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Day Trip 19 – Rangasthala, An ancient Vishnu temple at Chikkaballapur near Bangalore

25 Jul

An ancient Vishnu temple that was built by the Cholas and later developed by the Vijayanagara empire, Rangasthala in Tippanahalli village, Chikkaballapur around 70 Km from Bangalore is a well kept secret. (Locals claim that the temple is over a 1000 years old and the main shrine was installed by the Sapta Rishis in the Treta Yuga)

Surrounded by misty hills and green fields lies this beautiful temple of lord Vishnu. The idol of Ranganatha is 4.5 feet in length with Bhoo Devi and Neela Devi at His feet. Lord is in Yoga Nidra and his Shesha (Lord Vishnus Snake) is spreading his hood like an umbrella. The idol is beautifully sculpted out of Black Saligrama stone and it is believed that the sanctum sanctorum was installed by the Sapta Rishis. Locals state that if devotees visit this temple after  Adi Ranga in Srirangapatna, Madhya Ranga in Shimsha and Anta Ranga in Srirangam, they achieve liberation or moksha. Hence the Lord is known as Moksha Ranganatha.

We were lucky to witness the elaborate “Abhishekam” of the Lord in Milk, Curd, Sandal etc with the divine chanting of mantras. A rare sight and the priests had no objections to photography and video. And guess what – we were the only people in the temple seated right next to the sanctum sanctorum.

On the wall there are sculptures of Saptarishis, Brahma, Rambha, Urvashi etc. It feels like the Lord is in Vaikunta and he is surrounded by all the gods who are prostrating in front of him.

The temple is serene and peaceful and its a joy to sit quietly and soak in the energy and vibrations exuding from its premises. On a weekday its empty.

The architecture of the temple is very “Chola” with the intricately sculptured pillars that support the temple. It is very well maintained and clean.

Adjacent to the temple is a large step well. That is currently not operational. But one can visualise how beautiful it would have been when it was brimming with water.

We left temple at 11.15 AM and reached our lunch place at Race Course Road –  South Ruchis Square exactly at 1 PM.  This is a newly opened pure veg restaurant that serves Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I would call this Bangalore’s nicest fine dining S Indian restaurant. Nice interiors, good service and most importantly the food was sumptuous. You have a choice of a regular S Indian Thali or Millet Thali. Lots and lots of varieties in the Thali. And guess what, its priced at a very affordable Rs 180/-. This was the second great find of the day.

Other useful points

  • Drive Time from Koramangla Via Devanahalli Airport ~ 2 Hrs. Breakfast stop – Udupi Swaada. Nice place with clean bathrooms. Lots of restaurants on this stretch. We left Koramangla at 7.30 AM and reached our breakfast halt (10 Km after the airport) at 8.45 AM and after a leisurely tasty breakfast were at the temple at 9.45 AM. The last 15 Km are thru the town of Chikkaballapur, roads are good – last 1 Km is mud road. Google maps gets you to the temple correctly.
  • Budget 60 – 90 Minutes at the temple.
  • On the way back if you have time you can stop at the Devanahalli fort where Tipu Sultan was born. You can see it as your drive on the highway. Inside the fort there is another Vishnu temple. We had a 3.30 PM return deadline so could not cover this.
  • A Shirdi Sai Baba temple on the main road between Chickballapur and Devanahalli is also worth visiting
  • Back home at Koramangla 2.15 PM.

A beautiful documentary on this temple by Hackberry that I found on YouTube

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Explore in and around Bangalore – 25 Curated Day Trips

11 Jul

There is more to Bangalore than Lalbagh, Cubbon Park, Vidhan Soudha and MTR. We have visited over 50 interesting places across 25 day trips in and around Bangalore. Almost all these trips are 7.30 AM to 3.30 PM day trips. Ancient temples 1000’s of years old, beautiful serene ashrams, Treks – Easy and not so easy, traditional restaurants, unique resorts …. and a lot many more of Good Places.

