Mirza Hill. This place is well maintained and is a popular one in Bangalore. It is closed on Tuesdays .
11 Kanva Reservoir
Type :Dam, Water
About: This is an artificial lake . A dam constructed across river Kanva forms the reservoir.It is a good place for bird watching. There is a temple in Kengal dedicated to Lord Hanuman which is also worth visiting.
12 Ramohalli
Type :Picnic
About:There is a huge Banyan tree which is believed to be around 400 years old. The area is about 3 acres.
Places to visit around Bangalore / Bengaluru part-1
This is our humble attempt to compile the places we have visited in
and around Bangalore. It may or may not be surprising to know that there
more than 150 places around Bangalore which is worth a visit. Places
around Bangalore include Ramanagara, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Tumkur and
Mandya districts and borders of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh .This post
is more towards providing information on the places that are rather
unpopular and seemingly less explored. Hope this will let many of us
appreciate everything nature offers. All the listed places are best
suited for one day outing .
Best Practices when you are on an outing:
1. Carry lots of water and snacks.
2. Remember not to litter the place.
Best Practices when you are on an outing:
1. Carry lots of water and snacks.
2. Remember not to litter the place.
Type :Hill, Fort , Temples
Nearest Town: Magadi
Distance from Bangalore: 45kms
Trek Distance: About 4kms (one way)
Trek level: Moderately difficult
Direction: Via Magadi road: just before you reach Magadi,
take a left turn, then travel for 3kms ,take another left turn and
travel for about 4kms to reach the destination . There are direction
boards on the way for guidance.
About : This is probably the most favorite spot among the
regular trekkers in Bangalore . Savanadurga is considered as one of
the biggest monoliths around Bangalore.There are temples and a forest
garden at the bottom of the hill. There are also Fort ruins atop the
hill which was built during Kempegowda times. There are a few water
ponds on the way to the top. This place comprises of two hills called,
Karibetta (Black Hill) and Billibetta (White hill), due to its
appearance.This hill is surrounded by forest. One can have a bird's eye
view of Magadi town, Manchinbele backwaters and the surrounding forests.
The view is awesome. This trek will always remain close to our hearts
, since it was our first trek. |
| A Water Pond in the Back Drop of Machinbele Reservoir |
 |
| On the Top |
Type :Hill, Jain temple
Nearest Town: Tumkur
Distance from Bangalore: 55kms
Trek Distance: About 500m (one way)
Trek level:Very easyDirection: Via Tumkur road (NH4) : just before reaching Tumkur, you will find this place on your right side with its name painted on the hill.
Landmark: There is an arch at the entrance and a weighbridge besides the arch..
About: There is a Jain temple at the top of the hill, a small lake besides it and a few ruined structures here and there. A huge lake is present behind the hillock (we are not aware of its name though) which is a good place to spot water birds.
 |
| Mandharagiri Hill |
Type :Hill, Fort
Nearest Town: Chikkaballapur
Distance from Bangalore: 50kms
Trek Distance: About 3kms (one way)
Trek level: EasyDirection: Via Hyderabad road (NH7): reach Chikkaballapur, then take a right turn and travel for about 1km to reach the destination .
About: This is our only night trek till date. This place is famous for night trek, sunrise and clouds . There is a temple and a mutt at the base of hillock. One can find a lot of remains of fortification on the way to the peak. The Sunrise here is very beautiful. One can also view of Nandi hills from the top. Kindly carry a source of light while trekking during night. More details here
 |
| Sunrise at Skandagiri |
Type :Hill, Fort,Temples
Nearest Town: Dabaspet
Distance from Bangalore: 55kms
Direction: Via Tumkur road (NH4): Travel up to Dabaspet
flyover, take the road which goes besides the flyover and turn right
to reach Devarayandurga (FYI: Taking a left turn leads to Shivagange
Betta)About: The rocky hills are surrounded by forests and the hilltops are dotted with several temples including the Yoganarashima and the Bhoganarasimha temples. The Yoganarashima temple is on the top of the hillock and the Bhoganarasimha temple at the base . There are three sacred ponds or Kalyani's here, known as Narasimha-theertha, Parasara-theertha and Pada-theertha. Places nearby include Namada Chilume , myth has it that Sri Rama on his way to Lanka halted here. As he did not find water anywhere around to wet the "Nama" (a kind of paste Hindus apply on their forehead), he shot an arrow into the ground, and water sprung from there. Thus the name (Rama)-Namada Chilume. The spring can be still seen, and there is a foot impression of Lord Sri Rama next to it. There is a deer park in the garden of Namada Chilume. Another place worth a visit is the very famous temple of Mahalakshmi at Goravanahalli.
 |
| Sri Yoganarasimhaswamy Temple, Devarayanadurga |
Type : Hill, Temples, Wildlife
Nearest Town: Bellur Cross, Kunigal
Distance from Bangalore: 120kms
Direction: Via NH48 Mangalore highway till you get Adichunchanagiri crossing, take right and travel from about 12 km .About: Major attraction here is the temple and mutt. This place is considered one among the Pilgrimage sites of Karnataka. Very well maintained temple and good facilities for the lodging is available here.There is a provision for rock climbing with the help of chain and pegs at certain places.We heard that this place also has a peacock sanctuary. We tried looking around for it, inquired a few locals but in vain. On walking around for a long time in search of peacocks if any, we were lucky enough to get a glimpse of a colorful peacock. It was a pleasure to the eye. We also read that the forest department ran jeep safaris and made provision for trekking inside the sanctuary . This probably was a long time ago since we did not see any such facilities.
 |
| Adichunchanagiri Mutt |
6 Makalidurga
Type :Hill, Fort
Nearest Town: Doddaballapur
Distance from Bangalore: 55kms
Trek Distance: about 2kms (one way)
Trek level: Moderately Easy
Direction: Via Hindupur state highway reach Makali village
which is about 12kms from Doddaballapur . Hillock is to the left side
of the road.
About: This place is very close to Ghati Subramanya. It is a 7
tiered fort out of which the remains of only 3 tiers are found today .
There is a Shiva temple on the peak. There is another temple and two
lakes at the base of hill. One can have a bird's eye view of Ghati
Subramanya , the lakes and railway track from the peak .
7 Hutridurga/Huthridurga
Type :Hill, Fort  |
| Makalidurga Fort |
 |
| Lord Shiva Temple Atop of Makalidurga Fort |
 |
| Fort Walls of Makalidurga |
Nearest Town: Magadi
Distance from Bangalore: 65kms
Trek Distance: About 2kms (one way)
Trek level: EasyDirection: Via Magadi road: Travel till Magadi, then continue towards Kunigal to reach Hosapalya village which is about 8kms from Magadi, the take a left turn and travel 8kms further to reach Santepalya, take another left turn over the zigzag road to the base of this hill.
About: This fort is believed to be built by Kempegowda (founder of Bangalore). This is a classic example of an 8 tiered fort, with major part of the fortification still intact. Yes its surprising .There are two fortified hillocks around this village. It has a small temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and Nandi. Puja to deities is performed only on Mondays and Fridays. Despite being so close to Bangalore, very few people are aware about this place. Read more
 |
| The Gateway to Huthridurga Fort |
 |
| Lord Shiva Temple and Ponds |
 |
| Sri Sankeshwara Temple |
Type :Hill, Fort,Temple, Mosque
Nearest Town: Dabs pet
Distance from Bangalore: 50kms
Trek Distance: About 2kms (one way)
Trek level: EasyDirection: Via Tumkur road : Cross Dabs pet flyover, travel for about 2-3km to reach this place which is on the the left side of the road.
About: There is a temple and a mosque on the top of the hill. There are many cave temples. This place is a local pilgrimage center. Animal sacrifices to the deity is common here. The fort is believed to be built by Vijayanagara Kings, which was later captured by Hyder Ali, Marathas, Nayaks, and the British.
 |
| Nijagal Fort |
 |
| Beautiful Carvings of Karthikeyan and Lord Shiva (Bhikshatana murti) |
 |
| A ruined Temple inside the Fort |
Type : Water, Picnic
Nearest Town: Kanakapura
Distance from Bangalore: 65kms
Direction: Via Kanakapura: Travel up to Kanakapura , take a left turn till you reach Sangama. About: This place is the confluence of river Arkavathi and Cauvery. One needs to cross the river and walk for about 3kms or take any other mode of transportation available to reach Mekadatu (goat's leap). Nice place with lot picturesque hills surrounding the place. There is also a water fall nearby called Chunchi falls which is about 6kms before the Sangama.
 |
| Chunchi Waterfalls |
 |
| Chunchi Waterfalls |
Type :Wildlife
Nearest Town:Bangalore
Distance from Bangalore: 25kms
Direction: Via Bannerghatta roadAbout: This place houses a zoo, safaris, museum ,butterfly park, and reserve forest. There are many places inside the national park apart from the safari and zoo to be explored such as the Swarnamukhi Falls, Doddaragi Betta, Chikkaragi Betta and the Mirza Hill. This place is well maintained and is a popular one in Bangalore. It is closed on Tuesdays .
 |
| Elephant Enjoying its Food |
 |
| Hippo Family at Bannerghatta National Park |
Type :Dam, Water
Nearest Town:Ramanagar
Distance from Bangalore: 65kms
Direction: Via Mysore road: Travel till you reach Kengal ,take a right turn and travel about 8kms to reach the dam .About: This is an artificial lake . A dam constructed across river Kanva forms the reservoir.It is a good place for bird watching. There is a temple in Kengal dedicated to Lord Hanuman which is also worth visiting.
 |
| Evening at Kanva |
 |
| Kanva Dam |
Type :Picnic
Nearest Town: Bidadi
Distance from Bangalore: 25kms
Direction: Via Mysore road: Travel up to Rajarajeshwari Dental college. Take a right turn and travel about 6 km to reach this place.About:There is a huge Banyan tree which is believed to be around 400 years old. The area is about 3 acres.
Places to visit around Bengaluru / Bangalore part-2
The list goes on..... Second part :
13. Nandi Hills
Type :Hill, Fort , Temples, Mosque
Nearest Town: Devanahalli
Nearest Town: Devanahalli
Distance from Bangalore: 45kms
Trek Distance: About 2 km (one way)
Trek level: Easy
Directions: Take the Hyderabad highway NH7 till Devanahalli. Then take a left turn ,travel for about 22kms to reach the peak
About: This is the highest peak around Bangalore . It is
about 1400mt above MSL . This is the most commonly visited places
around Bangalore. The fort was built by Doddaballapur Nadaprabhus and
later improved by Tippu Sultan. This place is an excellent place for
bird watching. People who don't wish to trek, can take their vehicles up
to the peak.
14. Melukote  |
| A Water Pond at Base of Nandi Hills |
 |
| Mantapa on the Way to Nandi Hill Peak |
Type :Hill, Temples, Wildlife
Nearest Town: Nagamangala
Distance from Bangalore: 160kms
Directions : There are two ways A) Take the Mysore road , cross Mandya and then take a right turn and follow directions to reach Melukote. B)Take the NH 48 Mangalore highway till Belluru cross , then take a left turn, proceed a little further to reach a Y fork. Take a right turn here and follow directions to reach Melukote.
About: This place is also known as 'Thirunarayanapuram'. It is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Cauvery valley. Approach roads to this place are very picturesque. It is a temple town with many temples, main ones being Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple and Yoga Narasimha Temple .There are many Kalyanis here .There is also a secret cave underneath the Yoga Narasimha temple . It is believed that the great Srivaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya did penance for 14 years here . But the entry to the cave is prohibited now. Other attractions are the wildlife sanctuary and the museum. If one is fond of Puliyogare , then this is the place to taste it the best. Excellent Puliyogare is served here at all hotel and eateries. Overall, a great place for family outing .
 |
| Yoganarasimha Swamy Temple, Melukote |
 |
| Incomplete Rajagopura, Melukote |
Type :Hill, Fort , Temple
Nearest Town: Gudibande
Distance from Bangalore: 75kms
Trek Distance: About 3kms (one way)
Trek level: Easy
Direction : Take the Hyderabad highway NH7 till
Chikballapur.Continue until you reach Perasandra. Take a left turn to
reach the Gudibande.
About: Gudibande
fort was built by a local chieftain named Byre Gowda. With more than
13 (locals say there are 19) rock ponds at different levels, this fort
seemed to have a perfect rainwater harvesting system.There is a temple on the
peak dedicated to Lord Shiva , which has been renovated recently with
marble flooring. The Shiva linga in the temple is believed to be one
amongst the 108 jyothirlingas in India. When viewed from here, the
Byrasagara lake looks like the map of India.
 |
| Gudibande Fort |
 |
| Ruins of Temple inside Gudibande Fort |
 |
| Fort Walls |
 |
| Amani Byrasagara Lake (just look like Map of India) |
Type :Hill, Temple
Nearest Town: Kolar
Distance from Bangalore:40 km
Trek Distance: About 3kms (one way)
Trek level: Moderately Difficult.
Direction: Via NH4 Kolar road, travel till you reach
Kamat Upachar , from here take a right turn adjacent to Volvo godown.
Travel a little further till you reach a small hamlet . Then take a
left turn to reach the base of the hill .
About: This hill is a paradise for rock climbers.
Steps are laid up to the cave temple which is dedicated to Lord Hanuman
. Here on, one can go up till the peak, but there is no definite way or
directions. One can use the line of electrical poles for guidance.
