India is a large pilgrim place for the whole world. It is a pious land. Dwarka, which was the capital of Lord Krishna`s empire has special importance as one of the major pilgrim places. Last vacation our family made a trip to this holy city by taking the Coimbatore express. The journey took 30 hours. We reached Ahmedabad at 3p.m.the next day. From here we took a bus which took about 8 hours .We rested during the night.

Next morning in the town we visited the Dwarka temple or Jagat Mandir. It is situated on the banks of river Gomti at a height of 40 ft. The height of the temple is 157ft. It has two shikhars

1. Ladwa shikhar,
2. Nij shikkhar.

We entered the temple from the entrance at the north. God Dwarkadhish is facing eastward, this entrance is known as the “Moksh Dwaar”. To the south is the “Swarg Dwaar”, from where we reached the banks of the river Gomti by stepping down 56 steps. Further we continued to the back side of the temple where the Patrani temple is surrounded by various other temples including – Shri Jambhuvatiji, Shri Radhikaji with Lord Krishna, Shri Laxminarayan, Shri Gopal Krishna, Shri Laxmiji, Shri satyabhamaji, and Shri Saraswatiji temple.

Adjacent to the Patrani temple is the Math of Shri Shankracharyaji. Then we went to the south of Nij temple to visit the Tri-Vikramji temple famous for its unique sculpture works, on one side of the temple is the eagle and on the other side are attractive idols of Shri Ganesh – Laxmi. To the opposite side is temple of Shri Madhavrajji with a huge worship pandal or the ‘Darshan-Mandap.

There is a shopping centre at the Teen batti chowk from where you can avail of bus and auto rickshaw services. We took an auto and visited the

1. Nageswar Jyotisling Mandir
2. Bhadrakeshwar mahadev temple sunset point,
3. Rukshmini mandir,
4. Amavasya darshan, and
5. Gomti sangam ghat.

There are many dharamshalas. Near the post office is the Visroliya dharamshala it charges Rs 50 per head. The Bangad dharamshala is near the vegetable market. The Gayatri Mandir dharamshala which charges Rs. 100 per head. Near the Geeta mandir is the Birla Dharamshala. Near the Bhadrakeshwar is the Swaminarayan mandir which has a guest house, the charges for one thali is Rs 15. Here we had our dinner and went to Gayatri Dharamshala for the night.

Next morning we took a bus and visited Porbandar, Harshad mataji, Somnath, Between Dwarka.and Okha. We then returned to Ahmedabad by bus. Next morning we took our train to Bangalore and reached the next day in afternoon. It was an enjoyable journey and a wonderful experience.

During my good old bachelor days, I got a chance to visit the one and only ‘City of Joy’. It was a pleasant journey as we started from Warangal, where my friend and I studied, to Kolkata by train. A good 28 hours later we reached Orissa and then to Kharagpur. The Kharagpur station is believed to have the longest platform.We were served curds in small mud pots when in the Kharagpur station. After living on hostel curds for 3 years, the taste of this curd was heaven on earth for us.

We reached Howrah. It is situated on the shore of the river Hoogly. The city of Kolkata is on the other side i.e. on the eastern side of the shore (Check out the photograph below). Local transport is never a problem as plenty of taxis are available for the users as is the tram and the metro rail.

Some interesting information about the city:

Kolkata has the distinction of being the fourth largest city in India with its urban population alone crossing over 14 million. Kolkata was chosen to be the nation’s capital until the year 1911. The East India Company (the pretense used by the British to spread discord and later rule India) was set up in Bengal.

Kolkata has the largest cricket stadium often compared to the Lords, Eden Garden. It has the capacity to seat 100,000 people. Two bridges connect Kolkata with Howrah- Howrah Bridge and Vidya Sagar Sethu. The Howrah Bridge can be called an ancient one when compared to the Vidya Sagar Sethu as the latter is an extremely well built cable bridge. The sight is one to behold especially at night as the lights are lit as the bridge looks magnificent.

My friend and I were to stay in his grandparents’ place. It is a place south of Kolkata called Naktala.

Local travel and food:

We mostly used the Kolkata metro rail. It is said to be one of the first metros to come to India. The rail itself is very neat and tidy and has reasonable fares. Also, as against the usual local language announcements, the announcements were made in three different languages- English, Hindi and Bengali. This helped me pick some Bengali words that were quite useful to converse with my friend’s grandparents when he wasn’t around.