So form your groups of a Few Good People and explore Bangalore like never before by following these 25 curated day trips.  Every trip is documented after personal travel – which is what makes it authentic. (Text in Dark Blue is clickable Link)

21 curated day trips

  • Trips 1,2,& 3  : Pyramid Valley, Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple, Basavangudi temples 
    • Trip – 1 : Pyramid Valley – Kanakpura Road
    • Trip – 2 : Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple , School of Ancient Wisdom (Near the Devanahalli Airport)
    • Trip – 3 : Basavangudi the heart of Bangalore.  Brahmins Cafe – Ramkrishna Ashram – Gave Gangadeshwar Cave Temple –  hanuman Temple on a Hill – Jain temple

Jain temple

Bangalore Trips

Temples of Malleswaram

  • Trip 9 : Kolar & Avani 
    • Kolar & Avani – Ancient Kolaramama Temple – Shiva Temple from Chola era, Ancient Ramalingeshwara temples at Avani

Kolaramama Temple

  • Trip 10 : Devrayani Durga
    • Fascinating Green hill temple of Devrayani Durga – Siddha Garden – Nammade Chilumme ( Place where Rama supposedly shot an arrow in the ground for water to put his Nama)

Green hill temple of Devrayani Durga - Siddha Garden

  • Trip 11 : Baevu Village 
    • Baevu Village – A lovely nature resort with thousands of Neem trees surrounded by Hills – Off Kanakpura Road

Baevu Villagewith neem trees

Trips to the edge of Mysore

  • Trip 13 : Antarganga trek 
    • Antargana Trek – A hillock near Kolar with fascinating dark caves that need you to be adventurous and flexible to explore

Antargana Trek - dark caves

  • Trip 14 : Bangalore Palaces & Forts 
    • MTR – Bull temple – Bugle Rock park – Tipu Summer palace – Bangalore Fort – KR Market – Bangalore Palace – Esplanade

Bangalore Palace and Forts

  • Trip 16 : Mandargiri 
    • Mandargiri – On Tumkur Road near Hoskote visit an ancient Jain temple complex on the top of a monolithic hill

Mandargiri ancient Jain temple

Sushil Dham Jain Temple

  • Trip 18 : Trek to Madhugiri 
    • Near Tumkur – Head on the Tumkur Road till Dobaspet and then drive past Devrayani Durga to reach Madhugiri.
    • A steep Monolithic hill supposedly Asias 2nd tallest at 3930 feet. A tough and challenging trek – not for the weak hearted

Trek to Madhugiri

  • Trip 19 : Rangasthala – An Ancient Vishnu temple at Chickballapur  
    • Visit an ancient Vishnu temple Rangasthala – over 1000 years old
    • Devanahalli fort of Haider Ali and the birth place of Tipu
    • Venugopalaswami temple
    • Lunch @ South Ruchi’s Square
  • Trip 20 : Channapatna 
    • Malur Krishna – An ancient Chola temple built by Rajendra Simha Chola on the banks of the river Kanva
    • Aprameya Temple – A unique ancient temple of crawling baby Krishna. The great Vaishnavite sage Ramanujacharya is said to have worshipped the lord at this temple.
    • Kokrebellur – a Town full of painted storks and many more migratory birds (25 Km from Channapatna)
  • Trip 21 – 25: Family Treks around Bangalore. 
    • Savandurga
    • Channarayadurgs
    • Ramadevara Betta (Vulture Sanctuary)
    • Muthurayanabetta
    • Haddina Kallu (Eagle Stone Hill)

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Trek to Madhugiri

10 Jul

A challenging and interesting trek – Madhugiri is a magnificent monolithic hill near Tumkur. Its not a long trek – but a steep one on rocky inclines with limited to no grips.

Located near Tumkur –  it is about 15 km ahead of Devrayani Durge. Look out for a signage for Devarayanadurga/Madhugiri and turn right  under Dobaspet overbridge and drive 100M on a one way or go a little further and take a U turn. The drive is scenic with lots of greenery, hillocks and lakes.  Enjoy the refreshingly fresh rural ambience. We left Koramangla at 7.30 and after breakfast at Shree Rathnam (You have many options on this route) we reached the parking lot at the foothills of this monolithic hill by 9.30 AM. And the first impression was  – Challenging and daunting.

Route – Google Map of the circuit

Madhugiri at  3930 feet is supposedly the 2nd tallest monolithic hill in Asia. The hill is home to a dilapidated fort supposedly built by Hyder Ali. A series of doorways leads to the hill. The ruined temple of Gopalakrishna is located at the top. It took us slightly over an hour to reach the summit. The steep slopes of the hill and exploration of the fort is slow due to steepness pf the hill. Descent is quicker.

There is one specific stretch that is very tricky and requires guts. You are on all fours as you inch forward with the wind blowing like a gale. Its almost a ten minute section but with every step you can feel your heart pounding. Even the bravest in our group had second thoughts about this section – but we all finally managed to cover it.