There are a lot of caves along th e way to the hill top. The view from
the top is awesome .
 | |
| View from the Top |
Type :Hill, Water, Temple
Nearest Town: Kolar
Distance from Bangalore:60 km
Trek Distance: About 6kms (one way)
Trek level: Easy.
Direction: Via Kolar road till you reach Kolar. From the bus stand, take a right turn , this road will lead to Antaragange.
About: Antaragange is a mountain situated in the
Shathashrunga mountain range in Kolar . Antaragange literally means
"Ganges (Holy water) from deep" in Kannada. Antaragange is famous for
the temple situated on the mountain. In the temple is a pond which gets a
continuous flow of underground water from the mouth of a Basava (stone
bull). There is a steep, narrow path to the top of the mountain. The
mountain contains volcanic rocks and lot of caves around.
 |
| Antaragange Spring |
 |
| Rajagopuram, Theruhalli |
Type :Dam, Water
Nearest Town: Magadi
Distance from Bangalore:30 kms
Direction: Via Magadi road till you reach T G Halli About: T G Halli Dam or the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, also known as Chamarajsagar is located at the confluence of the rivers of Arkavathi and Kumudavathi. It serves as a major source of drinking water for Bangalore west. The dam was built under the supervision of Sir M Visvesvaraya. Entry into the dam premises requires prior permission from concerned authorities, although there are many ways one can enjoy the dam surroundings. This place is a heaven for bird watchers. Read more
Places to visit around Bangalore/ Bengaluru part-3
19 Horsely Hills
Type : Hill Station, Resort, Wildlife
Nearest Town: Madanpalle
Type : Hill Station, Resort, Wildlife
Nearest Town: Madanpalle
Distance from Bangalore: 140kms
Directions : Take the Kolar road up to Hoskote. Take a
left towards Chintamani , keep driving to reach Madanpalle , take a
left turn and proceed further to take another left turn to Horsely
Hills. On entry to Andhra Pradesh, it is very easy to reach this place
as there are sign boards for directions all along.
About: It is an ideal place for a long weekend getaway.
There are a few cottages under the Forest Dept. and a resort run by the
AP Tourism Dept. (Make sure that prior-bookings are made). The major
tourist places around Horsely hills are Lake Gangotri, High View seeing
point, Gaalibanda, Environmental Park and the Horsely Hills Museum.Other
places include the Rishi Valley school and Mallamma Temple. Just the
walk around this place is very soothing .
20. Manchinbele Dam
Type : Dam
Nearest Town: Kengiri
Type : Dam
Nearest Town: Kengiri
Distance from Bangalore: 40kms
Directions : Via Mysore road, take a right turn at RajaRajeshwari Dental college, travel about 14 kms and take a left turn to reach Machinbele dam.
About: Manchinbele is a small reservoir. This dam built across the river Arkavathi, mainly for irrigation purposes, also provides water to Magadi Town. Many adventurous activities such as Kayaking are carried out here. It also proves an excellent place for bird-watching .
Directions : Via Mysore road, take a right turn at RajaRajeshwari Dental college, travel about 14 kms and take a left turn to reach Machinbele dam.
About: Manchinbele is a small reservoir. This dam built across the river Arkavathi, mainly for irrigation purposes, also provides water to Magadi Town. Many adventurous activities such as Kayaking are carried out here. It also proves an excellent place for bird-watching .
 |
| Manchinbele Dam |
21.Shravanabelagola
Type : Hill ,Jain temple
Nearest Town: Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola.
About: This is an important Jain Pilgrimage center in Karnataka. The monolith Gomateshwara Statue (Bahubali) lies on the Indragiri Hill and rises up to 58 feet. An inscription at the base has records of its consecration in 981 AD by Chamundaraya, a minister of one of the Ganga Kings. Every 12 years, the great festivals of Jains, the Mahamastakabhisheka is held here. The hill has to be climbed bare footed. There are about 700-800 granite cut steps that lead to the Statue.
Type : Hill ,Jain temple
Nearest Town: Shravanabelagola
Distance from Bangalore: 150 km
Directions : Take the Mangalore highway to reach the Hirisave, then take a left turn to reach Shravanabelagola.
About: This is an important Jain Pilgrimage center in Karnataka. The monolith Gomateshwara Statue (Bahubali) lies on the Indragiri Hill and rises up to 58 feet. An inscription at the base has records of its consecration in 981 AD by Chamundaraya, a minister of one of the Ganga Kings. Every 12 years, the great festivals of Jains, the Mahamastakabhisheka is held here. The hill has to be climbed bare footed. There are about 700-800 granite cut steps that lead to the Statue.
Statue of Lord Gomateshwara
View from the top of Chandragiri Hill
22. Kabbaladurga
Type :Hill, Fort , Temples
Nearest Town: Channapatna
2. Via Mysore road, take a left turn at Channapatna towards Sathnur and follow directions to reach Kabbaladurga.
About :There is a temple dedicated to Kabbalamma at the hill base. This is a local pilgrimage center . Ruins of the forts and some structures are visible on the way to the peak . There are two temples on the top. One dedicated to Kabbalamma and the other to Lord Shiva. Temple is open on all days .
Type :Hill, Fort , Temples
Nearest Town: Channapatna
Distance from Bangalore:80kms
Trek Distance: About 4kms (one way)
Trek level: Moderately difficult
Directions : 1. Via Kanakpura, reach Sathnur,take a right turn to reach Kabbaladurga.2. Via Mysore road, take a left turn at Channapatna towards Sathnur and follow directions to reach Kabbaladurga.
About :There is a temple dedicated to Kabbalamma at the hill base. This is a local pilgrimage center . Ruins of the forts and some structures are visible on the way to the peak . There are two temples on the top. One dedicated to Kabbalamma and the other to Lord Shiva. Temple is open on all days .
Kabbaladurga Fort
Critters of T G Halli Reservoir
'T G Halli Reservoir'
is located on the Bangalore Magadi Highway. Entry
to the dam is possible only with prior permission from Cauvery Bhavan,
located
in Bangalore. Yet, there are many ways of enjoying its surroundings.This
place is a heaven for bird watchers and nature lovers.
 |
| Peacock Pansy |
 |
| Common Castor |
 |
| Plain Tiger |
 |
| Plain Orange Tip |
 |
| Stale Flash |
 |
| White Hairy Caterpillar |
 |
| Praying Mantis |
 |
| Stick Case Pupae |
Places to visit around Bangalore/ Bengaluru part-4
23. Varlakonda
Type: Hill, fort , Temple
Nearest Town : Chikkaballapur
Distance from Bangalore : 75 kms
Trek Distance: 2kms ( one way)
Trek Level : Easy
Directions: Take the Hyderabad highway NH7, cross Chikballapur, proceed on the highway till the village of Varlakonda is reached. On the left, one can sight the Hill with some fortifications on it . Take a left turn and drive for about half a kilometer.
About: It falls under the lesser explored place category. Climb is easy but there are no exact routes to the top. There is a small temple on the top and some old ruins. The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama.
Type: Hill, fort , Temple
Nearest Town : Chikkaballapur
Distance from Bangalore : 75 kms
Trek Distance: 2kms ( one way)
Trek Level : Easy
Directions: Take the Hyderabad highway NH7, cross Chikballapur, proceed on the highway till the village of Varlakonda is reached. On the left, one can sight the Hill with some fortifications on it . Take a left turn and drive for about half a kilometer.
About: It falls under the lesser explored place category. Climb is easy but there are no exact routes to the top. There is a small temple on the top and some old ruins. The temple is dedicated to Lord Rama.
 |
| View of Varlakonda Hill from the Road |
 |
| Temple on the top of the Hill |
24. Bilikal Rangaswamy Betta
Type: Hill, Temple, Wildlife
Nearest Town : Harohalli
Distance from Bangalore : 50 kms
Trek Distance: 4 1/2kms ( one way)
Trek Level : Moderate
Directions : Take the Kankapura road up to Harohalli ,then take a left turn after the bus stand and immediately take a right to reach DoddaMarlawadi. At the circle, take a right and continue straight for 3kms till you reach a village named Konnaldoddi. Here on, take a left , travel about 300mts, take another left turn to reach the temple.
About: This is a popular place. People have a fair idea about it. There are many cross tracks on the way ahead but do not deviate . There are directions up to the top but confusing. View from the top is awesome . One can see the entire region of Banerghatta National park on one side and the town of Kankapura on the other. Caution: Avoid making noise and use of mobile as it is known to distract elephants. Yes, this hill is a habitat for the big mammals .
Type: Hill, Temple, Wildlife
Nearest Town : Harohalli
Distance from Bangalore : 50 kms
Trek Distance: 4 1/2kms ( one way)
Trek Level : Moderate
Directions : Take the Kankapura road up to Harohalli ,then take a left turn after the bus stand and immediately take a right to reach DoddaMarlawadi. At the circle, take a right and continue straight for 3kms till you reach a village named Konnaldoddi. Here on, take a left , travel about 300mts, take another left turn to reach the temple.
About: This is a popular place. People have a fair idea about it. There are many cross tracks on the way ahead but do not deviate . There are directions up to the top but confusing. View from the top is awesome . One can see the entire region of Banerghatta National park on one side and the town of Kankapura on the other. Caution: Avoid making noise and use of mobile as it is known to distract elephants. Yes, this hill is a habitat for the big mammals .
 |
| View of Bilikal From The Road |
 |
| Temple on the top of the Hill |
 |
| Route to the Top |
25. Somanathpuram
Type: Temple, Historical interest
Nearest Town : Malavalli
Distance from Bangalore :140 kms
Direction: Take the Mysore Road till Maddur, reach Malavalli and follow directions to the temple.
About: It is a very nice stone carved temple. It was built by Hoysala Kings Narshima III under the leadership of Somanatha. Thus, the name. Take a guide if interested in knowing the details of the carvings, etc. Behind the temple is the river side (about 1km form the temple) where peacocks can be spotted if lucky. Places to visit nearby include Shivanasamudram, Cauvery fishing camp and Talakad .
Type: Temple, Historical interest
Nearest Town : Malavalli
Distance from Bangalore :140 kms
Direction: Take the Mysore Road till Maddur, reach Malavalli and follow directions to the temple.
About: It is a very nice stone carved temple. It was built by Hoysala Kings Narshima III under the leadership of Somanatha. Thus, the name. Take a guide if interested in knowing the details of the carvings, etc. Behind the temple is the river side (about 1km form the temple) where peacocks can be spotted if lucky. Places to visit nearby include Shivanasamudram, Cauvery fishing camp and Talakad .
 | |
| Carvings on the walls of the Temple |
 |
| Keshava Temple |
26. Akkayamma Betta
Type: Hill, Temple
Nearest Town : Chikjala
Distance from Bangalore : 25 kms
Direction : On the way to the new Airport, at Chikjala, take a right turn to reach the hillock.
About: It is one of the less explored places around Bangalore. There are a lot of temples and cave temples on the top. The place seems more lively during Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays with special kind of pujas .
 |
| View of the Hill |
 |
| Welcome to Akkayamma Betta |
 |
| Devi |
 |
| Temple |
Places to visit around Bangalore/ Bengaluru/ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು part-5
27. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary
Type :Wildlife, Boating
Nearest Town:Srirangapatna
About: A very popular place among picnickers and birdwatchers. It is a nice place to sight migratory birds from other parts of the world. Avoid going during peak monsoons as boating facilities will be suspended due to the rise in water level. Crocodiles are common inhabitants of the river. Water birds during breeding season include the Stork (Painted, Open Bill), Spoonbill, Ibis( Black headed, White) the Pied Kingfisher. Other common birds include the Kingfisher, Egret, Heron, Cormorant, and Darter. Places to visit around: Srirangapatna (historical place) , Krishna Raja Sagar Dam , Kokkare Belluru and Mysore.
Type :Wildlife, Boating
Nearest Town:Srirangapatna
Distance from Bangalore:120kms
Direction: Take Mysore road up to Srirangapatna. On reaching a big circle ahead, take a right turn . Ranganathittu is about 4 km hereon .About: A very popular place among picnickers and birdwatchers. It is a nice place to sight migratory birds from other parts of the world. Avoid going during peak monsoons as boating facilities will be suspended due to the rise in water level. Crocodiles are common inhabitants of the river. Water birds during breeding season include the Stork (Painted, Open Bill), Spoonbill, Ibis( Black headed, White) the Pied Kingfisher. Other common birds include the Kingfisher, Egret, Heron, Cormorant, and Darter. Places to visit around: Srirangapatna (historical place) , Krishna Raja Sagar Dam , Kokkare Belluru and Mysore.
 |
| Anchor and a good Guide |
 |
| Black Headed Ibis |
28 Kurudumale
Type :Hill, Temples
Nearest Town:Mulbagal
Type :Hill, Temples
Nearest Town:Mulbagal
Distance from Bangalore: 110kms
Direction: Take Old madras road up to Mulbagal , enter
the town and take the first left turn , travel for about 6 kms, then
take a right turn to reach Kurudumale.
