Bandipur- Into the Wild...!!

As soon as we entered the Bandipur National park, we stopped the car and got out for a photo session. We knew we were not supposed to stop the vehicle but we did, and were asked by an army personnel who drove behind us to get back into the car and leave. That was an interesting start to our wild adventures at Bandipur. With sulking faces we got back into our car and drove past the lovely winding roads painted in green on either sides with an odd spotted deer popping its head between the bushes. An aged and ill looking elephant stood by the road and we slowed down for a click. I had driven past the Bandipur national park information centre and forest department guest houses many times but never stopped by. This time however our stay was arranged at one of the cottages of the forest department. We checked in, booked our safari for the evening, had lunch, dumped the luggage and then set out to explore the surroundings.

Both the information centre and the forest guest houses are adjacent to the road that cuts through the national park and hence the surrounding areas are frequently visited by herds of spotted deer, wild boars, peacocks, bonnet macaques and langurs. We strolled around the place to find some beautiful landscapes in the distance. Monsoons had left its mark and the whole place seemed covered in a carpet of greenery with distant green hills, tall trees and thick foliage. The fluffy white clouds hovering above these made the scenery all the more dramatic. We saw a couple of bonnet macaques gleefully playing on the branches of trees near the road. The forest department also has a few tamed elephants which were being trained near the forest office. 

The beautiful landscape

A tamed one

Playful bonnet macaques

We crossed the road upon seeing a few wild pigs and their piglets happily playing with each other. While capturing them on our lenses, we were in for a special surprise as a huge herd of 100-150 spotted deer were happily grazing near by. That was indeed the largest herd of deer I had seen at one glance and had stags, fawns and female deer. From the piglets, our lenses turned focus to the spotted deer. It is tough to see them from very close quarters as they are quite wary about human movements. We took each step with caution to capture these elegant creatures. However a few popped up their heads, giving us a stare but most of them to our surprise, nonchalantly grazed unaffected by our presence. There were a few stags which locked horns with each other and that made for some wonderful captures. More tourists stopped by on seeing the huge herd and were all over the place making noises and got very close to the deer and that disturbed them. We spend quite some time with the gentle deer before heading back to the forest office for our jungle safari. That was the first glimpse of wildlife at Bandipur for us. As we patiently waited for the jeep to arrive, we captured some playful langurs jumping from one tree to another. They were all over the place and were happily enjoying all the attention they received from the visitors. 

Wild pigs

Spotted deer

A jumping langur

We had a very friendly driver for our safari and he took all possible routes to make sure we had a good sighting during the same. All of us wanted to spot one of the big cats. Be it a tiger or a leopard, we wanted to sight it and we peppered our driver all those nice talks to help us spot one. We all knew wildlife sighting cannot be done that way. Had it been that easy to spot wildlife, I do not think wildlife sanctuaries and national parks would have got so much prominence and there would have been so many wildlife enthusiasts. But a desire is a desire! Our driver mentioned that a week back, a tiger lay on the road for about fifteen minutes blocking the traffic. Now that is what you call 'luck'! The woods looked so serene and beautiful with greenery, fresh air, waterholes, elephant dumps and meandering paths. We began the drive by spotting the commonly seen peacocks, spotted dear, wild hare, wild fowl etc. The peacocks looked so beautiful and their blue hue blended so beautifully against the bright green background. Surprisingly we did not see any elephants. Suddenly our driver stopped the vehicle and said "Pug Marks". I had never spotted a big cat in the wild and those words from the driver made me excited. However it was just pug marks that we saw for a long while and kept following the pathways. The spotted deer kept marking its presence frequently along with the odd peacock. Even though the driver kept speaking over the wireless with other vehicles, the response was negative. 

A wild fowl

A waterhole

All of a sudden the driver remarked after his conversation over the wireless that three tigers have been spotted in three different places at the same time. Our joy knew no bounds as we drove towards the spot. A couple of vehicles were already parked near a waterhole and we too found a nice place to park and view the beast. The tiger was at a distance of about 100 meters or more and was happily enjoying its solitude in the waters probably after a heavy meal. Cameras flashed from all the vehicles as the lenses zoomed many fold to capture the stripped cat. Unperturbed by all the noises and the people, the big cat was lost in its own moments. We had doubts whether it was asleep in the waters as it never moved from its position. Suddenly there was a 'hurrah' from the crowd. The tiger had lifted its head and kept looking in the direction of the vehicles. Patience had paid off as all the onlookers were desperate to see the tiger move from its still position. Though at a distance, the experience of spotting a tiger in the wild was definitely an enthralling experience. However the sight of 5-6 vehicles loaded with people making noises and flashing cameras at a silent beast was not that great a sight. After capturing a few more angles of the wild beast we drove back from wildlife to civilization. As per wireless communications later, the other two tigers had retreated back into its wilderness. We however were a bit disappointed about not spotting an elephant but the words of our driver made us happy. He said, ''Spotting an elephant is not a big deal as you can see it even by the side of the road, but you are lucky to have spotted a tiger in the wild, which is a rarity". 