The Hill is steep and all rock – limited foothold. Yes the initial sections have regular stairs and and rock-cut steps. But after the halfway mark its just steep rocky ascent.  Be careful while climbing. Don’t be adventurous. This is a dangerous trek. Thats probably the reason why we hardly saw any crowds. Please dont risk with children.

There are no shops and stalls on the way so do carry water and some snacks to munch once you reach the top. Fortunately there were no monkeys either. Do get a shoe with a good grip. And have a hat – its pleasant but sunny.

The view from the summit is beautiful.

We spent 30 min at the summit and were back to the car park by 12 Noon. there are no good restaurants in the vicinity so we headed back to Bangalore taking a round route via Sira so that we could visit the Narasimhaswami  Temple at Seebi. This is a beautiful ancient temple but unfortunately it was closed. The Temple tank outside the temple is well maintained and clean.

Madhugiri

On the way back we stopped for lunch at Kamath and reached home by 3.30 PM.

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Bangalore’s Birla Temple – 1/2 Day trip on Hosur Road

30 Jun

Birla Temples are a must see tourist attraction in many cities of India. Bangalore doesn’t have a Birla temple – but we discovered a Jain temple on Hosur Road that was a lot nicer than many of the Birla temples we have visited.

Most of our trips had been in and around Devanahalli, Tumkur, Kolar  and of course Bangalore city. For the first time we decided to explore Hosur Road. I have frequented that road multiple times on road trips to Chennai, Salem, Coimbatore – but never stopped by to look at any of the sites. Hosur Road and Krishnagiri has a lot to discover.

Our 1st stop was an absolute stunner – a lovely Jain temple located 5 Km from Electronic City on Hosur Road, dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara – Parsavnath. The temple complex is so beautiful it felt better than a Birla temple. Intricate carvings in sparkling white marble – well manicured lawns, lots of greenery. The complex also has a nice museum. A very serene and calm ambience. Indeed an oasis in Bangalore.

Bangalore’s Birla Temple

The temple complex called Sushil Dham was built by the Surana Family who own Micro labs. The complex also has rooms for Monks & Yatris and a Bhojanalaya that serves authentic delicious Jain food for breakfast, lunch and dinner at very reasonable price (If I recollect breakfast was Rs 35 and lunch was Rs 75). the complex also has a small but nice museum.

Temple lunch Service

A shot walk ahead from this temple on the same Road the Surana family has built another smaller temple dedicated to the Goddess. Don’t miss this – built in red sandstone – this one also has intricate carvings.

Temple In Bangalore

Our second stop was in Hosur town – the ancient hilltop Shiva Temple called the Chandra Choodeshwar temple. The current structure of the temple dates back to 1260 AD and the temple was maintained by the Cholas, Hoysala and the Vijayanagara kingdoms. The sanctum sanctorum is believed to be very ancient as this temple legend is talked about in the Brahmananda Purana. This is a large temple on the top of a hill ( car can drive up) – and has the feel and energy of the ancient temples of Tamil Nadu (Incidentally we were in TN as we were in Hosur). Large granite structure, low ceiling, bells chiming , inner Parikrama , outer Parikrama , a small alley leading to the Sanctum Sanctorum etc.

Old look of the Jain Temple

Photo of the temple from 1860 

It was a coincidence that we visited the temple on “Pradosham” considered a very auspicious day for Lord Shiva. Fortunately it being morning the temple was not crowded. The Goddess in this temple is Margathambal.  Temples in Bangalore

We completed our visit by 11 AM and on the way back stopped by at A2B for a cup of Filter Coffee. The complex also houses a large retail outlet of the famous silk saree shop Chennai Silks.

We were back home by 12.30 in time for lunch.

This was our first foray to Hosur Road – but there is a lot to discover on that route right upto Krishnagiri and we will be back here soon to explore more.

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Palaces, Forts, KR Market and more – A unique Bangalore day Trip

29 Jun

Most people wonder what to do in Bangalore over a long weekend and the  roads to Coorg, Chickamagalur and Ooty are jammed. But Bangalore has a lot to see – we have done over 15 day trips and we keep discovering new interesting places.

