Nandi Hills – A Weekend GetAway

It was an early Saturday morning that we had planned for a trip to Nandi hills. We started off from Bengaluru around 4.30 am and reached the foot of the hills after an hours sleepy travel. They don’t permit anyone before 6 am. So, we became one among the queue of cars and were waiting till 6 before travelling further. We were expecting thick fog but it was quite a clear morning. We got our tickets and started our walk towards the hill top. It was quite freezing, yet the walk was with no less enthusiasm. When we reached the top, the sun had slowly started to show up. The orange beauty’s arrival was so captivating that it was until sometime that we noticed the clouds floating right beneath us from the view point. We can hardly see what was under the clouds! No words to explain the peace we could feel. We can just sit and watch them for hours! It’s really hard to not appreciate the beauty of the nature. We spent some time gathering memories. One side of the Nandi hills is Tipu Drop, which is were Tipu Sultan pushed down his prisoners.

There are also wood houses, which are currently not permitted to enter. But, worth a few clicks!

Please do not open any food packets over the hill top, as you will be swarmed by monkeys.

Few spots around Nandi hills:

Here’s a list of famous spots that are worth seeing if you are planning to go to Nandi hills.

Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple:

There is a temple near the view point which represents Lord Shiva’s final stage of renunciation. It felt more like a commercialised place. There is a small temple tank where we could spend some time.

Bogha Nandheeshwara Temple:

This is a twin temple of the Yoga Nandeeshwara temple in the Nandi Village. It houses Lord Shiva in his childhood, youth and married phases. The temple showcased a beautiful architecture and had pillars with intricate designs that reminds the historic importance of the place. It held a huge temple tank called ‘Sringeri Teertha’ with big fishes and turtles.

Ghati Subramanya Temple:

It takes around 45 minutes to reach Ghati Subramanya temple in Doddaballapura from the Nandi village. We could see a lot of snake idols even before entering the temple. We had to wait for around twenty minutes to get a glimpse of the prime deity. Lord Subramanya in a snake form and Lord Narasimha are carved back to back. So, a mirror is placed behind the idol to get a view of Lord Narasimha.

Gudibande Fort:

Our next stop was Gudibande fort in Chikkaballapura. It was around 60 kms away from the Ghati Subramanya temple and the road was quite bad. Once we reached it, we found that it was actually a huge mountain and few of us were hesitant to climb such a height, even though there were steps throughout the way to the top. Considering the travel we had took to reach the place, we all set to climb the stairs. Better take water bottles and snacks. There were a few families spending their time. The fort belonged to a chieftain Byre Gowda. We were able to see the turrets, secret passages and the rooms of the soldiers which takes us back in time. There were also few constructions which were actually ponds used for rain water harvesting! The walls were made by huge stones stacked upon one another in a zig-zag architecture. Amazement dwells on us as we wonder how long and how difficult it would have been to come up with such a wonderful piece of historical monument! It took nearly around 45 minutes to reach the top which holds a small temple and an amazing view of the town below. It was really worth the climb!

This fort is not quite famous yet. It would also be good if government maintains this place properly, even with a fee, as this fort is a living reminder of architectural intelligence and historical importance.

Also, the opinions about this place are totally subjective. But, I’d say, if you want something different from a regular tourist spot and if you are into history, just go for it. But, better go in groups as it is not crowded.

Overall, it was a great one-day trip with my friends! And, I’d recommend anyone to visit Nandi hills as it will give you a sunrise which you could never forget!

Happy Travelling! 🙂