Cold, wet morning...lazy beginning to the weekend...chill in the air...persistent mild drizzle...grey sky... i mean ...everything that can make you go Ooooooo....and curl up in the bed! That's when we made up our mind at last to checkout namma own hill station Nandi Hills!
Long time ago, it had earned a bad name for being the haven to perverts and those who couldn't afford to "Get a room". The stories of broken liquor bottles strewn around, drunkards making merry and couples in conspicuous poses would scare families away. Till recently, I'd never considered this place to be safe for a quick visit. Off late though, several fitness enthusiasts have been posting amazing pictures of biking and trekking here. Well pictures always move me, even in this case they did.
So, off we went early in the morning. It takes a good 90 minutes from South Bangalore (about 70 kms) to reach the top of the hill (8kms climb). Oh what an amazing experience the journey was! Grape vineyards along the road, many bikers racing in their gear, trekkers in small groups huffing and puffing, some steep bends, some sharp rises...excellent! Btw, there is Nandi Upachar for breakfast at the point on Bangalore-Hyderabad Highway where the road diverges towards Nandi Hill. A couple of small time eateries are available on the hill.
It was quite a shocker to see soooo many visitors at the top despite the weather...in hundreds (probably even thousands)...we had to look for an empty parking slot for a long time....but once we found our space, there was no stopping!
Good road to get there, even the climb...Only a small stretch on the hill is very bad...Rs.150/- per car for entry and parking...many view points....well landscaped area...Hotel Mayura non-functional (rather, looked so)...though I could not get the weather's favour, its perfectly positioned to enjoy sun rise as well as sun set...very clean place....loads of dust bins...the only let down was toilets - very dirty and inadequate to handle the size of the crowd.
Now enough of my reviews. Checkout some of the pictures I could make:
Long time ago, it had earned a bad name for being the haven to perverts and those who couldn't afford to "Get a room". The stories of broken liquor bottles strewn around, drunkards making merry and couples in conspicuous poses would scare families away. Till recently, I'd never considered this place to be safe for a quick visit. Off late though, several fitness enthusiasts have been posting amazing pictures of biking and trekking here. Well pictures always move me, even in this case they did.
So, off we went early in the morning. It takes a good 90 minutes from South Bangalore (about 70 kms) to reach the top of the hill (8kms climb). Oh what an amazing experience the journey was! Grape vineyards along the road, many bikers racing in their gear, trekkers in small groups huffing and puffing, some steep bends, some sharp rises...excellent! Btw, there is Nandi Upachar for breakfast at the point on Bangalore-Hyderabad Highway where the road diverges towards Nandi Hill. A couple of small time eateries are available on the hill.
It was quite a shocker to see soooo many visitors at the top despite the weather...in hundreds (probably even thousands)...we had to look for an empty parking slot for a long time....but once we found our space, there was no stopping!
Good road to get there, even the climb...Only a small stretch on the hill is very bad...Rs.150/- per car for entry and parking...many view points....well landscaped area...Hotel Mayura non-functional (rather, looked so)...though I could not get the weather's favour, its perfectly positioned to enjoy sun rise as well as sun set...very clean place....loads of dust bins...the only let down was toilets - very dirty and inadequate to handle the size of the crowd.
Now enough of my reviews. Checkout some of the pictures I could make:
The Vistas
 |
| Panaromic View |
 |
| Lone sentinel |
 |
| Drama in the sky |
 |
| Winding roads to the top |
 |
| Such magnificent view from Tippu drop....probably the only consolation for those who got pushed by Tippu from here |
On the Hill
 |
| Cabin in the woods |
 |
| Some more of the windings |
 |
| A forgotten pond |
 |
| Way up to enlightenment |
 |
| Fort walls |
 |
| With so many people around, we are the minorities around here today.... |
 |
| Along the walls |
 |
| A viewpoint |
 |
| Crazy Choco Baa |
 |
| Amrutha Sarovara |
 |
| Mantapa beside pushkarani |
 |
| Mossy steps |
Some abstracts I took away
 |
| Hole in the wall |
 |
| Wall made of Shades of grey and a hole in it :-P |
 |
| Colourful Rock surface |
 |
| Another shot of the monolith |
Did you know:
- It's a huge monolithic granite rock formation sitting at the top of the Nandi hill
- Tippu Sultan would drop those to be punished from Tippu drop, and its a straight 600 mtr fall! This has been a suicide spot off late
- Name Nandi because it resembles a sleeping bull
- Amrutha Sarovara has water all year round
- Palar river takes birth as a small spring on the eastern side of the hill
Well, hope you enjoyed our visit to the hill!
- It's a huge monolithic granite rock formation sitting at the top of the Nandi hill
- Tippu Sultan would drop those to be punished from Tippu drop, and its a straight 600 mtr fall! This has been a suicide spot off late
- Name Nandi because it resembles a sleeping bull
- Amrutha Sarovara has water all year round
- Palar river takes birth as a small spring on the eastern side of the hill
Well, hope you enjoyed our visit to the hill!
Fantastic snaps, B&W photos have so much of charm....
ReplyDeleteThanks Shylu...I know they give a surreal feel...B & Ws are very interesting for me right now :-)
Delete