This time we did a Fusion trip and accomplished a fun day between 7.30 AM – 3.30 PM covering a lot of ground

  • Breakfast at the iconic MTR
  • A visit to the Bull temple at Basavangudi
  • A walk in the Bugle Rock park watching colonies of Bats
  • A quick dash to the small but well maintained Tipu Summer Palace and the Bangalore Fort
  • The famous KR Market
  • The beautiful and vast Bangalore Palace
  • Lunch at Esplanade – a lovely Bengali restaurant at Indiranagar

Breakfast at MTR is always a treat and on weekdays it is not crowded. Yes the food is rich and since we were a group of 10 we got our own private dining space with excellent service. Hours of operation: 6:30 am – 11:00 am & 12:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Closed on Mondays

Mavalli Tiffin Rooms

MTR to the Bull temple at Basvangudi is a short ride. The main temple is a few steps climb – but they have a large Ganesha temple and an assortment of other temples in the complex. Right next to the temple is the Bugle Rock park ( You can reach there from the temple main sanctum area) a lovely green space with nice clean pathways. There is a small tower like lookout place atop a rocky section and from there when you look up you see thousands of bats hanging from the trees.

Bull temple at Basvangudi

We left from here by 10 AM and in a few minutes reached Tipu’s Summer Palace. Its a small but well maintained structure with a lovely green garden. Located adjacent to the Kote Venkatramana temple – it was at one time part of the Bangalore fort complex. The building dates back to 1791 and is made of Teak adorned with pillars, arches and balconies. One may feel that it is frugal to be called a palace – it hardly has any rooms, but for a king like Tipu who was always fighting wars it may have indeed been a palace.

Tipu's Summer Palace

A few minutes drive from here is the Bangalore Fort. Not much of it is left – but at one time the whole area including the Palace was part of the Fort complex. The Bangalore Fort was constructed in 1537 as a mud fort by Kempe Gowda (The founder of Bangalore) and later fortified as a  robust strong stone structure by Haider Ali in 1761. The fort was breached by the British in the 3rd Mysore war in 1790 – 92.

Kempe Gowda Fort

The Fort is located next to the Victoria hospital and a short drive from here brought us to our next stop – the famous KR Market. Having lived in Bangalore since 1996 – I had never visited the place. It was a pleasant surprise to see that it was well maintained and very clean – considering that it is the largest wholesale market for vegetables in Bangalore. The area outside the market you have villagers selling greens and some vegetables  – mountains of fresh “dhaniya” some of it crushed under the legs and wheels of trolleys gave a very appetising smell. And being sold for a fraction of the price that the supermarkets charge.

Krishna Rajandra Market

Once you enter the main complex, the big large iconic building there is a semblance of order in the courtyard and finally in the innermost section you see aisle after aisle stacked with vegetables, fruits and flowers. Fresh and very very cheap. They also have some shops selling traditional pots and pans, paper bags etc. You must do this trip with friends and family – it is indeed very enjoyable. Parking is a problem – but we had a driver. There is a Metro station close by – so thats an easy option.

Loaded with veggies we reached our cars and headed for the last destination – Bangalore Palace. This one was built by the Wodeyars in the later part of the 1800’s. Its built in Tudor style architecture with fortified towers and Turrets . Its a large building  of over 45,000  sft spread across 454 acres. Just to get an idea of Inflation – this imposing structure was bought by the British from the Wodeyars for Rs 40,000 in 1873.

Bangalore Places

We received a red carpet treatment as the palace was getting ready to host a wedding (yes you can rent it). The entry fees are expensive – it is owned and privately maintained by the Wodeyar family, and they take only cash. The palace is now a museum.

Having covered a lot – we were famished and were running late to meet our deadline of being home by 3.30. We landed at Esplanade – an authentic Bengali restaurant at Indranagar (Double Road – CMH Road junction). the food here is outstanding and the service is fast. Between the Mochar Chops and Baingan Bhajas, Dum Aloo, Luchi, Dal, Mishti and a lot more – we just ordered too much food. But we thoroughly enjoyed it.

We left at 3 PM and were back home by 3.20 – just in time to welcome the children coming back from school at 3.30

This is a fun Fusion trip – so easy to execute, try it with your friends and family

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Day trip to Baevu – The Village (Nature Retreat near Bangalore)

28 Jun

A few years back I had discovered Shreyas – a lovely nature / Yoga retreat at Neelmangala and called it Bangalore’s best kept secret. I now discovered another gem ” Baevu Village” on Kanakpura Road – 2 hrs drive from Bangalore.