About: This place is famous for the Ganesha temple
built by Vijayanagar kings. The idol is 14 ft tall. There is another
temple dedicated to Lord Someshwara (Lord Shiva), also situated in
Kurudumale. These temples are very sacred .Lot of pilgrims visit these
places. An other interesting feature of this place is the cave on a near
by hillock. The cave is called GIBITA GAVI in telugu and Situated at the center/rear side of the Kootadri Parvatha hill.
It is believed that Sage Koundinya still visits the cave and has made
it his head quarters by offering pooja to the deities Someswara and
Ganesha.It would just take a few steps (about 25 min) to reach the cave.
Other places to visit nearby would be Mulbagal Hanuman temple
,Virupaksha temple, Avani, Bangaru Tirupathi, Devara Tirupathi and
Kotilingaeshwara. |
| View of the Temple from Kootadri Parvatha |
 |
| Gibita Gavi |
 |
| Mulbagal Hanuman Temple |
29 Hadinakal
Type :Hill, Temples
Nearest Town:Yediyur
Type :Hill, Temples
Nearest Town:Yediyur
Distance from Bangalore: 110kms
Trek Distance: 2kms
Trek level:Easy
Direction : Take Magadi Road , continue on the state highway to reach NH 48. Take left turn, cross yediyur, here on in about 4kms you find a village called Thirumalpura .Immediately after crossing the village, take a right turn to reach the village of Byrasandra. From here, there is no possibility of missing the route to the hill.
About: This is a very famous local pilgrim center but still unknown to most of the outside world .This place has much to offer . I would call this a complete entertainer . First of all, it is a great place for bird watching. We spotted Egyptian vultures , varieties of Kites and Eagles, Bee eaters, Lapwings,and Silver Bills. There are high chances of spotting peacocks and pea hens too, since it is a home to many of them .There are many old and new temples at the foothill , mostly dedicated to Lord Rama and his disciple Lord Hanuman . The trek is very easy as steps are laid up to the top , though one can deviate. On the top, there is a pillar with an image of Lord Hanuman inscribed on it.
Direction : Take Magadi Road , continue on the state highway to reach NH 48. Take left turn, cross yediyur, here on in about 4kms you find a village called Thirumalpura .Immediately after crossing the village, take a right turn to reach the village of Byrasandra. From here, there is no possibility of missing the route to the hill.
About: This is a very famous local pilgrim center but still unknown to most of the outside world .This place has much to offer . I would call this a complete entertainer . First of all, it is a great place for bird watching. We spotted Egyptian vultures , varieties of Kites and Eagles, Bee eaters, Lapwings,and Silver Bills. There are high chances of spotting peacocks and pea hens too, since it is a home to many of them .There are many old and new temples at the foothill , mostly dedicated to Lord Rama and his disciple Lord Hanuman . The trek is very easy as steps are laid up to the top , though one can deviate. On the top, there is a pillar with an image of Lord Hanuman inscribed on it.
 |
| View of the Hill |
 |
| Board at the Entrance |
 |
| Temple on the Top |
30 Vani Vilasa Sagar Dam (Mari Kanve)
Type :DamNearest Town:Hiriyur
Distance from Bangalore: 140kms
Direction : Take NH4 to reach a crossing to Hosadurga, a little further take a left turn to reach the Dam.About: The Dam was built in the year 1891 and was engineered by Sir M.Visvesvaraya. It is located near Hiriyur Taluk, Chitradurga District. It is the oldest dam in the state. The dam was built by the Mysore Maharaja pre-independence across the river Vedavathi. The dam is an exquisite piece of architecture, an engineering marvel of that time. Great place, Accommodation is available here on permission .
 |
| Details of the Dam |
 |
| A Great Piece of Engineering |
Road trip to Kanyakumari from Bengaluru, 'To the CAPE' Part - 1
This trip is the first trip of Team G
Square in Tamil Nadu. Since most of our journeys were around Bengaluru
and in karnataka , we decided to go on a long journey this time given
the number of days available for vacation.This made way for another
exciting chapter in the travel diary of our Team G Square, very
rightfully named as " Enchanting Tamil Nadu " . The greatest attraction
of Tamil Nadu lies in its magnificent temples, fine beaches , several
hill stations, unspoilt forests , resorts and wildlife. But for us, it
felt like it was the land of Idlies and Dosas, Pongal and Sambar!
Mission : Drive to The Cape.
On a Thursday morning , we had a very strange feeling of holidaying instead of following the normal work routine. Cruising along the NH7, watching the lovely countryside of Tamil Nadu, we crossed Hosur and reached Krishnagiri Toll, from where we could see the Krishnagiri Fort .
On a Thursday morning , we had a very strange feeling of holidaying instead of following the normal work routine. Cruising along the NH7, watching the lovely countryside of Tamil Nadu, we crossed Hosur and reached Krishnagiri Toll, from where we could see the Krishnagiri Fort .
 |
| Suraj Chacha Jaage! |
 |
| View of Bala Raya Konda Durgam |
 |
| Krishnagiri Fort |
From Krishnagiri, we took the road towards Salem . We stopped for some delicious and colorful breakfast at A2B .
 |
| Very inviting Ghee Roast (Trust me it was yummy) |
Continuing the journey ,we crossed Salem and further. proceeded towards
Namakal. As we crossed the town of Salem, we found an eye catching place
called Oothumalai. We needed a break very badly since we'd been
driving all along and hence thought of spending our little break quite
wisely., of course by exploring this place. Believe us, it was worth the
call made.
 |
| View of the Oothumalai Hill |
 |
| About the place (Sthalapuranam) |
 |
| Bird's eye view of Salem town |
 |
| God or Demon? |
 |
| Cave temple |
This place had lots of temples ,caves and statues of gods.The
neighboring hill had very strange look . It had a very mysterious
looking cave temple. We tried to gather information of what was really
there, but in vain. Since language posed a problem for us, we could do
nothing much except to move on. The only piece of information we got
was from the Sthalapuranam in the temple, luckily it was put up in
English. As the temperature was soaring (around 40 degree C), and we
were already walked a lot around Oothumalai Hill, we had little strength
left to explore this cave. After resting for sometime, we moved
further towards our destiny, 'The CAPE '. We crossed Namakal and drove
towards Madurai . About 60kms before reaching Madurai , we found a
place called 'Dindigul '. From the highway ,we were able to see a nice
imposing fort on the small hill and wanted to check out this place for
sure.
About Dindigul, Hill Fort : It is believed to be built by the Madurai
Nayaks in 1605. Later, it was occupied by the Wodeyars ,then by Tippu
Sultan and ended with the reign of British. Currently, it is being
maintained by the ASI . An entrance fee of Rs.5/- is charged for all
Indian tourists. The Fort has a great history , according to our guide,
Mr Karthe. The Fort has been maintained well, but its surroundings
looked like a dump yard, which was very disappointing .
 |
| Dindigul Fort in the background is Sirimalai Hills |
 |
| The Outer wall |
 |
| Steps |
 |
| Yesteryear's Bazooka |
 |
| View of Dindigul Town |
 |
| Inside the Fort |
 |
| Temple atop |
 |
| The Temple |
 |
| View of Kodai Hills |
Total Kilometers traveled 611.3 kms.
Total Driving time: 9 hours .
Total Driving time: 9 hours .
To be capped .......................
Road trip to Kanyakumari from Bengaluru, 'To the CAPE' Part - 2
Direction to Tenkasi from Dindigul: Proceed on NH 7 till you reach
Thirumangala ,continue on the bypass of Thirumangala on NH 7 till you
get a crossing for NH 208, take a right turn.Continue on NH208 till you
reach Tenkasi . On the way, one will get Srivilliputtur .The primary
landmark of Srivilliputtur is a11-tiered tower structure dedicated to
the Lord of Srivilliputtur, known as Vatapatrasayee. The tower of this
temple rises 192 feet high (64 meters) and is the official symbol of the
Government of Tamil Nadu.
View Larger Map
About Tenkasi : It is located at the
foothills of the Western Ghats.Tenkasi is also know as 'Varanasi of she
South'. It is home to the very famous Courtallam Falls and Shiva
temple dedicated to Kasi Viswanathar. The temple tower was built by king
Parakirama Pandian in 1456 and the temple tower ,originally was172
feet tall . It was damaged in 1924 and rebuilt to a height of 163 feet .
It has beautiful sculptures and also houses musical stone pillars, that
emit notes of different pitch when tapped with fingers. The entrance is
really grand, with heavy steps and unique pillars . Photography is
prohibited .
 |
| The Sahyadris |
 |
| Tenkasi travel guide |
 |
| The Grand Entrance and heavy steps |
Then we headed towards to the
Courtallam falls . This was the second important place to visit in our
itinerary after the cape. This place is also known as 'The Spa of the
South '. It has many falls.
 |
| 7 falls |
On the way to falls, there is a ticket counter .The ticket collector advised is to go to another place, the Papanasam falls since Courtallam and its neighbors actually did not have any water falling!! But ,we insisted on going and checking it out anyway.
 | |
| Surprised.....!!!!!!! |
 |
| Mud puddling (common emigrants butterfly) |
And so, there it was! Or may be wasn't!! The best season to visit most of the falls is during monsoon or just after it. In South India, it is any time between July and December. Since we had nothing much to see here,we followed the route to Papanasam.
About Papanasam : It is a holy place situated on the western ghats of Pothigai hills, about 42 kms from Tirunelveli. The natural beauty of this place is enhanced by the Water falls due to the river Tamparani (Thamiraparani).This place is located inside the Mundanthurai Sanctuary. River Tamparani cascades into two waterfalls namely, the Panatheertham and Agasthiyar falls. Agasthiyar Hill Karaiyar Dam (Thamiraparani Dam) is the dam built across the river Tamparani .
Not to miss: The Falls, dam with boating facilities and the wildlife sanctuary with great chances of sighting a Nilgiri Langur.
.
 |
| Agasthiyar Falls |
 |
| Stone inscriptions near the temple |
 |
| Soothing and healthy drink (nice and natural way to beat the heat) |
 |
| Nilgiri Langurs |
 |
| View of Western Ghats |
 |
| The Road |
 |
| Back Waters, the Route to Pannatheertham |
 |
| Initial view of the Panatheertham Falls |
 |
| The Boat Ride |
 |
| Panatheertham falls |
 |
| Magical Rains |
 |
| Pirates of the Panatheertham |
 |
| In and Around |
Invariably, to our notice or may be it is so, all falls in Tamil Nadu have a provision for bathing under the falls. This place took away all the disappointment of Courtallam falls . We had the reward for our patience. Panatheertham was indeed magical to us. The boat ride across the river was the most beautiful experience. It started to drizzle mid way during the boat ride and the picture looked perfect. There was nothing more we could ask for. Here on, we decided to head towards the Cape to catch the sunset. But we were late and so missed it. Back to the lodge, we rested, had our dinner and slept early to catch the sunrise.
Day 2 : Total kms : 204 .
Road trip to Kanyakumari from Bengaluru, 'To the CAPE' Part - 3
Today, we had Kanya Kumari on our list.So, in the Cape, at last the feeling was very different . We have been craving to see this place since long. The only thing remaining in our mind was to get up early and catch the lovely sunrise . With all efforts, we woke up at 5:30 am and headed towards the beach to see the sunrise. Trust us , it was worth all the efforts we had taken to wake up early that morning!.
 |
| Wake up India |
 |
 |
| Sunrise |
 | |||
| Entrance to the Fort |
 | |
| Inside the Fort |
 | |
| Pushkarni |
 | ||||
| Imposing Gopuras |
After reaching Nagercoil ,we decided not visit the temple and moved towards the Thirparappu falls . Its about 15 kms from Nagercoil and is located at the end of the Western Ghats .The river Kodayar falls as Thirparappu.
 |
| The falls |
From here, we headed to see the hanging bridge known as Mathur Aqueduct .
 | ||
| The Bridge and the walk way |
 |
| Udayagiri Fort entrance |
Final part .To follow soon.
Road trip to Kanyakumari from Bengaluru, 'To the CAPE' Part - 4
It was Sunday morning , and around 6:30 am . We freshened up and walked towards KanyaKumari Temple.
About Kanyakumari temple: It is said to be a 3000 year old temple and
is dedicated to Kumari Amman or the Virgin goddess (KanyaKumari). The
temple is situated at the southern most tip (also known as Cape
Comorin), which is also the confluence of the three great water bodies,
the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. One has to
enter the temple from the northern gate, since the eastern gate is
opened only on a few occasions. Devi KanyaKumari is seen standing as a
charming young girl in her penance , with a garland of roses in her
right hand .There is a story behind why she remained a virgin goddess.
The nose ring of Devi Kanyakumari is believed to be set with rubies
and shines so brightly that it could be seen from far at night .As we
look at the ring, it shines so brightly that it is not surprising to
believe stories of ships being wrecked mistaking the radiance of the
nose ring for light from the light house! No Photography is allowed
inside the temple.
 | |
| Kanyakumari temple |
Other places of interest in KanyaKumari: Vivekanandapuram,
Guhanadeeswara Temple, Baywatch, Wandering Monk, Murugan Kundram, etc.
We moved towards our final destination, Madurai. The Madurai temple is also commonly known as " the mother of all Temples in India", while Madurai itself is known as the "Athens of the East".
