Nandi_hills_surprise

We always had an idea to see Nandi hills in the early morning. Some of my friends have been there to see the sun rise. They gave great reviews about the view of sun rise and the settled clouds looking like an ocean.

So, we decided to go to Nandi hills to watch the sunrise on 26th July 2008. We left home at 4.30 AM and headed to Nandi Hills. The drive was pleasant with no traffic and the expressway looked truly international without those slow trucks. After Devanahalli, we took the left from the highway and headed towards Nandi hills. This was how the road looked at that time.

We were the only souls on this stretch until we came near the junction where we were supposed to take a left to Nandi hills. There were bright lights near the junction and later we found that they were tea shops. We felt little secure after seeing some people at that hour. Soon, we were at the foot of the Nandhi hills and were driving up when we encountered mist. It was so intense that the visibility was just around 10 feet. I had to drive very slowly around 15 Kms/hr. Anu was excited seeing the mist and was busy taking pictures. The trees appeared like ghosts waving their hands at us.


Finally we were at the entrance at 5.40 AM. It was very cold and full of mist at the top. We were shivering. The gate was closed and was supposed to open only at 6.00 AM. Meanwhile a boy came running towards us and misguided us to the ticket counter next to a small shop. When I asked for a cup of tea, he replied that he has stock of Kingfisher beer only. Who would take beer at this chilling hour?
When I went to the ticket counter, surprised to find a dog manning it!

Moreover it was for the bus tickets and not for the entrance ticket! The boy guided us here so that we could buy something at the shop. Very clever?

We waited till 6.00 AM. The guard was there on time. He issued a ticket of Rs.60 for the car and took Rs.10 per head. But, no ticket for this. This is no surprise in India. We were excited as we were the first people to enter the gates on this day. There was more mist at the top and wind was biting us. Luckily, we had got some warm clothing to keep us comfortable. Some photos at the top near the temple and the garden in Nehru Nilaya.





We were there until 8 AM soaking ourselves in the mist. On the way back we took some more photos. Below you find the photos of Tipus's lodge, kalyani and the old fort entrance.






For breakfast, we planned to go to Silver Oak Farm at the foot of Nandi hills. The Silver Oak Farm is owned by friendly senior couple who have made it their home and allows guest to stay over their property during the weekends. The view from the breakfast table was very scenic. Some photos at the Silver Oak Farm.



After our breakfast and little stroll in the Farm we set out. We had to pass by Sultanpet. This is a historical town for this was where the British army under the leadership of Lord Cornwallis was stationed before the attack on Nandi hills fort on October 19th, 1791. This small village also has cemetery for the British army. This village is also famous for its silk industry. We had a glimpse of how the silk is extracted from the cocoon. Below photos taken at Sultanpet.

We were glad that we did not miss this small village. I wondered that there would be many villages like Sultanpet which would have hidden their secrets which otherwise would be worth experiencing.

Our next stop was Nandi village. Not many know that Nandi hills got its name because of this village. Now, hold your breath. This village is home to a beautiful temple more than 1000 years old spread across 12 acres of vast land with beautiful landscape. This temple has been patronised by Pallavas, Gangas, Cholas and the Vijaynagar empire kings. It has the architecture style of these periods. I was surprised that such a glorious temple has no publicity though it is very close to Bangalore. You have to see it to believe it! It is a master piece. Never I have seen a temple complex so vibrant. Within the temple complex, you get to see a Darbar hall, Mahanavami Dibba(A dias on which the royal family sit and watch the procession, usually Dasara celebrations), Kalyanis, Tulabara mantapa, Vasantha Mantapa(A stage for dance performance or for a wedding) and marvelous pillars with intricate carvings. Some photos taken within the temple premises.









The Darbar hall is turned into a cycle stand. Irony of our times. See the well done sculpture in the next picture.

Above pictures are just tip of a iceberg. The feel you get in this temple is out of this world. We were glad we did not give it a miss.

Our next stop was at Muddenhalli, the birthplace of Sir. M.Visweswaria and also his permanent resting place. It was just 4 kms from Nandi Village. We wanted to pay homage to this genius who brought prosperity to the lives of millions of Indians through his engineering marvels. At Muddenhalli, Sir. M.V's house has been converted into a museum dedicated to him. Some photos of the memorial and his house.

By now, it was already 2.00 PM. This was a long day for us and we had one more place to see, the Devanahalli fort and the birth place of Tipu Sultan. Devanahalli fort is at the entrance of Devanahalli and spotted from the bypass of the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway.

The surprising fact of this fort is that there is still a bursting township inside it with all the old street names intact. There is also a nice temple inside. That is a treat to see. You can wrap up this visit within 30 minutes if you do not want to walk around the fort wall. Photos of the fort.

On the road which leads to the fort is also the birthplace of Tipu Sultan. Below photo is at the birthplace of Tipu Sultan. You will also come across a Hanuman temple and a Kalyani here.
This was the last location our trip and we headed back to our home.

We had a memorable weekend thanks to all these good places very close to namma Bengaluru!
Take care!