Day trip to Baevu

“Baevu” in Kannada means Neem Tree and this 30 acre property has over 1000 Neem Trees. Its a green eco spot with over 800 Mango Trees and a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, paddy & ragi grown in an organic farm. Set in a scenic landscape surrounded by hills and forests its an oasis of greenery and tranquility.

Fram Stay in Banglore

I have stayed at Baevu for a weekend before – but this time we planned a Day Trip. This includes Breakfast , Lunch and tea , usage of pool and the freedom to explore the full resort and even indulge in a short trek if time permits.

We departed Koramangla as usual at 7.30 and took the Hosur Road – Nice Road to Kanakpura. After reaching Kanakpura Road – Baevu village is an hr away – after you cross Kanakpura town you need to take a right ( Google Maps will get you there) – th exact location is somewhere between Kanakpura & Ramnagara – Roads are good – last few Km’s is mud road.

We reached by 9.45 – and were treated to a delicious spread of authentic S India breakfast. Having feasted we explored the place between 10.30 and 12.30. We did not have time for the treks since we had to leave by 1.30 to reach home at 3.30. But if you don’t have a deadline you can relax at the rest till 4.30 – 5 PM – have tea and then leave.

Baevu is partly Resort – partly farm. They cross millets , vegetables , have their own cows and you can enjoy a bullock cart ride

Family Resort Bangalore

Or just walk past the scenic vegetable gardens

Eco Resort Bangalore

Take a look at the authentic rooms built like a traditional village house with a nice sit out.

Family Resort near Mangalore

Or just chill by the crystal clean azure blue pool

Banglore offbeat location

The lunch was also a treat – again authentic S Indian ( Veg & Non Veg) – overall a great way to spend a day in a nature retreat – and I am sure all those who did this trip will soon come back with family to spend a weekend.

Farm Stay near Bangalore

Other Information

  • Contact Details – Divya Kare – + 91 94482 86415
  • Website – http://www.avanileisure.com/baevu-home.php
  • Google Maps will locate the place – roads are excellent – budget 2 hr drive from Koramangla

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Mandargiri – An ancient Jain Hill temple near Bangalore

1 Mar

Mandargiri, also known as Basadi Betta, is a beautiful, round hillock housing a number of Jain temples that are ~ 1000 years old. It is an important pilgrimage centre for Jains in Karnataka. Located at Tumkur District near Dobaspet it is ~ 75 Km from Bangalore. Trekking on this monolith is relatively easy as it has around 460 steps that will take you to the top of the hillock. A ten minute walk. Mandargiri is surrounded with boulders of many shapes and sizes, a haven for photographers.

We left Koramangla at 7.30AM and were fortunate to get clear roads and a blue sky – a perfect day , and reached our breakfast stop near Dobaspet at 9 AM. Shree Rathnam is a nice and efficient Veg restaurant – It has a big inviting poster and you can’t miss it. (The restaurant is located after a 10 – 15 min drive post the 2nd toll)

Mandargiri is a short 15 min drive from here – you an locate it on Google maps , lookout for a right turn that will take you thru an arch leading to the Mandargiri hillock.

Mandargiri Hillrock

We reached the place by 10 AM and spent a few hrs here. It was a bright sunny day but as you climb up the hill it gets windy. The steps are well laid out and takes less than 15 minutes – you also have the option to drive up by car across a mud path .

There are three things to see here

A Pinchi shaped 81 feet Guru Mandir – the first of its kind in Jain history. The Guru mandir is dedicated to the Digambara Jain ascetic Sri Shantinsagarji Maharaj.

Sri Shantinsagarji Maharaj

The mukha mantapa next to the Pinchi has a tall statue of Chandranatha Tirthankara. Looks similar to that of Bahubali – but smaller , was installed recently in 2011.

Chandranatha Tirthankara

And at the top of this hillock is a temple complex with 4 small but ancient temples that date back 800 – 1000 years. Two are dedicated to Chandranatha and the remaining two to Parsavnath.

Mandargiri Hill temple

The temples are spotlessly clean and very well maintained. there is no crowd – and remember to take the keys from the base when you go up ( Shivaraj – 8550036564 – is the caretaker). Its a nice calm serene place. Mandargiri - An ancient Jain Hill temple near Bangalore

Lock up the temple and go to the back side of the Temple complex – you will see a beautiful lake. You can be adventurous and try walking down – but the slope is steep.

Beautiful lake near Mandargiri

The views from the top are gorgeous and so are the views from near the lake.