We also traveled by the local bus where, thanks to the communist government, the ticket prices are said to be the lowest. Also it was sad to see the rickshaws that were pulled by men usually frail ones. I still am not able to get over the thought of one man pulling the other to help him commute for a meager fare.

Fish being the staple food of the Bengalis it was quite difficult for us to find a pure vegetarian hotel. All food is cooked with mustard oil which makes them taste quite nice. I especially enjoyed Sondesh( milk sweet) and mishti doi(sweet curd).We also visited the vegetable market where I found as many fish meat vendors as that of vegetables.

Three day trip summary

Day 1: Victoria memorial hall

On the first day of my 3 day trip to Kolkata we went to the Victoria Memorial Hall.

It is a formidable building which was opened in 1921. This Hall is the largest storehouse in India for a visual tour of the history of Kolkata. It also has a major collection of paintings, sculptures and manuscripts from the British Period. It is also a museum where one can see the pictures and statues of great men who played a vital role in the history of India. It was an idea developed by Lord Curzon who opened this museum to make people proud of their past and to help them (us) understand the culture of our great nation.

There are many sections in the Victoria Memorial Hall wherein almost a whole section is specially contributed to Queen Victoria, her childhood, her marriage and also articles used by the Queen in childhood and adulthood. The library is one section that is highly recommended as here one can find a truly rare collection of books ranging from Shakespeare, to Rubaiyat’s Omar Khayyam. It is also said that this place is often visited by costume designers to get a feel of the dresses that were used in Shakespeare’s plays, as they are also illustrated.

We can also see the arms and ammunition used in the British era, also displayed in the museum. There are many manuscripts that are displayed in the Portrait gallery of the museum. They are masterpieces of the time. Some examples are – a volume of copies of letters of Tipu Sultan, a notebook he maintained in his own handwriting, the writings of Abul Fazal a court historian during Emperor Akbar’s reign etc. For display are also some historical relics that include the ink pot used by Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidya sagar, pistols used by Lord Warren Hastings in a duel etc.

Victoria Memorial has a huge collection of sculptures that are displayed in their garden. Some Indian collection has been recently added. The garden is an area of about 64 acres which has a bronze statue of Queen Victoria at one of its entrances. It is said that there are as many as 21 gardeners who maintain this garden. It is also open for morning walkers for which one has to belong to any of the many clubs exclusively into this activity. Most members of the morning walkers association are usually the rich and the famous of Kolkata.

With this amount of history and beauty stored in my head we returned home recollecting every bit of all the relics, paintings, sculptures etc.. Reeling in our heads. A visit to the Victoria Memorial Hall is a must as the collection of historical data and artifacts is enormous and fun to go through and remember.

Day 2 : Belur and Dakshineshwar

Located on the banks of river Hoogly is the Kali Temple situated at Dakshineshwar. It was built by a lady called Rani Rasmani. She was said to be a great devotee of Goddess Kali and a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was the priest of the Kali Temple and also a spiritual guru of the 19^th century. One of his famous disciples was Swami Vivekananda. The Paramahamsa also lived within the temple premises and his room and prayer hall are available for public view. The spiritual sadhanas that the Guru went through in his stay at the temple can be felt from the moment one enters the temple.

The panchavati grove which was so lovingly planted by the Paramahamsa is still there and people can sit and meditate in that place. The disciples of Paramahamsa are divided into two: householders and monks. The monks under the tutelage of Swami Vivekananda established the Belur Mutt. It is said that Swami Vivekananda took the sacred ashes of the Paramahamsa in a copper casket and deposited at the Mutt.

The Mutt is situated on the other side of the Hoogly River. The travel to get to the Belur Mutt is by way of a ferry (boat). The headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission and Mutt is situated at Belur. (Check out the photographs below)

The birthdays of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda and Sarada Devi (spiritual consort of Sri Ramakrishna) are celebrated here. The monks stay at the Belur Mutt where the house holder disciples and monks get together for bhajans and the vesper ceremony. The bhajans were going on when we went to visit the Belur Mutt. The monks who wear saffron robes and shave their heads, indicating detachment were so absorbed in prayers that I could only stare in wonder at their commitment to a cause and the Tejas in their faces which is of course the result of years of strict austerities and meditation.

Completely stirred by their spirituality and with the effects of such a divine environment we returned home.