History of Madurai: Founded by Pandyan King Kulasekhara in the 6th
century . Improved further till 14th century, during this time Malik
Kafur invaded it . After 70 years of Muslim rule , The Pandyan
re-established themselves and built many structures . Madurai Meenakshi
temple dominates the old city . Located at the heart of the city , the
temple is a superb example of Dravidian architecture and sculpture. It
has for long been the greatest attraction for the tourists as well as
one of the most important places of pilgrimage. The temple has two
shrines, one dedicated to Shiva as Sundareshwara, and the other to his
consort Meenakshi .There are no words to express the beauty and elegance
of this temple. Grand, exotic, an excellent piece of art and one great
place to visit are few words I have. Photography is allowed in the
outer limits of the temple at a charge of Rs.50/-.
 | |
| One of those big Gopuras |
 |
| Guess ? |
 |
| Zodiac Signs on the ceiling |
 |
| Paintings |
 |
| Devi |
 |
| Linga |
 |
| Corridor |
 |
| Corridor |
 |
| Devi |
 | |
| Official Photographer of TGS |
As all good things come to an end (for the beginning of better ones of
course!), this trip too ended, the only part remaining was the long
drive back to Bengaluru .We had about 450 kms to drive . It took us
about 7 hours to reach Bangalore .
First of all, thanks to the NHAI (National Highway Authority of India)
and the GOI (government of India) for upgrading the NH . NH 7 was a
pleasure to drive, since it was a 4 lane road all along up to
KanyaKumari.
It was a very comfortable journey . Our connection with Tamil Nadu has
just begun . Hoping this only gets better over time and Tamil Nadu feels
happier with the number of people visiting it keeps increasing .
Total Kms- just over 1700 kms
Duration - 4 days
Date: April 29,30, May 1,2, 2010
Overall Travel Route:
Bangalore-Salem-Dindigul-Madurai-Srivilliputtur-Tenkasi-Courtallam-Papanasanam
-Kanyakumari-Suchindrum-Nagercoil-Mathur-Kanyakumari-
Tirunelveli-Madurai-Salem-Bangalore
Duration - 4 days
Date: April 29,30, May 1,2, 2010
Places to visit around Bangalore / ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು / Bengaluru part-6
Type :Hill, Temples
Nearest Town: Dabspet.
Distance from Bangalore: 50kms .
Trek Distance: about 1.5kms (one way) .
Trek level: Easy.
Direction: Via NH4 till Dabspet flyover, go under the
flyover and take right turn towards Koratagere(SH3), travel for about 6
kms one will get right turn going towards Heggunda , then one need to
take left turn after 1.5 kms so near Dr Ambedkar School.
About: This is place has hill called Ramdevara
Betta with a temple dedicated to Lord Rama on top and temple of Lord
Hanuman at the base of hill.According to records found here, Heggunda
(earlier called Pokkunda) was an important city during the Hoysala
period (12th Century).The trail to the top commences with steps, which
slowly becomes a gentle rock face till a ruined stone dolmen
(mantapa), where a stone pond is located. From here on it is a long and
ultra-steep flight of tiny rock-cut steps to the top. The iron railings
installed all the way to the top provide adequate support. It is
said that Rama's sacrificial horse was tied to this here by his sons
Lava and Kusha. There is also a pair of footprints nearby which is
believed to be that of Rama.There is one more interesting place on the
other side of the hill . A villager told that the there are two small
cave temple, one of Nandi and other of Veerabhadreswara on the other
side of the hill and also some inscriptions can be found in the temple.
Even some Hero stones are found in this region.
 |
| Ramdevara Betta |
 |
| Rock cut steps |
 |
| Lord Rama's Temple |
 |
| Way to cave temple |
 |
| cave temple |
Type :Temples, Paintings
Nearest Town: Sira, Tumkur
Distance from Bangalore: 100kms .
Direction:Via NH4 . This place is located on NH4 itself . About 20 kms from Tumkur . From Tumkur the temple is on the right side of the NH.
About: Seebi has a temple dedicated to
Lord Narasimha Swamy. According to the legend by a local priest, about 1000
years ago, a businessman with two of his helpers were traveling on a business
trip from Chitradurga to Tumkur. They halted at this place for having lunch. While the businessman went to meet his
relative, the helpers were involved in preparation of lunch. When the businessman returned, he was shocked
to find both of his helpers lying dead in a pool of blood. He sat sadly with
his head down. Suddenly an elderly person appeared and informed him that the
stone they used for the purpose of cooking was infact God Narasimha Swamy
himself and advised the businessman to build a temple here in order to get rid
of their sin. Following the elderly person’s words, the Businessman built a temple
and got the "Puja" done by a priest from a nearby town, after which both
his helpers sprung back to life. This temple was then renovated by the Mysore
Wodeyars and Tippu Sultan. The main features of the temple are that the god
here is in the form of a rock and the temples ceilings house various paintings
depicting stories from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
These paintings currently are in a bad shape and need restoration. The
temple architecture is simple and walls are filled with sculptures of various gods
and goddesses made of terracotta and lime .They lay weather-beaten yet
beautiful. The temple is under the process of renovation .Photography inside
the temple is prohibited. There is also a Kalyani near the temple.
More places to visit around Bengaluru. Click here..
 |
| Rajagopuram, Seebi |
Places to visit around Bangalore / ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು/ Bengaluru part-7
Type :Hillock,Temples
Nearest Town: Dabspet
Distance from Bangalore: 45 kms .
Direction: Via NH4 towards Dabspet , one will get a left turn indicating towards Mahimapura . This crossing is about 15 kms from toll booth.
About: A flight of around 250 steps takes
us to the top of this small hillock. There is a simple yet beautiful temple at
the top with various carvings on the pillars resembling Chola style of architecture.
It is believed that Lord Garuda did penance here to get rid of the sin of
eating the dead body of a demoness and after Lord Vishnu was pleased, he appeared
before Garuda in the form of a mound of jaggery. Various hills like Savanadurga, Shivagange, and
Nijagal betta are visible from the top. At the base of the hillock is a temple
dedicated to Lord Hanuman who is carved out of a single stone and is 12ft tall.
 |
| Lord Ranganatha Swamy Temple |
 |
| Shivagange |
 |
| Lord Hanuman |
34 Aladahalli
Type: Hillock, Temple.
Nearest Town: Dabspet.
Distance from Bangalore: 50kms.
Direction : Via NH4 towards Dabspet , Take left turn
after crossing Mahimapura Crossing . Travel till the dead end then take a
right turn . To reach the hill. Land mark near the NH4 is newly opened
Tejkamal Pharmaceutical ltd.
About : The main idol of the temple, in the form of a
solid black granite pillar, is the only one of its kind in the entire
State. The Lord is depicted in the form of artistically carved fish and
tortoise incarnations (Matsya and Koorma avatars). All other Ranganatha
Swamy temples have sleeping, sitting or standing idols of the lord in
his human form. This is the only temple in which the lord has been
depicted in the form of his earliest incarnations. Aladahalli was once
upon a time known as Yajnavalka Ashrama.There is a cave temple dedicated
to goddess Lakshmi at base of the hill . The climb is very easy but can
be made interesting by doing some rock climbing .  |
| lord Ranganatha Swamy temple |
1.http://www.indiatraveltimes.com/travelogue/mahimapura.html
2.http://archive.deccanherald.com/Deccanherald/may062004/metro6.as
Kanakuppa Fort, Near Jagalur Karnataka
This about lesser known place located in Jagalur Taluk of Davanagere District . This place is known as "Kilah Kanakuppa"
. This fort was built by Palegars of Chitradurga . Erstwhile town of
Jagalur was located inside the fort . Few decades back people moved
out of the fort and three new villages were formed , namely Jagalur
(current), Kilah Kanakuppa and Kanakuppa. Jagalur today is the Taluk
Headquarter .
Kilah Kanakuppa is a largely fortified town . But it lacks the
complexity of Chitradurga fort . The main fortification cover three
small hillocks . The important aspect of the fort is an area
encompassed inside the fort walls .Another aspect is that, the fort has
just one outer wall .The boundaries of the fort by itself act as
natural defense from enemies .
Direction from Bangalore : Bangalore- NH4- Chitradurga-NH13 till
Jagalur Cross (30kms from Chitradurga) take left -SH45-Jagalur- SH45
Kanakuppa Cross (4kms from Jagalur)- take left -Kanakuppa. Total
Distance from Bangalore - around 240 kms .
 |
| The Fort and the Hillocks |
Villagers here are quite helpful and will eagerly show one the fort . But there are a lot of Sloth bears in the area of fort according to them . But one can avoid such areas. Much of the fortification still remain . Most interesting point is that of rain water harvesting system, which is so evident across the different regions of the fort. Its just not here but many forts have developed or felt the necessity of rain water harvesting .
 |
| Direction to pond |
 |
| The First of the many ponds |
 |
| Second of the many ponds |
 |
| The third one and so on! |
 |
| Entrance from the Kilah Kanakuppa |
 |
| Inside view of Entrance |
 |
| The Kanakuppa entrance from inside |
 |
| The Kanakuppa entrance from outside |
 |
| Door Hinge |
 |
| Viragals or Hero stones kept outside the temple |
 |
| Pair of Dusky Crag Martins |
 |
| Ruined temple |
 |
| Temple viewed from the top of the fort |
 |
| Ruined structure |
 |
| Top portion of fort on one hill |
 |
| Top portion of the fort on another hill |
 |
| Fort |
 |
| Note the carvings on the right side pillar of the entrance |
 |
| Highest point of the fort |
 |
| Lord Hanuman |
 |
| Final view of Fort |
Trip Date: 18 July 2010
Places near by : Chitradurga Fort , Chandravalli gardens, Jogi matti , Uchchangipura fort , Uchchangidurga fort , Ujjini Temple , Ramdurga Fort , many more
Chandravalli Garden, Chitradurga
Chandravalli Thota ( Garden) is a famous place in Chitradurga
.Last summer, we had been to Chitradurga to visit our Relatives . As
it was summer, we restrained ourselves from going to the fort and
decided to go to Chandravalli Thota which is located in the outskirts
of the town . Our only idea about the place was a garden with a lake .
So we decided to explore . Little did we know what was in store for us .
 |
| The Chandravalli Lake |
The lake is huge and is surrounded by three hills . Swimming is
prohibited in the lake . There are crocodiles in the lake . Proceeding
further, a sign pointing towards right and reading " Ankali Math"
on a bin caught our attention. We decided to go and find out what was
there .The first striking thing was the cave temple with five lingas ,
known as Panchalingeshwar and the lingas are Dharmeshwar , Bhimeshwar , Arjuneshwar , Nakuleshwar and Sahadeshwar, which can be linked to the Pandavas of Mahabharata .
 | |
| Panchalingeshwar Temple |
After visiting the temple, towards our right was a structure which had
many entrances and kept us wondering what it could be. On further
investigation, we found that one of the many entrances had a path
leading us downwards. Since it was completely dark, there were no
chances of going further without any source of light. Hence we moved on
to explore the place from the other entrances. There were all
interlinked forming a network of rooms. One of the rooms had a big
opening through which we could see other structures similar to these.
 |
| Entrance to the Cave |
 |
| The rear side |
 |
 |
| View from the window |
This place was full of interesting structures.A bed like platform ,
probably used by the sages as a Peeta for their prayers was found in
the innermost room. We spent a lot of time in seeing various elements
and were amazed at their brilliance in the field of architecture and
construction. Most of the structures were a part of the rock which
formed the cave.
On our way back, we were just curious to check about the place we had
left unexplored. Luckily, we saw a man sitting in front it with a
torch. It was quite obvious he was the guide who would take us around
and give us some details of the same only if we payed him his charges of
Rs.10 per head.We happily told him to proceed. On inquiring, he told us
this place was named 'Ankali Math' or 'Paradesappa Gavi' . Findings inside the Math were rather very interesting .
 |
| Natural light aiding visibility inside the cave |
 |
| Entrance to the main hall |
 |
| Windows |
 |
| Peeta |
 |
| The Main Entrance from outside |
 |
| The Main Entrance from inside |
 |
| The Peeta which was used by the sages (opposite to the linga) |
 |
| The Linga |
 |
| The bathing place of the sages |
 |
| Decorative workmanship |
 |
| Very artistic |
 |
| The Resting Place of the Sages |
 |
| Place to light lamps |
 |
| Another entrance which has carvings of peacock and swan on either sides |
 |
| The guide explaining the significance of the place |
 |
| Vibhuti Kunda |
 |
| Gods of the sages |
 |
| Shivalinga |
According to the Department of Tourism (Karnataka government), this
place is a Pre-historic site . The excavations at this place has
revealed connections with neolithic , megalithic and early historic
ages . Coins , ornaments and other artifacts excavated suggest that
they maintained trade with Rome.This place can also be linked to various
religions .
We were absolutely thrilled after seeing and listening to its history.
We found it hard to believe that such a structure was planned and
constructed. The lowest point from the entrance is at a depth of about
140 feet. This place had continuous supply of water . The interlinked
rooms were designed such that ,a person inside in the main hall could
see what's happening in the neighboring rooms . This place is just like a
maze , where it is very easy to get lost . This place mainly served the
purpose of meditation .It also had various paintings and sculptures on
the wall which have stood for so many centuries .
Hopefully this place survives the vandalism of the people .We only
wish that people enjoy the place and leave it just as it is.
No entry fees .This place is maintained by the local trust
Timings : 9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Distance from Bangalore : 205 kms
Places to visit nearby : Chitradurga Fort , Jogi Matti , Himavat Kedara , Adu Malleshwara , Vani Vilas Sagar Dam.