Trip to lake

We did not enter the water but you can stop by the banks and admire the lily flowers

Mandagiri lakes with hills

We wrapped up all we had to see and left Mandargiri by 12 noon ( we had plans to visit the Narasimha temple at Seebi – but it was late and we had to head back to Bangalore for lunch.

Lunch was at a wonderful new place called JustBe at Sadashivnagar. Its a wonderful place – pure veg , vegan , no oil cooking. The fare they served was delicious and very healthy. The enterprising smart owner of the place Nidhi dropped by and spent some time explaining to us the rationale of the place.

Fusion Trip To Mandargiri

If you are looking for an offbeat healthy Veg restaurant – dont miss this one. Rates are very reasonable and servings are large. Ambience and aesthetics are 10/10.

We left JustBe at 2.45 and were back home at Koramangla by 3.25.

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Additional photos from the trip Fort of rock in Mandagiri

 

Beautiful rock on the top of Hill

Ancient Jain Temple near Bangalore

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Grover Zampa Vineyards : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 15)

25 Jan

Trip – 15 : Grover Zampa Vineyards 

Jan – Feb – Mar is grape season – the perfect time to go on a day trip to a Vineyard in Bangalore. India boasts of two Wine growing areas – Bangalore & Nasik. The Grover Zampa Winery in the outskirts of Bangalore near the Devanhalli airport is a nice day trip.

We left Koramangla at 7.30 AM and reached our breakfast stop before 9 AM ( 52 Km). We had been here a year back – its located a few kms after the International Airport.  The Indian Paratha Company is a great place for fresh piping hot Paratha’s, Chai, Lassi and a lot more. Service is excellent and food was delicious – but prices have shot up in the last one year (a plate of Sarson ki Saag and Makkai ki roti is now Rs 325). On a weekday the place was almost empty.

The Grover Zampa Vineyard is only 17 Km from here – take a U Turn and after a few km take the right turn on the Doddaballapur main road and in less than 30 min you will reach the Grover Zampa Vineyard processing centre. This place has a vistor centre , the processing and bottling plants , and an outlet store.

The tour starts at 10.30 AM and ends by 12.30. The guide takes you to the different sections and covers in detail all the steps of making all the varieties of Wine. You then head to the Wine tasting cellar where you are again educated on how to sample and enjoy Wine. You get to sample 5 different varieties of Wine.

You can taste a few drops or you can get Tipsy with a glass full – its your choice. But clearly the Wine lovers love this part of the trip.  

We were fascinated with the storage Drums – which can be made to stools and table tops – and yes you can buy them in May – June when the crushing season is over since they change the drums once every two years.

From here we headed to the Vinery – 1 Km away  – a well maintained large Vineyard with an eye for detail to ensure that only the best quality grapes are grown.

We were back for lunch at the main centre. We had booked for Grape stomping ( Min 10 people) – this is not like what it looks in the movies – the scale is smaller – but there is music playing , lovely weather and the Wine from the tasting session gets you in the mood to sway while crushing the grapes – fortunately this does not go back to the wine making drums.

Lunch is a simple affair – Soup , Veg Pulao , Raita and Gulab Jamun. We were lucky we had a heavy breakfast – they could have done better with the lunch. A quick stopover at the store to get some discounted Wine and we headed back at 2 PM reaching home by 3.45 PM.

The package costs you Rs 1590/ person  inclusive of tax – the stomping is Rs 500 – its unique but expensive , 10 minutes of stomping for a group of 10 can put you back by Rs 5000/-.

There is a premium for the uniqueness of this trip – weekdays are not crowded but weekends tend to be very busy during the season. Weekend rates are also higher. Children are allowed. A final footnote – Don’t compare this with Vineyard tours of Sonoma Napa – those are on a totally different scale

If you want to book a trip contact Vipin – 9513338752 , 9901636346. http://www.groverzampa.in

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Antarganga : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 13)

9 Nov

Trip – 13 : Antarganga  

Antargange Hill is  located in Kolar, at just 4 kms from Kolar town. ( 65 Km from Bangalore) Antar-Gange literally means Ganga from Within/Ganga of the deep in Kannada.

It is a huge field of boulders and rocks. Located at an altitude of 1712 m above the sea level, the boulders are amassed one on top of the other to appear like a cave. This network of cave formations makes this place famous for cave exploration and easy trekking.