Day3: Shopping in Kolkata

This day we completely devoted to shopping. What was the most exciting thing was I could get lots of clothes- shirts and others at such a low cost that I spent well within my meager budget. We did all our shopping at the Dakshinapan shopping complex.

I still feel sad that having devoted 3 complete days to different activities didn’t allow me to cover many parts of the city.

I very much wanted to see the Aurobindo Ashram, missionaries of Charity started by Mother Teresa, Shantiniketan; I would also have enjoyed going to watch some plays. I have heard and seen a lot about the Cultural heritage of the Kolkattans, which mainly has to do with art and theatre. It would really have been wonderful if could experience it first hand.

My friend and I started from Kolkata by the East Coast Express to Warangal. It took us approximately 36 hours to reach our college at Warangal. The journey was very enjoyable though it was sad to leave behind granma and grandpa. All that I could carry with me were memories and photographs and hopes to visit the place at leisure so that I can explore some more of the city and increase my Bengali vocabulary too.

Kolkata

On December 2005, my son took a leave from the office and we planned a trip from Bangalore to Kolkata, “The city of Joy” which is also the capital of West Bengal and the old capital of the East India Company.

We took a trip by the “Yeshwanthpur Howrah Express” which is a direct train from Bangalore to Kolkata on the 23^rd of September 2005. The departure time of the train from Yeshwanthpur is 7: 30 PM. We boarded the train from K.R.Puram station as it is closer to our house. It departed from here at 8: 30 PM. During the journey we passed from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, and West Bengal. The important stations which came in the way are Tirupathi, Vishakhapatnam, Vijaywada, Rajmundry, Bhubhneshwar, and Howrah. We reached Kolkata at 7: 30 AM on the 25^th of December 2005. From the station we took a cab and went to “Gujarat Samaj” for boarding and lodging. Immediately after coming out of the station we passed through the famous, “Howrah Bridge”.

At the Gujarat Samaj the charges per day are Rs. 100 – Rs. 150 or more according to the choice of room (AC or Non AC). The rooms are comfortable with attached baths and basic necessities. On the ground floor, food is available. Thalis are available at Rs. 35 – 40 according to the menu. North Indian, South Indian, and Chinese are also available. Besides Kolkata is a city where you can avail of all the delicacies at reasonable rates and the food is very tasty. I have visited many places in India but nowhere did I find the food so tasty. The pani pooris and masala moori of Kolkata are famous all over India. Just after finishing our daily chores, they booked us a trip around the city in the tourist bus wherein we visited important sightseeing places in Kolkata as described below :-

1. First of all we visited the “Dadavadi”. It is a Jain Temple with beautiful carvings and statues of Jain Tirthankaras made of pure gold. The temple is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
2. Our second place of visit was “Belur Math” of Rama Krishna Mission where the “Bhikshus” were studying and performing the rituals. From there we took a boat to Dakshineshwar which is the abode of Shiva Lingas in various forms.
3. The third place of visit was the “Victoria Memorial” the famous palace of Queen Victoria and its slight resemblance to the Taj Mahal was an eye – candy. It is surrounded by a huge garden with beautiful flowers and lakes. Generally people come here for walks and in winters, this place becomes a hot spot picnic spot.
4. Next, we visited the nearby “Birla Planetorium” wherein we viewed the astronomical beauty in its entire splendor. After that we had lunch.
5. Post lunch we went to the “Science City”. It is a place of rare importance. There is a collection of dinosaurs. There is a special Helicopter simulator charged at Rs. 50 per head. There is also a portion of the Science City where we can demand to go to any part of the world and we found ourselves standing in a replica of the same, which is a wonderful experience since everyone cannot afford to go to such places and fulfill their wishes.
6. Our trip ended with our visit to the famous “Botanical Gardens”. It is a huge garden, consisting of a collection of rare botanical species including the famous 300 years old “Banyan Tree” which is the main centre of attraction in this garden. It was a very good experience there. We left the place after having evening tea and snacks.

The next day we went shopping and visited the famous “New Market”, “AC Market”, “Metro Plaza” and the “Vardaan Market” all in a short time doing window shopping since we had heard that Kolkata is a highly economical city. The famous Bengali Tangai Sarees and the Kota Sarees are available in plenty. Readymade clothes are cheaper than other metros and crockery and glass ware items are the cheapest. I had bought a dinner set and tea set.

We had visited the Park Street in the evening with all its lights and grandeur. There is a cluster of hotels in this street and if one visits Kolkata, one should really have a stroll on this street.

