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.

   

1 Savandurga

     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

 2 Mandharagiri
    Type :Hill, Jain temple

    Nearest Town:  Tumkur

    Distance from Bangalore: 55kms

    Trek Distance: About 500m (one way)

    Trek level:Very easy
    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.

Mandharagiri Hill

3 Kalavarabetta/Skandagiri  
    Type :Hill, Fort

    Nearest Town:  Chikkaballapur

    Distance from Bangalore: 50kms

    Trek Distance: About 3kms (one way)

    Trek level: Easy
    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 

Sunrise at Skandagiri

 4 Devarayanadurga
    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

  5 Adichunchanagiri Mutt 
    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 . 

Makalidurga Fort

Lord Shiva Temple Atop of Makalidurga Fort

Fort Walls of Makalidurga

 7 Hutridurga/Huthridurga

    Type :Hill, Fort

    Nearest Town:  Magadi

    Distance from Bangalore: 65kms

    Trek Distance: About 2kms (one way)

    Trek level:  Easy
    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 

The Gateway to Huthridurga Fort

Lord Shiva Temple and Ponds

Sri Sankeshwara Temple

8 Nijagal Betta
    Type :Hill, Fort,Temple, Mosque

    Nearest Town:  Dabs pet

    Distance from Bangalore: 50kms

    Trek Distance: About 2kms (one way)

    Trek level:  Easy
    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.

Nijagal Fort

Beautiful Carvings of Karthikeyan and Lord Shiva (Bhikshatana murti)

A ruined Temple inside the Fort

9 Sangama, Mekedatu
   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

  10 Bannerghatta National Park 
       Type :Wildlife

       Nearest Town:Bangalore

       Distance from Bangalore: 25kms

       Direction: Via Bannerghatta road
       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 .

Elephant Enjoying its Food

Hippo Family at Bannerghatta National Park

  11 Kanva Reservoir 
     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

12 Ramohalli 
     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.

More places from Bangalore : Read   

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