This is a nice trek up a rocky hill till you reach a set of caves which you can explore on all fours. Its challenging but its fun – and when you are told that in the recent past this trek was done at night , then the day trip seemed like a cakewalk.

On a bright pleasant Wednesday in November we set out at 7.30 AM , traffic on Old Madras road was bad and we reached our Breakfast point Nandi Grand at 9 AM. This is almost 55 km from Koramangla , we covered the 1st 12 kms in 1 hr and the last 43 kms in 30 minutes. Nandi Grand is a convenient breakfast joint – fast and efficient with decent restrooms.

We left at 9.20 AM and the distance from here to Antarganga is about 10 Kms , but the last stretch of 5 Km is thru village roads. Google Maps gets you there – but do not enter Antarganga Trek Point – that takes you to a different place.

Antargange has a long staircase that chaperones to a temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Kashi Vishweshwara. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is often called Kashi of South or Dakshin Kashi. The bull, which is considered the vehicle of Lord Shiva has water flowing out of its mouth. Many people have tried to draw out the source of the water, but have failed. The source of the water still remains untraced. This is how Antargange attained its name.

The trek can be split into 3 parts

A 20 minute trek thru well laid steps to the Shiva Temple (Called Dakshin Kashi) supposedly very ancient – This temple is dedicated to Lord Kashi Vishweshwara. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple is often called Kashi of South or Dakshin Kashi. The bull, which is considered the vehicle of Lord Shiva has water flowing out of its mouth. Many people have tried to draw out the source of the water, but have failed. The source of the water still remains untraced. This is how Antargange attained its name.

Lord Kashi Vishweshwara

From here it takes another 25 – 30 min to get the hill top – some parts are tricky but if you have decent shoes and are careful its not a challenge.

Best Mountain TreksAntarganga Trips

Once you reach the top there is a lot to see – you can spend the full day exploring many caves here and even trekking to a small village. We had to be back in our cars by 12.15 – so we were able to explore only one of the cave complexes.

Trekking in a cave

Getting into the caves is tricky – the gaps are very narrow and you have to stretch and pivot yourself with limited foothold across smooth rocky surfaces . Its dark in many places – but its safe. A well frequented place there are no snakes or animals.

Trekking in Narrow cave

Carry a torch as some parts are pitch dark and you are guiding yourself thru some very narrow crevices , sometimes almost lying flat and sliding past.

Cave Trekking

In one of my earlier trips I had visited a second cave complex that is the source of the Water Body – that cave is pitch dark and its a struggle to even sit , but you can reach the water body and taste the cool sweet water.

Trekking to reach water body

We did have our Panick moments – but the team was Brave , Adventurous and Fit – and when you are a group everyone helps each other out.

The views from the top are great and we had the perfect day to ourselves. We left the hilltop at 11.30 and were down in the car by 12.10.

These treks are impossible with a guide – you cannot venture into the caves on your own. Guides are normally available in plenty during the weekends – when the place can get busy. But we had requested our guide from our earlier trip a week back to be around.  Our guide was a nimble and efficient nine year old Bhupathi. A local kid born and brought up in the hills.

Bhupathi cave guide

The return journey was quick – we left at 12.10 and reached Indranagar for lunch at 1.30 – ahead of schedule. And were back home by 2.30.

Between Breakfast and Lunch there are no restrooms available during the trek. Do carry some snacks / water. Earlier there were many monkeys on this route but now there are only a few near the temple.

Avoid summers as this place can get very very hot – best time is Nov – Feb.

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Devrayanadurga : Day Trips in Bangalore 7.30AM – 3.30PM (Trip 10)

15 Oct

Trip – 10 :  Devrayanidurga – a Nice green Hill Temple near Tumkur (7.30 AM – 3.30 PM) 

The trip to Devrayanidurga was more like a day trip to a hill station. It was London weather , misty and cool and we soaked it all in with the green as green greenery engulfing us up the winding road to the beautiful and serene temple of Lord Narasimha. Devrayanadurga means “fort of rock” and this beautiful temple is ensconced between rocky hills with a beautiful water body behind at an altitude of about 4000 feet above sea level. ( Ooty is 7000 feet – so this is high)

Devrayanidurga Hill Temple

Here are two temples are built for God Narasimha, one which is at the foot of the hillock called the Bhoga Narasimha and the other temple which is built on the hillock which is called Yoga Narasimha. Devarayanadurga is steeped in mythological importance. It is said that Lord Brahma the creator of the Universe, has performed penance for many years in the name of Lord Vishnu for several thousand years. Impressed by his penance, Lord Vishnu has incarnated himself as Lord Narasimha here. The temple was patronised by the Cholas and is well over 1000 years old.