The third day in the morning we went to the famous “Burra Bazar” area of Kolkata which is the heart of the city for all your needs. There are shopping malls, eateries, grocery shops, etc.

There are many modes of transport in Kolkata like the state bus, the mini bus, public bus, auto –rickshaws, taxis, and trains. The hand rickshaw pullers also frequent through the lanes. The transport is economical and convenient.

We then went to visit the Dumdum Airport and from there, took a ride in the famous Metro (Underground) train of Kolkata to the last stop of the train, Tollygunge.

On the fourth day, we went for a trip to Digha the famous sea beach. We took a bus from Esplanade Bus Stand and reached Digha in 4 hours. The ticket was Rs. 80. It is a beach where large number of tourists visit every year. There are innumerable hotels near the beach. Jute items and sea shells are sold abundantly. We stayed for a whole day and returned at night. The next day we went to “Aquatica”, the water sports centre.

Lastly we visited “Shantiniketan” the famous institute of Rabindra Nath Tagore where Smt. Indira Gandhi had also studied in her childhood. The school is in calm and serene village on the outskirts of Kolkata where many students were studying the subjects of their interests. We returned to Kolkata the same evening by train.

Next morning we took a taxi and travelled around the city. We visited the salt lake city and Rajarhat, the IT hubs. The city of Kolkata is beautiful with monumental buildings and shopping arcades. The roads are wide and traffic is well maintained with flyovers. We visited the VidyaSagar Setu.

In the evening we took a taxi and reached the Howrah Station. We had passed the famous “Howrah Bridge” all illuminated with light for Christmas. It looked spectacular and was a feast to the eye. Our train started and my heart gave a sigh since I did not want to leave this city of Joy so soon. We though missed the opportunity of enjoying the pomp and grandeur of the famous Durga Puja of Kolkata.

On the way to Valparai, there is a dam called Aliyar Dam which is situated in a beautiful place surrounded fully by hills.
About 5kms from Aliyar Dam there is a tourist spot quite famous in the name of ‘Monkey Falls’.Once past the Monkey Falls start the journey to Valparai. Since it is a hilly region, the ghat section of the road begins from the falls onwards. We crossed about 40 Hairpin Bends to reach Valparai. But the journey itself is a sight to behold with plenty of greenery all around you.

 We reached Valaparai. It is a small town where tea manufacturing is the main industry. Almost all leading tea manufacturers have their estates here.

What one can see at Valparai:

•  Balaji Temple :  It is about 12kms from Valparai. It is a private temple located in a beautiful place surrounded by gardens with lots of flowers and plenty of play area for children. The place is quiet and serene. A beautiful temple.
•   Nirar Dam  :  about 15kms away from Valaparai we came across a dam called the Nirar Dam. It is what can be called as check dam. The place is very calm and the water a sight to watch.
• Nirar Falls:    Just 2kms away from the Nirar Dam there is the water falls. The path leading to the water is simply superb. It is a thick forest area and in order to reach the falls one has to cross a hanging  bridge. It is an absolutely thrilling experience.  
• Other places to watch:
  

·         Sholayar dam : it is about 20 kms from Valparai.

·         Mudi’s              : about 10kms from Valparai

·         One can also reach Chakalakudy of Kerala famous for its Adirapalli water falls. It is about 70kms travel from Valparai.

    Mode of Travel

Only by road. Buses available every 20mins from Pollachi. You can reach Valparai in about 2 ½ hours travel.It is better to carry your own food and snacks as there are no shops available anywhere near the water falls and dam.But beware of our very close friends!!  none other than Monkeys.. They are available in plenty in these areas.

Places near Pollachi

• Aliyar Dam: 20Kms from Pollachi.
• Valparai      : 64Kms
• Top slip      :  40Kms  Indira Gandhi Wild Life Sanctuary is situated here.
• Thirumurthi hills and water falls: 40Kms
• Palani hills          : 60Kms Abode of Lord Subramanya
• Coimbatore         : 40Kms
• Palakkad             : 40Km

Check out some more photographs below:

Route Information:

Bangalore –> Hosur–>Krishnagiri–>Dharmapuri–>Hogenakkal

The best means of transportation is by Car. The route till Dharmapuri is very good. And you will have a peaceful and enjoyable drive from Bangalore to Krishnagiri, as the road is wide, clear and bump free. Start early in the morning from Bangalore, to make sure, you are not stuck in the Bangalore traffic itself on the Hosur road.