Trip Date : 01 May, 2009
Arvalem Caves and Waterfalls, Offbeat Places to Visit in Goa
We were heading back from our short Goa trip during which we had
visited mostly the places it is famous for, the beaches and the forts
obviously. Along our way back, we happened to see a Dept.of Tourism
Board , Goa , directing us towards Arvalem Falls and a Rock Cut Temple .
Definitely, we were curious to know about these places and proceeded
further.
Arvalem is a small village located in Valpoi Taluk, North Goa District. It is about 60 kms from Panaji . The major attractions of this place are the rock cut caves and the Arvalem Falls. While one of the rock cut caves is a major attraction, there are few more around this place.
Arvalem is a small village located in Valpoi Taluk, North Goa District. It is about 60 kms from Panaji . The major attractions of this place are the rock cut caves and the Arvalem Falls. While one of the rock cut caves is a major attraction, there are few more around this place.
The rock cut cave is known as " The Pandavas Cave". It is
believed that, the Pandavas of Mahabharata (epic) sought shelter in
these caves after being exiled . The existence of the cave has been
traced to the 7th century AD. The cave has five compartments with one
Shiva linga in each compartment .
 |
| The Arvalem Caves |
 |
| Shiva Linga |
 |
| Shiv Linga |
Here on, moving further about a kilometer took us to the small village of Arvalem .
There is a Rudreshwar temple here, which most likely was recently
renovated. The main deity worshiped here is Shiva in the form of a
Linga. A small walk ahead will lead us to the Arvalem Falls, cascading
from a height of about 60 ft . The sound of the falls was by itself very
refreshing. There is a platform from where one can freshen up from the
waters of Arvalem.
There were also remains of a previously working micro hydel generation project here dedicated to Smt. Indira Gandhi .
There were also remains of a previously working micro hydel generation project here dedicated to Smt. Indira Gandhi .
 |
| Arvalem Waterfalls |
 |
| Micro Hydel Generation Project |
 |
View Larger Map
Two kms from Sanquelim . No entrance fee .
Trip Date : 09 Dec, 2008 .
Places to visit nearby : Ponda, Old Goa ,The Many Many Beaches Around , Fort Aguada , Chapora Fort , Alorna Fort, and many more!
Karinjeshwara Temple, Karinja Parvatha, Bantwal
Mt Karinja (Karinjeshwara Temple) is situated in Bantwal taluk, South
Canara . This place was known to us from our Father and on inquiring
further, he suggested various places near and around our hometown
Bantwal. We could only make it to this place since it was a day trip to
Bantwal . After taking blessings from Lord Venkataraman in town, we
decided to explore Mt Karinja .
 |
| Map of Mt Karinja |
There are a few temples , caves and ponds on this hill. The top most
temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva (Karinjeshwara). The temple mid way is
dedicated to Goddess Parvathi and the lower most temple to the
elephant headed son of Shiva and Parvathi, Lord Ganesha .
 |
| Goddess Paravathi Temple Midway |
The sign board directed us towards a pond at the bottom of the hill known as "Gadha Theertha"
. On further inquiry, the priest narrated the story of the place
stating links from the great epics Mahabharata and Ramayana . According
to the priest , the Gadha Theertha was carved out when Bhima knelt
down and threw his mace(Gadha) down.
 |
| Gadha Theertha |
 |
| Gadha Theertha and the way up |
There are three ponds namely , Handi (Pig) Theertha , Ungushta (Toe)
Theertha and Jaanu (Knee) Theertha . Later, two ponds were formed when
Bhima knelt down to throw his mace , according to the priest . The holy
waters of the ponds are believed to contain special powers in the curing
various diseases .
 |
| Jaanu Theertha |
 |
| The Gateway |
There is a line which is visible while climbing towards the Lord Shiva
temple . As per the priest, this was caused by the arrow of the Great
Archer Arjuna .
 |
| Arrow Mark |
The most important aspect of this place are the monkeys. They are
believed to be descendants of Lord Hanuman . The leader of the monkeys
is called as Karinje Dhadda . These monkeys are fed daily by the
temple authorities after the pooja in the noon with the prasadam .
There is also an echo stone .
 |
| The dining table |
Direction from Bantwal : Bantwal is located off NH 48 .This place is
about 12 kms from Bantwal and about 35 kms from Mangalore .
View Larger Map
Steps are laid till the top . This place is being maintained by the temple trust .
Trip Date : 27 Dec , 2008
Places to visit nearby : Bantwal, Mangalore, Dharmastala , Moodabidri, Narahari parvatha , and so on .....
Hoysala: Mallikarjuna Temple Basaralu Mandya
Basaralu is a village of Mandya district, famous for the Mailkarjuna temple
and viragals (hero stones) .We inquired about the temple and did not
get any positive response . It was quite surprising to know that most of
the locals were unaware of the existence of such a temple. Finally ,one
person asked us if we were looking out for the Shiva temple and
directed us towards the same.We reached a temple named Kala Bhairava
Temple (which was not the one we were looking for) which had viragals
on one of its sides and a Peepal tree, surrounded by hero stones.
 |
| Kala bhairava temple |
The specialty of this temple is the festival of fire crossing, called "Bhairava Konda", held on a Monday prior to Ugadi Festival (mostly in March). One more attraction during this festival is " Kiccha Masti " ritual performed in memory of Masti . There are 7 viragals found near the Peepal tree and 2 viragals opposite to the tree .
 |
| Ashes of the fire crossing |
 |
| Old entrance |
 |
| Sculpture |
 |
| Viragal |
 |
| Viragal |
 |
| Peepal tree |
We tried to get information on Malikarjuna Temple . Luckily, we
got directions to this temple from an old man who was confident about
this place.We imagined this temple to be just like the temple we
visited. But, this place offered us something we had never imagined
about . It is sad but true, that places like these are much less talked
about and appreciated . Places like these are a pride to our state . It
is a true representation of our rich culture and heritage and a fine
example of architecture of the olden days . The skill and patience
involved in building such masterpieces is just unimaginable . We were
blown away by its beauty . The sculptures were created with great
finesse and technique . The figures are close to perfection with every
little detail being highlighted .
 |
| Malikarjuna Temple |
This temple was built by Harihara nayaka. He was Dandanayaka (in charge of armies) under the Hoysala King Imadi Narashima . The temple was built in the year 1235 AD for deity in the name of his father "Malikarjuna" and a kalyani (Tank) in the name of his mother "Gujjave".
 |
| Gujjave Kere and Mantap |
The temple has beautiful Dravidian Shikhara on its main garbhagriha, which houses a "Balahari Shivalinga" and a beautiful lotus on the ceiling . The two small garbhagrihas facing each other, housed a "Naga Nagini" sculpture in one and the "Surya Deva" (Sun god) in the other. The vestibule has the symbol of Hoysala , Sala killing a lion .
 |
| Shikhara and Hoysala Emblem |
There is a Bhairava sculpture in the garbhagriha of
Chandikeshwara temple in the other corner of the temple complex . There
is a twenty feet tall pillar opposite to the temple. The base of the
temple has pattikas in the ascending order of elephants , horses with
riders , Hoysala emblem , sculptures of Puranic episodes ,crocodiles and
swans which is very similar to most of the Hoysala temples .
 |
| Chandikeshwara temple |
 |
| Bhairava Sculpture |
 |
| Pillar |
 |
| Base of the temple |
On the walls, one can see sculptures of Samudra Manthana
(Churning of sea ) , Shanmuga , Kalinga Mardana ,Keshav ,
Shiva-Parvathi riding Nandi , Ugranarashima killing Hiranyakashipu
,Hayagreva (god with horse head) , Dancing Lakshminarashima ,
Yoganarashima ,Abhayanarashima ,Lakshminaryana ,Surya Dev , Shiva
wearing elephant skin , Harihara , Vishnu , Vamana , Bali Chakravarthi ,
Ganesha , Durgi with 18 arms , Nataraja , Bhairava , Vishnu riding
Garuda ,Rati-Manmatha,Lord Brahma with his consort , 22 armed Shiva
killing Andakasura , and many more, which were beyond our skill of
identification .All these sculptures are beautiful , they are smaller
and simpler than those found in other famous Hoysala temple ,but often
not less in Sculptural quality .
 |
| Shanmuga |
 |
| Kalinga Mardana and Keshav |
 |
| Lord Shiva Paravathi riding Nandi |
 |
| Ugranarashima Killing Hiranyakashipu |
 |
| Hayagreva |
 |
| Lakshmi Narayana |
 |
| Govaradhan |
 |
| 16 hand Durgi |
 |
| Lord Brahma with his consort |
 |
| 16 armed Shiva Killing Andakasura |
Actually the first thing one notice after entering the Ardha Mantap
is its Ceiling . Beautifully carved with Ashtadikpalas ( 8 deities
protecting the eight quarters/directions of world ). East is represented
by Indira on Airavata (White Elephant ) , South East by Agni on Mesha
(Male Goat), South by Yama on Mahisha (Male buffalo) , South West by
Nirurti on Nara (Man), West by Varuna on Makara (the Crocodile),North
west by Vayu on Mruga (Deer) , North by Kubera on Ashwa (Horse) and
North east by Ishana on Vrishbha (Bull).
 |
| Ashtadikpalas on the ceiling |
 |
| The information board |
Direction from Bangalore : Bangalore - Mandya (SH17)95 kms- right
turn towards Chikka Mandya (7kms )-left turn toward Basaralu (23 kms) .
Total Distance : about 130 kms .
Place maintained by ASI .Temple and surrounding are extreme well
maintained.Keys with the neighboring house. No photography allowed
inside the temple .
Trip date : 23 Oct 2010 .
Places to visit near by : Nagamangala, Adichunchanagiri, Melukote, Mandya,Shravanabelagola , Chikka Mandya and so on .
References used :
1 Publications of Government of Karnataka on Mandya .
2 About Ashtadikpalas from Hindu blog
Channarayana Durga Fort, Best Day Trekking Spot Near Bengaluru
 |
| First Look of the Fort of Channarayana Durga |
 |
| Channarayana Durga Fort |
 |
| First Entrance to the Fort of Channarayana Durga |
 |
| Intact Fortifications |
 |
| Ruined Shiva Temple |
The initial climb was slippery because of the heavy rains that poured
previous night .As we gained height, it seemed to be an easy walk. It
is a four tiered fort. Once we crossed the first tier, we came across a
beautiful temple besides a pond. This reminded us about the importance
of Rain water harvesting which was one of the main features in most of the other hill forts.
 |
| Upper Fortifications |
 |
| A Colony |
 |
| Marathi Inscriptions at the Entrance to Channarayana Durga Fort |
 |
| A Bugle Player |
 |
| Lord Anjaneya Swamy |
As we proceeded further, we came across a few structures that were
probably used as horse stables. We reached another entrance in the same
fortification which took us to the outside of the fort. This seemed like
the main entrance since it had a big Mandapa (Hall) with pillar, for
people to rest after the climb and also had steps leading to it from
the bottom of the hill.
 |
| Birdseye View of Surroundings |
 |
| Rain, Sun and Hills |
 |
| Beautiful Setup of Channarayana Durga Village |
After investigating the main entrance, we climbed further to reach the
next tier. Here, we found a few structures that probably formed a small
colony where soldiers and the king's people resided.Finally, we
reached the last tier of the fort. The view from above was breath
taking. One can spot the mighty Madhugiri hill which also has a fort and
is the highest monolith in India.
 |
| The Mighty Madhugiri Fort |
 |
| The Fort Walls |
During our descent, we came across a ruined temple. Behind the temple,
were two granaries used for storage. Most of the structures were intact
and its surroundings clean even without any kind of maintenance. there
were no signs of ASI in this place.
 |
| Ruined Temple |
 |
| Interiors of Ruined Temple |
Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - Dabspet (NH4)- right turn -
Koratagere (SH3) - proceed further - left turn towards Siddara betta -
right turn towards Channarayanadurga . Total distance : 95 kms .
Trip date: 26 Sept, 2010
Jakanachari's Hometown Kaidala/ Kridapura
"Kridapura" was the capital of a petty state. According
to the legend, it was the birth place of a famous sculptor the world has
ever seen ,the great one and only "Jakanachari", to whose wonderful skills are attributed some of the finest temple carvings at Belur, Halebidu, and the like.
As the story goes, Jakanachari left his family and
entered the services of the various kings of Hoyasalas and produced
works by which, his fame is upheld even today. His son Dankanachari grew up and decided to go in search of his father and reached Belur . At Belur , the Chennakeshava
temple was in the course of erection , where the young man remarked
that one of the images had blemish. Challenging this remark, the
sculptor, who was none other than his father Jakanachari ,vowed to cut off his right hand, if any defect was to be found in the image .
In order to test this, the figure was covered with sandal paste
and to everyone's surprise ,the paste dried everywhere except on the
navel. On further examination, a cavity was found which contained a
frog, sand and water. This way, the idol got the name of "Kappe Chanigaraya"(Kappe=Frog
in Kannada). He had no choice but to cut off his right hand as per his
word. On further inquiry about the boy, they became aware of the
relationship between the sculptor and the boy .