We started as usual at 7.30 AM and headed to Tumkur Road Via Malleshwaram / Yeshwantpur , and after two toll roads stopped for breakfast at Shree Rathnam a nice and efficient Veg restaurant at 8.45 – It has a big inviting poster and you can’t miss it. (The restaurant is a 10 min drive after the 2nd toll on your left ). As you drive out from the restaurant look around for a flyover and take the access road and then a right from below the flyover – don’t go up the flyover. Follow Google Maps – there are signs that lead to Devrayanidurga and Goravanahalli Lakshmi temple. After a 15 – 20 min ride look for a left turn under an arched gate that takes you up the hill.

When we left Bangalore it was drizzling and the forecast was for rain in Tumkur – but we were lucky to have a misty day with low overhanging clouds amidst lush greenery with rain drops on the leaves and some bright yellow flowers. The drive up is a short ten minute ride – winding roads , you will cross some waterbodies, the views are very nice. Its empty and nice. You will reach a point where the road forks – to the left is the Bhoga Narasimha Temple and to the right is the Yoga Narasimha temple – a person standing there will charge Rs 20 for car entry. We went up – you can go all the way up and reach a point from where its only 100 steps to the Yoga Narasimha temple. Easy ten minute climb. You also have an option to walk up the steps from the point where the person collects the car entry fees – there are steps – that I guess would be a 1 hr climb.

Yoga Narasimha temple

As you climb up you will see a tree that seems to be coming out from the hill. We reached the temple top by 10.45 AM which was perfect – since they have a Abhishekam that starts at 11 AM – its a detailed procedure and you can view the 5000 year old idol being bathed with milk, ghee, butter, Chandan, and many more ingredients. The temple is small – but you can sense it is ancient.

Right behind the temple is a waterbody – there is a path that goes down to the source of the water body – but the steps to that place has been closed.

Beautiful Water Body

We spent over an hr at the Temple and then headed to a place called Namada Chilumme. This is on the way back after you have crossed the Bhoga Narasimha temple . (We did not stop at the Bhoiga Narasimha temple – but if you need a restroom break there is one near this temple). Almost halfway down  you take a right turn and drive for ten minutes ( ask the guy who sells the car entry tickets) and drive thru thick forests on both sides before reaching a point that has a Deer Park, A Siddha Garden and  Namada Chilumme.

Namada Chilumme is supposedly the place where Lord Rama stayed and shot a arrow on the ground to get water. Its past the deer park a short ten minute walk – on the way you will see Namada Chilume old guesthouse where Dr.Salim Ali had camped.

Namada Chilume old guest house

Namada Chilumme is a small hole in the rocky ground from where water is flowing out – and you can have a drink of this fresh clean water. Most people will head back from here. But wait – there are interesting views round the corner.

Near this point you will see a small mud trail going thru the forest. Take that trail – keep a stick with you as there are monkeys here. You walk for less than 10 minutes and come to a point that looks like a massive crater lake type cauldron surrounded by green hills with the rocky walls at its peak.

Best Green hills

This is a nice place to enjoy the views – it also has a small temple like rock structure with pillars – which is dilapidated and you can try climbing up.

fort of rock

This place was lovely – it was almost 12 noon – and it was bright and sunny , we enjoyed the 30 minutes we spent here and then walked past Namada Chillumme and the deer park to the road where our car was parked.

Namada Chillumme with greens

On the opposite side of the deer park is a 15 acre Siddha Garden – which is full of medicinal plants. The gatekeepers tried to explain in Kannada all the various plants over there and we tasted many a herb and leaf with funny tastes.

15 acre Siddha Garden

This was our lunch spot. A picnic lunch – the good ladies had all prepared some tasty dishes and we enjoyed a lovely meal in the midst of fresh air and greenery.

Devrayanidurga green Hill Temple near Tumkur,

Bhoga Narasimha Temple

Post lunch we left at 1.45 and were back by 3.15. (One car took a deviation for a Chai Break at Chitra Kala Parishad – so we were back at 4.15)

Devrayanidurga was another nature masterpiece we discovered. A hill station type place at Bangalore’s backyard was a rare find and I am sure a lot of our friends would love to visit this beautiful place. Its an easy 7.30 – 3.30 trip. 

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