Shopping info:

Hogenakkal is not a significant shopping place.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Waterfall:

The Hogenakkal falls are not a single waterfalls but a series of falls with the whole spectacle spread over a kilometer, with two sections, half-a-kilometer each, in a curve joint. The majority of waterfalls are on the first section and the second section is a gorge which forms the downstream of all the waterfalls.

There is a Viewpoint Tower from where you can see the whole topography. Well, this Viewpoint isn’t the best place for taking closer pictures. Take the coracle (round boat) to have a closer look of the falls.

Near to the falls, you will find some small shops, where you can get some snacks, cold drinks and even beer & other alcoholic drinks. In fact, you will get some of these things in the coracle also!

Body Massage:

You will get body massage here. Be cautious, as some of the massage guys here are not experts and in many cases not even trained in massaging. If you can speak tamil, it may help you to negotiate better and understand what kind of ayurvedic oil they are talking about.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: First Aid Kit, Travel Kit, Cap (in summer). Foods and Beverages as you won’t find any hotels for food. If travelling in group, you can get some catering service from Bangalore.

Hotel availability: No hotels/ accommodation available at Hogenakkal.

Resorts availability: No resorts nearby.

Local Taxi availability: -NA-

Nearest known city: Dharmapuri

( posted by Raghu of http://placesaroundbangalore.blogspot.com/)

Here people can’t swim as the gorge is very deep and the current passes in the falls. This place is also a famous pilgrimage centre. It is known as Madhya Rangam. The Ranganatha temple is worshipped here and it is constructed in the Dravidian style.

The temperature will be 20 degree Celsius to 32 degree Celsius.

The best time to visit this place is during rainy season between July and September.

Route Information

There are 2 routes from Bangalore:

1: Take the Mysore road, near Maddur take a diversion and drive till Malavalli.

2: Take Kanakapura road and drive till Malavalli.

At Malavalli, you can ask someone for the guidance.

Shopping information

Shivanasamudra is a village place and is not a significant shopping place. But you will find many shop where you can pick some snacks, cola, film rolls etc.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Waterfall:

You can visit both Gaganachukki and Bharachukki waterfalls. You can enjoy the spectacular flow of water just after the mansoon. If you wish to have a closer look, you can take the steps to get down a bit and there you will find a viewpoint. Swimming is not possible here, as the george is very deep.

Below are some attractive places around Shivanasamudra and Mysore. You can cover these places in a one day trip.

Somnathpur:

(Around 35kms from Mysore)

It is very nice temple built in the time of Hoysala architecture. It is built in 13th century A.D. The temple is built in the shape of star shaped with three shines built after Prasanna Chennakeshava. Duration: 2 hrs.

Talkad:

(Around 45kms from Mysore)

It is an ancient town built in sand. Only one temple can be seen above the sand which is very nice to see. There is a river in which you can play. Once in five years many other temples are seen which are hidden in the sand. Duration: 2-3hrs.

Melkote:

(Around 60kms from Mysore)

It is famous for the temple which shows the old culture of India. Here Cheluvanarayanaswamy temple is worshipped. In this temple the oldest Sanskrit pathasala can be seen. Here they celebrate many festivals such as Vairamudi utsava, Teppotsava. Duration:1-2 hrs.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: First Aid Kit, Travel Kit, Cap (in summer). You will find many Dhaba (Village hotels) on the way.

Hotel availability: No hotels/ accommodation available at Shivanasamudra. You can get nice accomodation in Mysore.

Local Taxi availability: -NA-

Neared known city: Mysore and Kanakapura.

(  posted by Raghu of http://placesaroundbangalore.blogspot.com/)

Chunchi fall drops in two different cascades which is nice to see. To go to the pool you have to walk on the rocks which will be smooth so you should be very careful .The river flows and join the Cauvery at Sangama which is 6kms from the falls. The view of the falls will be really good in rainy season .It is a very nice place to relax. The Temperature is same as the temperature in kanakapura (around 28 degree centigrade). The best time to visit this place is from June to August.