One day, in Jakanachari's dream, god directed him to build a
Keshav temple in Kridapura . As per his dream, a temple dedicated to
Chennakeshava was built in Kridapura. As soon as the temple was
complete, his right hand was restored. In commemoration of this incident
, this place from then on is being called as "Kaidala" (the restored hand). It is a large building with Dravidian style of architecture .
 |
| Chennakeshava Temple, Kaidala |
Kaidala has two temples constructed during the Hoyasala period. They are the "Chennakeshava" temple and the "Gangadhareshvara" temple . The latter was built in 1150 AD by the Hoyasala chief Gule Bachi, under king Narashima. The idol of Chennakeshava in the temple is a master piece and beats all the sculptures found in any of the Hoyasala temples.
 |
| Mahadvara |
The Mahadvara or the Main entrance of the temple has various
sculptures including the Lord Chennakeshava himself and opposite to
this, on the pillar, there is a fine figure standing with folded hands.
Carvings of animals like elephants, horses and monkeys and fish are
seen. It was also very interesting to find a carving of a camel.
 |
| Note the camel |
 |
| Monkey |
 |
| Keshava |
 | |
| The King |
 |
| Lord Krishna |
 |
| Lord Ganesha |
There are two more small mantaps inside the temple compound. One of
these mantaps contains an idol of Lord Garuda . There are some Hero
Stones (Viragals) found in the temple complex. There is a tall stone
pillar just in front of the temple. The temple of Gangadhareshvara was
closed , but looked quite interesting. On viewing through the window, we
found two huge stone inscriptions inside. On inquiring about the
temple to the locals, they informed us that the temple is opened only on
Mondays. They also informed us about another temple located just
outside the village, and was considered to be older than these two
temples.
 |
| Mantap |
 |
| Mantap |
 |
| Temple Compound and the Pillar |
 |
| Gangadhareshvara temple |
 |
| Inside the temple |
 |
| The inscriptions |
Here on, we went to explore the older temple named "Kodi Rameshwara".
There are two small temples here. Both temples have Shiva Linga inside
with Nandi situated in the front. There are two huge Hero Stones, out of
which one seemed to be broken, just near the temple .
The Chennakeshava temple is open during day time and is maintained
by a priest and a few old ladies. No photography is allowed inside the
temple. Other two temples are mostly closed .
Directions from Bangalore : Bangalore - Tumkur NH4 - Via by pass to Gubbi - Left near Golur Lake - Right near Golur circle - Kaidala. Distance: About 80 kms .
Trip date : 19th Sept, 2010
Places to visit around : Gubbi , Tumkur , Golur, Chelur and many more .
 |
| Main temple |
 |
| Smaller temple |
 |
| Shiva Linga |
 |
| The Hero Stones |
Directions from Bangalore : Bangalore - Tumkur NH4 - Via by pass to Gubbi - Left near Golur Lake - Right near Golur circle - Kaidala. Distance: About 80 kms .
Trip date : 19th Sept, 2010
Places to visit around : Gubbi , Tumkur , Golur, Chelur and many more .
Gulur Ganesha
Gulur, a small village in Tumkur district formed the erstwhile Kridapura, along with Kaidala.
It is famous for its unique way of celebration of the Ganapathi
festival, especially among the locals. Currently, the temple is under
renovation.
According to the legend told by the local priest, there once lived a
poor Brahmana whose difficulties only increased with time. Lord Ganesha
appeared in his dream and was told to offer him prayers after which he
would be relieved of all his problems. As he was unaware of the rituals
to be performed for offering prayers, he first tried to gather
information on the ways of worshiping the Lord. During this stage, he
met Sage Agastya, who was travelling from the South to the North
and had halted in this village then. He explained all his problems to
the sage and also informed him about his dream. Sage Agastya helped him
perform puja and worship Lord Ganesha, the ways of which is followed
even today.
The sage initially directed him to collect clay from a nearby lake from
which an idol of Ganesha, about 8 to 9 feet tall was molded. After its
completion, rigorous puja was performed to the Lord continuously for
about 30 days, after which the idol was immersed in a lake. The
Brahmana, after worshiping Lord Ganesha as told by Sage Agastya was
relieved of all his problems. Since then, he continued to perform puja
and offer prayers every year. Even today, during the Ganesha festival,
locals make the idol of lord Ganesha from the clay of a nearby lake. The
puja begins on the day of Bali Padyami (Deepavali) and continues for about one month. The annual jatra is held on the third day after the completion of the Karthika Masa.
 |
| Temple under Renovation |
 |
| Pillar Opposite the Temple Entrance |
 |
| Sculptures and the Sun and Moon signs on the Pillar |
 |
| Side View of the Temple |
 |
| Lord Ganesha (final touch up going on) |
There is a permanent idol of Lord Ganesha and Sage Agastya in the
temple. There is a pillar opposite the temple entrance and sculptures of
Lord Ganesha, Nandi and an Elephant. This temple is maintained by a
local trust.
Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - Tumkur NH 4 - Via bypass to Gubbi - Left near Maralur lake towards Kunigal - Left near Gulur circle.
Distance: About 80 km from Bangalore.
Distance: About 80 km from Bangalore.
Trip dates: 19th September and 6th November, 2010
Places to Visit Around: Gubbi, Tumkur, Kaidala, Chelur and many more.
Waterfalls of Agumbe, Karnataka -1
We planned a trip to visit "Kunchikal Falls", the highest
tiered waterfalls in India since the monsoons were high. The waters of
the Varahi river fall from a height of about 1450 ft forming the
Kunchikal Falls. It is located in Agumbe, Shimoga district . As we had
very little information about this falls, we thought this would be a
nice place to explore. But, as soon as we reached Agumbe, on inquiring
about Kunchikal Falls, we were disappointed to know that no permission
was granted to visit the same since the falls is loacted inside the dam
region. As usual, thinking everything happens for good, we moved on to
explore the other beauties of the mighty Agumbe.We found a guide to
accompany us in our journey of exploring the forest of Agumbe .
"Agumbe" is known as the "Cheerapunji of the South". Most of the episodes of Malgudi days
was shot in and around the village of Agumbe. This place is known for
the sunset, especially during November to January. The forests of Agumbe
is one of the most important part of the western ghats . This is home
for the one and only rain forest research station in India . This place
is also called as the "Capital of King Cobra" , since its forests
is home to a very large population of King Cobras. Off late, naxal
activity has increased in these areas. Though during our visit,
everything looked under control. We had to cross many check posts in
the village and usually permission is required from the police
department to go into the forest .
 |
| Welcome to the Cheerapunji of South |
We gathered information on places to visit around . The village of Agumbe has 3 waterfalls namely, the Barkana Falls , Jogi Gundi Falls and the Onake Abbi Falls,
nearby. Most of the people told us to avoid going to the Onake Abbi
falls due to the heavy leech infestation on the way . Hence, we decided
to explore the other two falls.
Our first was the visit to Barkana falls . It has to be
viewed from a view point which is about 4 kms walk through the dense
tropical rain forests . There is a jeep track which ends up into a
walking trail. The abundant flora and fauna of this region is a
pleasure to experience and be a part of. It was breathtaking. Beautiful
birds especially those endemic to western ghats like the Malabar
Trogon, Laughing Thrush , Flycatchers , Dark Fronted Babbler , Horn
Bills and many more... can be spotted here, regularly . The Barkana falls is
the tenth highest waterfalls in India.The waters of River Sita fall as
Barkana from a height of about 850 ft. The view of the Barkana falls is
just mesmerizing .
 |
| Rain-wet Road |
 |
| Amazing Roads |
 |
| Country Side Agumbe |
 |
| Path to the Falls |
 |
| Into the Forest |
 |
| Agumbe's dense vegetation |
 |
| The Mighty Barkana |
 |
| A Closer look |
 |
| Barkana Falls |
 |
| View of the Valley |
 |
| A Great view |
 |
| A Small Stream on the way |
Waterfalls of Agumbe, Karnataka -2
Continuing from part -1 ....
Distance: About 380 kms.
Trip dates: 12 and 13 Aug 2010
From Barkana falls we moved towards another falls by name Jogi Gundi.The
force of the water was ferocious, falling from a height of about 20
feet . We had to walk for about a kilometer from the road to reach the
falls.
 |
| The Walk |
 |
| Natural Barricade |
 |
| Jogi Gundi Falls |
Later, we went back to the village and had a good lunch. The only
question passing our minds was whether to visit the Onake abbi falls or
not, since the locals had warned us about the leeches. Finally, we
decided to give it a shot .The way to the falls is through a medicinal
plants garden. The garden is about 3 kms from Agumbe. Here on, it is
about 3 kms walk to the falls . This place was a haven for leeches,
which made the trek more enjoyable . It is better not to stop anywhere
in between, reducing the chances of interaction with the leeches.We
continued our walk all the way up to the falls except for some photo
stops. There are well laid steps from a certain point to the water falls
. When we almost reached the falls, it started to pour heavily ,thus
ruining our chance of photographing the falls.As we reached the
destination, we realized we were at the top of the falls. On inquiring
the guide told us there was an alternate route from Someshwara which
leads to the bottom of the falls ..
 |
| Entrance |
 |
| The Path |
 |
| Forest Mile Stone |
+ |
| Indian Amazon |
 |
| The Steps . |
Since we had only a day at our disposal and had to reach another
place by evening, we had to leave Agumbe, which was very disheartening.
Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - Magadi - Kunigal - Hassan - Belur - Aldur - Balehonnur - Jayapura - Sringeri - Agumbe .Distance: About 380 kms.
Stay/Accommodation :There are very few options for accommodation around
Agumbe. On searching, we found a place just opposite to the Bus Stand -
Mallya Residency (Mobile: 9448759363, Phone:08181-233042) Cleanliness:
Average, Facilities: Minimum. This place is okay for an overnight stay.
We also heard about home stays around the village.We suggest Sringeri as
a better option for accommodation.
Places to visit Around: Kudlutheertha, Sirimane Falls, Sringeri, Kundadri Hills, Narasimha Parvatha and many more.Trip dates: 12 and 13 Aug 2010
Places to visit around Bangalore/ ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು/ Bengaluru part-8
Type :Hill, Fort , Temples
Nearest Town: Koratagere
Distance from Bangalore:About 95kms
Trek Distance: About 2kms (one way)
Trek level: Easy
Directions: Bangalore - Dabspet (NH4)- right turn -
Koratagere (SH3) - proceed further - left turn towards Siddara betta -
right turn towards Channarayanadurga.
About: "Channarayanadurga" is a small village
situated in Koratagere Taluk , Tumkur. It's major attraction being the
hill fort. The height of the hill is around 3700 ft above MSL . This
fort was built by Madhugiri chief Channappa Gauda during the 17th
century and Read more....
 |
| Channarayanadurga |
36 Basaralu
Type : Temples
Nearest Town: Basaralu
Distance from Bangalore:About 140 kms
Directions: Bangalore - Mandya (SH17)95 kms- right turn towards Chikka Mandya (7kms )-left turn toward Basaralu (23 kms)
About:Basaralu is a village in Mandya district, famous for the Mallikarjuna temple and viragals (hero stones). This temple was built by Harihara nayaka. He was a Dandanayaka (in charge of armies) under the Hoysala King Imadi Narashima . The temple was built in the year 1265 AD for the deity in the name of his father "Mallikarjuna" and a kalyani (Tank) in the name of his mother "Gujjave". Read more....
About: Kaidala has two temples constructed during the Hoyasala period. They are the "Chennakeshava" temple and the "Gangadhareshvara" temple . The latter was built in 1150 AD by the Hoysala chief Gule Bachi, under king Narashima. The idol of Chennakeshava in the temple is a master piece and beats all the sculptures found in any of the Hoyasala temples. Read more....
About:Basaralu is a village in Mandya district, famous for the Mallikarjuna temple and viragals (hero stones). This temple was built by Harihara nayaka. He was a Dandanayaka (in charge of armies) under the Hoysala King Imadi Narashima . The temple was built in the year 1265 AD for the deity in the name of his father "Mallikarjuna" and a kalyani (Tank) in the name of his mother "Gujjave". Read more....
 |
| Mallikarjuna Temple |
37 Kaidala
Type : Temples
Nearest Town: Tumkur
Distance from Bangalore:About 80 kms
Directions: Bangalore - Tumkur NH4 - Via by pass to Gubbi - Left near Golur Lake - Right near Golur circle - Kaidala.About: Kaidala has two temples constructed during the Hoyasala period. They are the "Chennakeshava" temple and the "Gangadhareshvara" temple . The latter was built in 1150 AD by the Hoysala chief Gule Bachi, under king Narashima. The idol of Chennakeshava in the temple is a master piece and beats all the sculptures found in any of the Hoyasala temples. Read more....
 |
| Welcome to Kaidala |
38 Gulur
Type : Temples
Nearest Town: Tumkur
Distance from Bangalore:About 80 kms
Directions: Bangalore - Tumkur NH4 - Via by pass to Gubbi - Left near Gulur Lake - Left near Gulur circle - Gulur.About:Gulur is a small village in Tumkur district. Gulur, along with Kaidala formed the erstwhile Kridapura. This place is famous for its unique way of celebration of the Ganapathi festival, especially among the locals. Currently, the temple is under renovation. Read more ...
 |
| Gulur Ganesha |
39 Hatyal
Type : Temples, Hill
Nearest Town: Gubbi
Distance from Bangalore:About 115 kms
Directions: Bangalore-Tumkur NH4-Via by pass to Gubbi -Nittur-Take right turn near Hatyal arch . About: This place has a temple dedicated to Ugranarashima. The sculpture of Ugranarashima is very artistic and has ten hands. There is a small sculpture of Prahlada with folded hands standing in front of Ugranarasimha. The annual jatra is held during the month of Chaitra . This place is famous among the locals . The temple is under renovation .There are a lot of mining activities going around the hill, which is quite concerning . Roads have been constructed till the temple.
 |
| The Temple |
 |
| Mining site |
40 Innovative Film City
Type : Theme park
Nearest Town: Bidadi
Distance from Bangalore:About 35 kms
Directions: Bangalore -Mysore road - Left turn towards Bidadi Industrial Area. About:Innovative film city is open from 8 am to 7:30 pm. There is a mad rush during holidays and weekends. It is a nice place for family outing especially with kids around . There are two types of entry tickets, one priced at Rs 399 with limited entries and other at Rs 699 with entry to most of the facilities . There is a decent food court. Camera fee is Rs 100.
 |
| Welcome Fountain |
 |
| Artificial Waterfalls |
Hoysala Temples of Hosa Budanur, Mandya Karnataka
"Budanur", is a very familiar name for people
travelling from Bangalore to Mysore. Though many are aware of the name
of Budanur, very few people know about the hidden treasures in this
place .Until recently, we did not know about Budanur, though we have
crossed this place many a times. This time around, we went in search of
this place particularly. Erstwhile Budanur today is divided into two
villages named 'Hosa Budanur' and 'Hale Budanur'. These villages are
located in Mandya district. Hale Budanur is on the Bangalore - Mysore
Highway and Hosa Budanur is about half a kilometer from the highway .
Hosa Budanur has two temples built by the kings of the Hoysala dynasty . These temples are dedicated to 'Anantha Padmanabha' and 'Kasi Visveswara' . They were built around the 12-13 th century, during the reign of the Hoysala King Vira Ballala III .
These temples have been renovated by the ASI to resemble the older
structure. New stones have replaced the older missing stones. Other
reconstruction works around are being carried out briskly.
 |
| Anantha Padmanabha Temple |
 |
| Kasi Visveswara Temple |
Both the temples are constructed on a multi angled raised platforms.
Striking differences from many other Hoysala temples are the six
pattikas which are simple and the absence of sculptures on the
walls.The sculptures of both the deities are very grand and prove an
excellent example of Hoysala art. The pillars of these temples are
similar and extensively decorated .
 |
| Anantha Padmanabha |
 |
| Kasi Visveswara |
 |
| Pillars |
 | |
| Pillar |
 |
| Note the detailed work |
"Anantha Padmanabha temple" : This temple is dedicated to
'Lord Anantha Padmanabha' . The sculpture is in standing position , one
of the rare forms of this god . He is holding a Chakra, Astabandha, Gada
and Shanka.The door frames of the temple are heavily decorated . There
are two small devakothas with sculptures of Ganapathy and Lakshmi. There
is a inscription stone in the temple which is a very important source
of information about the temple. There is a board put up by the
Archeology and Museum Department of Karnataka, which provides some
information about the temple.
 |
| Decorative Door frame |
 |
| Inscription Stone |
"Kasi Visveswara Temple": This temple is considered as
'Dakshina Kasi'. There is a big Nandi statue in front of the Linga .
Though very less is known about this temple, it is considered to be
built along with the Anantha Padmanabha temple .This temple resembles
the other temple in most of the respects. This temple is having 4
devakothas which are currently empty. There are sculptures of Ganapathy
and Shanmuga in the temple . The ceilings are heavily carved.
 |
| Outer Ceiling |
 |
| Central Ceiling |
 |
| Ceiling |
 |
| Inner Ceiling |
There is a sculpture of 'Sapthamatharikas' in the Kasi Visveswara temple, which is seen in many temples across India. Sapthamatharikas represent the seven mothers who are mentioned specifically in the Rigvedas.
The sculpture usually has nine figurines instead of seven. The first
is of Goddess Parvathi (Lord Shiva's consort ) and the last is of Lord
Ganapathy (Lord Shiva's Son). The other seven represent the motherly
aspects of the great goddess (devi) and constitute the female
counterparts of the gods Brahma (Brahmani), Maheshvara (Mahesvari),
Kumara (Kaumari), Vishnu (Vaisnavi) , Varaha (Varahi), Indra (Indrani)
and Yama (Chamunda). The mothers are armed with same weapons as their
respective gods and also have the same mounts and banners. The number
seven is especially sacred in India and is used to express indefinite
plurality , Hence the seven divisions of the world , the seven sacred
cities , rivers , etc . There are many Sapthamatharikas sculpture
preserved in Aihole (Bagalkot District) museum .
 |
| Sapthamatharikas at Budanur |
 |
| Sapthamatharikas at Aihole Museum |
 |
| Aihole Museum |
The keys to the temple remain with the concerned priest. The priest
of Anantha Padmanabha temple lives in the same village and is
accessible any time during the day and the priest of Kasi Visveswara
temple lives in the neighboring village of Hale Budanur . The latter
comes in the morning to perform the daily pooja and rituals and returns
back to his village, since his accommodation in this village is yet to
be arranged. He can be contacted over phone (# 9611695091 , Name:
Nanjappa ) and will take some time to reach the temple. Prior
information to the priest is always appreciated . Luckily, we caught
him during his routine timing , which according to him is 9:00 am. The
former priest had considerable knowledge on Hoysala architecture and
temples and was very interactive .Both the priests were visitor friendly
.
Directions from Bangalore : Via SH 17 Mysore road, Cross Hale Budanur- Take a right turn (Land mark Lemon Grass Restaurant) - Hosa Budanur .
Distance : About 95 kms
Place is being developed by ASI ,requires more maintenance and development.
Trip Date : 28 Nov 2010. Places to visit near by : Mandya , Chikka Mandya, Basaralu , Srirangapatna , Tonnur Lake , Kokkere Belluru, Maddur , Ramanagara , many more.
References used :
1 Publications of Government of Karnataka on Mandya .
2 About Sapthamatharikas, from the book " The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography" written by Margaret Stutley.
Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary
Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary (KWLS),
is a lesser known sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh . This wildlife
sanctuary comes under the D.F.O of Kuppam, Chittor District. We had to
seek permission from the D.F.O to enter the sanctuary. He was more than
kind for having given us the permission and accommodation. We reached
Kuppam forest office on Saturday night around 9:00pm. Our accommodation
was arranged in the forest guest house which had all the facilities.
Next morning, we met the D.F.O who turned out to be a very simple
man with great knowledge of nature. He shared a lot of his views and
the efforts made towards improving the wildlife sanctuary, especially
on saving the elephants , since this is the only forest range in Andhra
that have elephants . The number of elephants would be around 60.
The forest shares its boundary with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. There
are two domesticated elephants here , which have been shifted to
Vizag Zoo on temporary basis and will return back. A guide was
arranged for us to reach the forest which is about 45 kms from the
office. He informed us that the chances of sighting of elephants were
few, since at that time the elephants had traveled towards Tamil Nadu.
We were not really disappointed on hearing this because forests also
have other animals, insects, birds, mushrooms, greenery which are
found in plenty. At the entrance of the Sanctuary, there is an
education center which has a lot of information about elephants and the
flora and fauna of the forests, which is worth a visit.
 | |
| Misty Morning |
 |
| Dew Drops |
 |
| Spider Web |
 |
| Forest Tracks |
 |
| Forests |
 |
| Go Green |
 |
| Eastern Ghats |
 |
| Road inside the Sanctuary |
Directions from Bangalore: Bangalore - NH 4 - Kolar - Bangarapet - K.G.F - Kuppam. It is advisable to reach Kuppam and then visit the Sanctuary .
Distance from Bangalore : About 130 Kms , hereon 45 kms to the Sanctuary .
Trip Dates : 14,15 Nov 2009 .
Places to visit nearby : K.G.F , Peacock Breeding Centre , Kaigal falls and many more .
The Winged Jewels of Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary
KWLS
is home to a variety of insects. It is an ideal environment since
insects thrive under moist conditions and the flora here is in
abundance.
Among the insect groups, moths and butterflies come under a
large group called Lepidoptera ( scaly wing). Though moths and
butterflies are similar, they differ externally. The antennae of
butterflies are slender with clubbed tip while those of a moth can
range from feathery or hairlike to even club shaped. India is home to
about 1500 species of butterflies. Butterflies can vary in shape , color
and size.
Presently, butterflies are classified into two super-families, of which hesperioidea has all the skippers, while papilionoidea includes the rest, the true butterflies.
Hesperioidea (Skippers) : The rapid bounding flight of these
butterflies has given them their name . These are intermediate for true
butterflies and true moths . Skippers of two types -one type hold their
wings open flat when settled and others usually alight with their
wings completely closed. This consist of a single family of Hesperiidae .
 |
| Small Branded Swift Skipper |
Papilionoidea: This consist of 4 families , Papilionidea, Pieridae, Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae.
Papilionidea(Swallow tails): Truly the most spectacular group of Butterflies. This group not only has the largest butterfly, the southern birdwing,
but also handsome species, the Paris peacock. Most among this group
have tailed hind wings, hence the popular name Swallow tails .
 |
| Lime Butterfly Open |
 |
| Lime butterfly closed |
Pieridae(White and Yellows): These are commonly called
white and yellows because of their wing are mainly white or yellow . The
undersides of the wings of some these butterflies have cryptic marking,
with only tip or apex of the fore wing visible .
 |
| Common Gull |
 |
| Common Jezebel |
Lycaenidae(Blues): The largest family of butterflies,
having some of the prettiest and smallest butterflies. A majority of
these butterflies have blue upper sides, though there are species with
other colors too . A good lot of them have thread like tails at their
hind wings ranging from small tufts to long fluffy hairs .
 |
| Stale Flash Butterfly |
Nymphalidae (Brush footed Butterflies): The first pair of
legs is much reduced in size. These legs are covered with long hairs,
appear like brushes . Being so small , the fore legs are useless and
Nymphalids use only four legs to perch and to walk .
 |
| Blue Pansy Butterfly |
 |
| Common Bush Brown |
 |
| Common Evening Brown |
 |
| Male Danaid Egg Fly Butterfly open |
 |
| Male Danaid Egg fly Butterfly closed |
 |
| Long Brand Bush Brown |
 |
| Small Long Brand Bush brown |
 |
| Plain Tiger |
1 Small branded swift skipper : Pelopidas mathias
2 Lime butterfly : Papilio demoleus .
3 Common gull: Cepora nerissa .
4 Common Jezebel: Delias eucharis .
5 Stale flash blue butterfly : Rapala manea .
6 Blue pansy butterfly : Jumonia orithiya .
7 Common bush brown : Mycalesis perseus .
8.Common evening brown : Melanitis leda .
9.Danaid egg fly : Hypolimnas misippus .
10. Long brand bush brown : Mycalesis visala .
11. Small long brand bush brown : Mycalesis igilia .
12.Plain tiger : Danaus chrysippus.
All these were photographed at Kaundinya Wildlife Sanctuary .
Reference used :
1. The book of Indian Butterflies ,written by Issac Kehimkar and Published by Bombay Natural History Society .
Waterfalls of Sirsi, Karnataka
 |
| Welcome to Gudavi Bird Sanctuary |
 |
| Cormorant Bird at Gudavi Bird Sanctuary, Shimoga |
 |
| Eurasian Spoonbill |
 |
| Malabar Grey Hornbill |
 |
| It's Birds Everywhere |
 |
| Southern Birdwing Butterfly (State Butterfly of Karnataka) |
 |
| Welcome to Unchalli Falls |
 |
| Misty Unchalli Waterfalls |
 |
| Mighty and Powerful |
 |
| Unchalli Waterfalls |
Continued here..
Waterfalls of Sirsi, Uttara Kannada - Part II
So continuing from part -1 . This part has more waterfalls .
After a good overnight nap ,we took the blessing of Goddess Marikamba
at Marikamba Temple , Sirsi . Very famous temple built during 17th
century .We went to another religious place nearby Sirsi is
Sahasaralinga (Meaning Hundreds of Lingas) a really nice place . From
here we went to Sonda which is famous for its Sode Vadhiraja Mutt .
Sonda has so many different kind of places which one can explore .
All these places are off Sirsi - Yellapur Highway.
From here Begins the waterfalls saga .
 |
| Shri Marikamba Temple, Sirsi |
 |
| Sahasaralinga, Aghanashini River, Sirsi |
 |
| Nandi at Sahasaralinga |
 |
| Malabar Grey Hornbill |
 |
| Places to Visit in and Around Sonda |
 |
| Sode Vadhiraja Mutt, Sonda |
 |
| A Common Sight Here |
Shivaganga Waterfalls:The Shivaganga waterfalls is a 74 m high waterfall
on the river Sonda .This is about 34 km away from the town of Sirsi.