Route Information:

The distance from Bangalore to Kanakapura is 55 Kms and from there take a deviation to Sangam and drive on that road for 25kms and take another deviation towards Yelehalli. And after 5kms you will reach the falls. There are number of buses from Bangalore to Kanakapura and from there you have to take other buses to chunchi falls.If you like rock climbing then you can climb some rocks with a guide. You should carry food and water because there are no hotels. You get nice food only in Kankapura. This trip can be planned on bike, car or rented taxi’s. As the distance is small, you can enjoy bike riding on the way. Taxi can be booked from Bangalore itself.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS

Sangama :

(Around 6kms from Chunchi falls)

Sangama is the confluence of two rivers. The two rivers are Arkavathi and Kaveri(Cauvery). It is 90kms from Bangalore. From Sangam it is 6kms to Chunchi falls. In this place you get really nice fishes to eat and you can find some juice shops also. Arkavathi is a small stream for most of the year and when it rains you can see more water. To reach Sangama, drive on Kanakapura road from Bangalore. Take a left turn after Kanakapura.And there is also a sign board. Another option is to drive on the Kanakapura highway till Satanur and then take a left from there. Then you will get Sangama.

Mekadatu:

(Around 3kms from Chunchi falls)

Its a narrow river flow. The name Mekedatu in kannada means, “the place where goats cross the small river”. It is about 3Kms from Chunchi falls. You can walk through the river. You can reach this place by buses available from Kanakapura. You can find more water in the monsoons.

(  posted by Raghu of http://placesaroundbangalore.blogspot.com/)

It is one of the pilgrimage center located near Doddaballapur of Bangalore Rural district. It is 60kms from Bangalore. Here Lord Subramanya and Lord Lakshmi Narasimha are worshipped. It is very famous as Lord Subramanya idol is said to be self originated. In this temple Lord Subramanya is facing to the east and Lord Lakshmi Narashima is facing to west in the same idol. A mirror is kept to see both the idols together. There are many choultries for people to stay. Afternoon lunch is provided free to the devotees.

Route Information:

Drive to Doddaballapur which is 39kms from Bangalore and then take the road towards Ghati Subramanya which is another 14kms. There are many busses from Doddaballapur and Bangalore.

Shopping Information:

There are many shops where you can get nice idols.

MAJOR ATTRACTIONS/NEARER PLACES

Nandi Hills:

(Around 30kms from Ghati Subrahmanya)

It is around 30kms from Ghati Subrahmanya. It is very nice hill station which is 1478 meters above sea level. Rivers like Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate in these hills. It was tipu’s Summer retreat and Tipu’s fort wall is still a nice view for people.1,175 steps lead from the Bottom of the hill to the top. Yoganandishwara temple is located at the top the hill. See the place details and photos of Nandi Hills.

Nrityagram Dance Village:

(Around 30kms from Bangalore)

It is via tumkur near Hessarghatta. This village was founded by Pratima Gauri, one of the famous odissi dancers of India. Here Bharatnatyam, Odissi and Kuchipudi are been taught by good trainers to people all over India. You can stay here overnight and enjoy the different types of dances.

TOURIST INFORMATION

Things to carry: It is better to carry water bottles.

Hotel availability: There are many hotels and PWD Inspection Bungalow nearby.

Resorts availability: There are many resorts on the way.

Local Taxi availability: You can book Taxis from Bangalore or Doddaballapur

Neared known city: Doddaballapur and Bangalore.

(  posted by Raghu of http://placesaroundbangalore.blogspot.com/)

From bangalore, you can catch a bus to Nandi Hills. If you are taking your car, you will enjoy climbing the hill with few hairpin curves. Little care should be taken in driving and more importantly, plan to return back on the same day unless you have booked a lodge on top of hill.

Main attractions

• Amrit sarovar: It is the first place you see as you enter the main gate of Nandi hills. To me it seemed a ordinary pond where no activity can be performed. Nothing special about the lake. The spot attraction is just the greenary.

• Yoginandishwara Temple: Its an ancient temple dedicated to Bull Lord. There are other small temples also here. There is another temple inside, of Goddess Parvati. A temple of Ganesha and Hanuman are in Close vicinity to temple. The Temple is situated on a rocky terrain so avoid walking bare foot on a sunny day. Temple is not a great architectural marvel.

• Nehru Nilya: Situated in Lush Greenary this white colored monument can not be seen from inside. But an ideal place for some photography.

• Tipu’s drop: This is the place where Sultans used to punish the prisoners & criminals. This place is scariest of all the places. It is a steep around 1200 feet high.

(  posted by Raghu of http://placesaroundbangalore.blogspot.com/)