This waterfall is located in thick forested area. From Sirsi one
directly go to Shivaganga waterfalls via Vanahalli .
 |
| Shivaganga Waterfalls |
 |
| Shivaganga Waterfalls |
From here we went to another waterfalls famously called as "Mini Niagara of Uttara Kannada"
Sathodi Waterfalls : Sathodi Waterfalls is a waterfall in Uttara
Kannada, that is formed by several unnamed streams near Kallaramarane
Ghat, 32 km from Yellapur . It is about 15 meters (49.2 feet) tall. The
stream then flows into the backwaters of the Kodasalli Dam, into the
Kali river. One need to walk for about 2 km to reach the waterfalls.
 |
| Mini Niagara Waterfalls of Uttara Kannada |
 |
| Sathodi Waterfalls |
Last Waterfalls of the trip.
This the mighty waterfalls of Magod.
Magod falls: The height of the waterfalls is 200mtrs. This waterfall has
to view from View point. There is a nominal entrance fees.
Finally Sunset at Jenukallu Gudda  |
| Magod Waterfalls |
 |
| Magod Waterfalls |
 |
| Sunset at Jenukallu Gudda |
Overall Travel : Bangalore - Tumkur - Gubbi - Shimoga - Shorab - Sirsi - Yellapur -Sirsi - Harihara - Chitradurga - Bangalore
Total km: 1250 km
Places Visited : Gudavi Bird Sanctuary , Unchalli falls,
Sirsi Marikamba temple, Sahasaralinga, Sonda mutt, Shivaganga
waterfalls , Sathodi waterfalls , Magod waterfalls Jenukallu Gudda and
Lord Ganesha temple.
Other places of interest nearby : Yana, Viboothi waterfalls, Banavasi,
Bene hole waterfalls, Lalguli waterfalls, Wattahole falls etc.
This why we call Uttara Kannada as "Land of waterfalls". Most of these
waterfalls are perennial. There is considerable amount of trek required
to reach the waterfalls but the pains is worth it .
Trip towards Mangalore
Kukke Subramanya is one of the most wonderful and devotional places surrounded by the hills of the Western Ghats. Lord Subramanya is the principal deity worshiped in this temple in the form of a Cobra. Kukke Subramanya is visited by lakhs of people to perform the sarpa dosha nivaran pooja. As it was offseason and also a week day there were not many people travelling in the Bus. I boarded the bus at around 9.50 pm on 26th November 2008 and reached Kukke Subramanya at 5.45 in the morning on 27th.
The temple has lot of Public resting areas (Dharma Chatras) and public bathrooms for the use of devotees travelling from long distances and also who do not get rooms in lodges. There is a luggage room facility to keep luggage and belongings. One can collect the belongings after finishing Darshan in the Temple. Receipts are issued to the luggage kept in such rooms.
As I was alone I didn’t get room in the temple owned Lodges (they give rooms only to family). However, managed to get room in a private lodge.
After taking some rest in the room (after the over night journey) went to see the temple in the morning at around 7.30am.
There
is a Bhojana shala owned by the Temple where everybody is served free
food everyday, 365 days a year. One can also have food in restaurants
adjoining the Bhojana shala. Photography is not allowed once we enter
the Temple. After going around the vicinity of the temple I left Kukke
Subramanya to proceed towards Dharmasthala.
Dharmasthala is a
two hour journey by bus from Kukke Subramanya and is around 70 Kms. I
boarded a bus at around 9.30am and reached Dharmasthala by 11.45am. The
time I was in Dharmasthala was very special, because it was festive time
and its called Laksha Deepothsava. It’s the time when one lakh lamps
are lit in the Temple. But one has to wait till evening to see that
splendid sight.
Thousands of people had gathered in the Temple campus to get a glimpse of their Lord, Lord Shiva. I had to keep my Bag in the locker room as Bags are not allowed inside. The temple was beautifully decorated with flowers.
There was a long queue, which took me 3 hours to go into the temple. Lot of shops were set up to both the sides of the road for snacks and toys. I proceeded towards Mangalore after having snacks in one of the shops.
Mangalore is 80kms from Dharmasthala. I boarded a private bus from Dharmasthala and reached Mangalore by 5.00pm. I checked in into a lodge on Balmatta road near Hampanakatta. Hampanakatta is a center place as we can get buses or autorikshaws to other areas in Mangalore.
That evening I went to Kadari Manjunatha Swamy Temple.
We
can perform Abhishekam to the Lord by carrying water which flows below
the Ganesh Sannidhi on the way to Chandramouleshwara Sannidhi.
Sunset at Kadari Temple
From Kadari Temple I proceeded towards Mangaladevi Temple. I boarded Bus route no. 15 and got down near the Temple.
As it was late in the evening, couldn’t take pictures of the Temple. After the Darshan of Goddess I boarded route no. 27 and came back to my room near Hampanakatta.
The next day 28th of November I went to Gokarnanatha Temple.
The magnificent Hanuman and Nandi
As it was late in the evening, couldn’t take pictures of the Temple. After the Darshan of Goddess I boarded route no. 27 and came back to my room near Hampanakatta.
The next day 28th of November I went to Gokarnanatha Temple.
The magnificent Hanuman and Nandi
From Gokarnanatha Temple I went to Someshwara Temple. The temple is on the sea shore.
After returning to the room, I proceeded to Kateel on the way to Udupi. Kateel is 29 Kms from Mangalore city. After the Darshan of Goddess I proceeded towards Udupi.
Udupi is 45 Kms from Kateel. Once reaching Udupi took a room close to the Temple. After lunch, I went to Malpe Beach. It was a beautiful sight as I reached ‘on time’ to see the sunset. Sitting on the shore watching the Sun going into the water bidding goodbye to the day and the crabs coming out of the water to go into the holes made in the shore was really amazing and worth millions.
I came back to the room and went to the temple. The sight of the beautiful MudduKrishna is available to everybody through the Kanakanakindi. Devotees perform ceremonies in a large scale daily. The offerings start in the early morning at 5 o’ clock and continue throughout the day.
Temple entrance
The chariots
The chariots
Kalyani
Utsava moorthy in the chariot
Yakshagana organized near the Temple
I stayed there overnight and after the Darshan of the God the next morning, proceeded towards Kundapura. Kudapura is close to 40 Kms from Udupi. After taking a room near Shashtri circle in Kundapura I proceeded towards Kollur. Kollur is around 36 Kms from Kundapura. There are lots of buses to Kollur from Kundapura; the bus fare would be around Rs 25.
Utsava moorthy in the chariot
Yakshagana organized near the Temple
I stayed there overnight and after the Darshan of the God the next morning, proceeded towards Kundapura. Kudapura is close to 40 Kms from Udupi. After taking a room near Shashtri circle in Kundapura I proceeded towards Kollur. Kollur is around 36 Kms from Kundapura. There are lots of buses to Kollur from Kundapura; the bus fare would be around Rs 25.
On
my way to Kundapura, I got down near a place called Marvanthe beach.
It’s an amazing view as one can see river Sauparnika to one side of the
road and sea to the other side of the road.
Sauparnika River
Temple near the river
After the 3 day Trip, I proceeded back to Bangalore from Kundapura to get back to work and busy mechanical life.
http://santoshprakasham.blogspot.com/
Biking in heaven, Kodagu/Madkeri
This undoubtedly was one of the
most exciting trips we have ever been on. Traveling 700 kms in less than
48 hrs to experience heaven could not have been any better. We were
destined to be in heaven on a day celebrated as World Environment Day!
It’s truly said that the best things in life are for free and worth
every penny. And Nature proves it the best!
Our initial plan was to leave early on Friday evening and travel as
much possible, so we could save time the next morning. Since our work
schedule held us up until late evening, we decided to meet at our
friend’s place in Kengeri. It was 9.15pm by the time we reached his
place. Soon after, talks about our plans and general talks went on
through dinner. After relishing the colorful Avalakki bath and Payasam,
all of us were fully charged and determined to start off the next
minute! It was about fifteen past ten when we kicked our bikes and hit
the road. We decided to halt at Kushalnagar which is about 242 kms from
Bengaluru. The three bulls we rode on were Discover 125cc, Bullet 300cc
and an extraordinary Passion Plus (would be about
100000000...........cc, since it never ran over 50kmph!) .Nine of us
traveled the whole journey. Four guys, three bikes, a girl and God. Our
Plan was to go on an exciting Road trip to Madikeri.
 |
| The bulls |
 |
| The riders |
After the much needed rest, we checked out of and rode
towards Harangi Dam. It seemed very dry waiting for the rains to fill it
up. After stopping for some pictures, we moved further towards
Somawarpet. All of us just loved the ride. We saw green everywhere! We
reached a golf course on our way which was lush green and tempted us to
stop our bikes and take a walk to see what was on the other side of it.
What a gorgeous view it offered! The hillocks, the greenery, the curvy
roads, and the freshly flowering tree with yellow flowers made it
picture perfect. By the side were cows grazing and it seemed to me like
this was the best way amidst nature. None could miss capturing the
beautiful scenery.
 |
| Harangi Dam |
 |
| The Gang |
 |
| Golf Course |
 |
| India's Official Mower |
 |
| Cave temple |
 |
| View of the lake from the top of the peak |
About forty five minutes passed by, and we realized time is evil and we
had to move on! We reached Somawarpet; we inquired about the route to
Honnammana Kere, a small lake about 7 kms from Somawarpet. After
spending some time near the lake, we decided to trek the hillock just in
front of the lake. We got to know about a cave temple on that hillock
which made us more curious. Steps were laid only up to the cave, but up
ahead is a trail that leads to the peak. View from the peak top was
gorgeous. But little had we realized that the best was yet to come.
After getting down, we explored an old temple at the base of the
hillock. Inside the temple, resided Shiva in the form of a Linga and
Nandi guarding him. The small temple had idols of other gods and the
ceiling too carried some decorative carvings. It also had a tree which
seemed to have sprung from the top of the ceiling. It was indeed a
beautiful temple.
 |
| Ruined Temple |
 |
| Temple and hill we climbed |
 |
| Hatti Hole |
We traveled back to Somawarpet for at Canara lunch home. They served us
full meals after which we moved towards Madikeri. Now, our destination
was a place named Mandalpatti. We had to stop by at few places and check
on the route since we really did not know the exact route to this
place. After a lot of queries, a group of men told us to reach Hatti
Hole and people there would guide us on how to go further. On our way,
we stopped by a rivulet. The water level was perfect for us to go down
and across. Since the sun went down and it was getting dark, we moved on
towards our destination. We inquired about the route to Mandalpatti,
and the man who answered us was surprised to know that we actually were
heading to that place on bikes! The route told by him was very confusing
and hard to remember. We followed his directions up to a point where
the road lead to two paths. After a small discussion we decided to
follow our hearts and move on the right path! Slowly, it turned into a
4x4 road, on which riding a bike would be risky but challenging and
exciting for a biker! The bike ride on this path was the best part of
the whole journey. And any biker, with no doubt, would enjoy it
thoroughly. An opportunity for a ride like this, itself, was worth the
journey. After a lot of negotiation with the roads and lot of ifs and
buts, checks on the route every now and then with a handful of people we
spotted throughout, we reached the approach road to Mandalpatti, a
place unknown to most if us. As we moved further, the light went down
and we hurried to get a view from the top. The place had turned into a
misty heaven, the beauty of which cannot be expressed in words but only
experienced. It seemed like we were amidst clouds and they were passing
across. Suddenly, the place grew brighter. The clouds had moved on. The
view form top was gorgeous and will always remain in our eyes forever.
We had never seen a place so heavenly.
We spent some time here, and left to Madikeri. We had to rush on since
it was already dark and drizzling. After a safe ride, we reached the
lodge and freshened up for dinner. After a long night’s sleep, we went
on to see Omkarnatheswara temple, Abbey falls and Gaddige. At this point
in time, we wished to see Mandalpatti again! We revisited Mandalpatti.
About Mandalpatti: 20 km from Madikeri.
Directions: Take the road towards Abbey Falls .At the Y fork deviation,
go right. There is a sign board for Pusphagiri WLS which is 17kms. This
place inside wildlife sanctuary gives you a view of Kote Betta on one
side and Pusphagiri range on the left .The View is just awesome. One
needs to pay a small fee for entry. Apart from the watch tower, there is
the Forest Dept. Office, the last point till where your vehicle can go.
Beyond this, the nature will take you on for the walk of your life.
 |
| Great Roads |
 |
| Some More Great roads |
 | |
| The View |
 |
| Road To Mandalpatti |
 |
| View of Kotte Betta (named so since it looks like a fort) |
 |
| Signage near Abhifalls |
 |
| The Falls |
 |
| Pusphagiri WLS |
We were back to Madikeri for lunch and left to Bengaluru. We reached Bengaluru by 11:00 pm.
Places visited: Kushalnagar, Somawarpet, Honnammana Kere, Hatti Hole, Mandalpatti and Madikeri.
Route: Bengaluru - Mysore road till Srirangapatna. Then take the bypass
road (Ranganathittu bird sanctuary road) , Yelawal - Kushalnagar
-Harangi Dam -Somawarpet -Honnammana Kere –Somawarpet – Hatti Hole -
Mandalpatti-Madikeri –Abbey Falls- Mandalpatti - Madikeri
-Kushalnagar-Yelwal-Srirangapatana- Bengaluru.
Travel Distance: 700+ kms
Trip Date: 5,6 jun 2010.
Caution: Reach Madikeri and then travel to Mandalpatti. Roads from Hatti
Hole to Mandalpatti absolutely not suitable for bikes or cars.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.