The stripped cat

The evening was cold and we came out of our cottage late in the night to have a glimpse of the shining stars. That was indeed a beautiful sight. We got up early next day for our morning safari. After spotting a tiger the previous evening, we were all charged up and enthusiastic to spot another one. Supposedly, mornings are the best time for wildlife sighting. As we entered the path into the woods, a few spotted deer jumped the tracks and crossed us. Our first sighting was a lonely indian gaur, which was happily sitting under a tree in oblivion. After capturing its candid moments, we drove further into the forest which looked so fresh and beautiful early in the morning. There were fresh pug marks and elephants dumps all along and our driver was sure that the animals were close by and had not wandered off far. Now more than the tiger, we wanted to see the wild elephant which had eluded us since the previous evening. We followed the pug marks for quite a distance with all the heads popping out of the vehicle in different directions. Frequent interaction through wireless did not yield any exciting information this time. The dumps were frequently seen on either sides of the path but the elephants still remained elusive. Even though we followed the trail marks for long we had to get back without sightings of any wild cat or elephant. Our driver being the generous guy, explored 15 minutes beyond the allotted safari time in search of a sighting. However we did not have the luck that we were bestowed with the previous evening. As we came out of the woods, we spotted a beautiful peacock sitting on a wood with its feathers beautifully laid out. That was an eye-soothing sight. 

A Gaur

A beauty

After breakfast, we checked out and drove past more greenery, spotted deers and wild pigs beyond the Bandipur National park towards Mysore. Bandipur Natinal park does have some of the best wildlife sightings in the Nilgiris biosphere and apart from the commonly seen deer, peacocks, wild pigs, langurs and fowls, the rarely seen tigers, elephants, leopards and dholes make their presence felt inside it.

Signing Note- Get engulfed by the wilderness...!!

Route- Bangalore- Mandya- Mysore- Nanjangud- Gundlupet- Bandipur
Distance- 220 Kms

Dubare White Water Rafting...!!

When we reached Dubare camp on a lazy sunday afternoon, the place was quite crowded with adventure enthusiasts who had come in truck loads. People waited in long queues to get on to the raft for a still water ride. We however were keen on the long white water rafting. The elephant camp at Dubare is situated on the other bank and we could spot a couple of pachyderms enjoying a bath. We contemplated about going ahead with the rafting seeing the crowd but quickly changed our minds and bought tickets for the 7km long rafting on Cauvery river. Cauvery was flowing at its best and looked all brown and beautiful. However, the water level was low and the rafting was a grade 1. Though a  bit disappointed we got charged up when our gears came and listened to the instructions from our guide before securing our places along the ridge of the raft. After my rafting experience at Barapole (http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/08/tadiyandamol-trek-and-barapole-river.html) which I thoroughly enjoyed, I just lapped up this exciting opportunity of rafting on Cauvery. Rafting at Dubare is much longer than the one at Barapole and I was quite excited about spending a couple of hours amidst the greenery and the river.

The team (6 of us) was all set to paddle and we began our adventure as we followed the instructions from Raj (instructor), a jovial person who loves being in the waters and who does his best to make the experience an adrenaline rushing one. He was quite disappointed that the water level was low and could not show us the real experience of rafting at Dubare. During the best times of monsoon, the water level rises to more than 12 feet from the present level is what we were told by him. After the initial interaction and guidelines, we were happily rafting away in between the branches of trees that had bend itself to kiss the waters. Moving away into more openness we were asked by our instructor to take the plunge into the cold Cauvery. Before we could think about how to jump off the raft, I was gulping down a few mouthfuls. I was the first prey to the push from Raj. We swam for a while taking in the coldness of the river and then floated in the brown waters staring at the  blue sky. For a while we did not have to swim as the flow of the river took us further down along with the raft. Our instructor was quite a water lover and displayed his skills and acrobatics in the water to our amusement. 

Shortly after getting back into the raft, we encountered our first rapid. Though a small one the first hand experience to most in the group made us enthusiastic and we were ready to face the next one. There were many rocks which popped up from nowhere and we paddled our way through them, hitting them and then flowing away from them. When the Cauvery is full to its brim, most of the jutting rocks and the swaying branches of trees go under the waters and the rapids and swirls that they create are undoubtedly the best adrenaline rushes of rafting in Dubare. The grade 1 level made us enjoy a few more exciting rapids and our free spirited instructor made sure all those jutting rocks were put to good use by hitting them and had us falling all over the raft.

Slowly I noticed that we were away from civilization. Except for the six of us and our instructor, I could not see any other people. Cauvery had wound itself through the Dubare forest area taking us into the lap of nature, away from the mad world. All I could see was the Cauvery meandering itself through the greenery, a few birds flying off the branches and the six of us enjoying the gurgling of waters and the silence of woods.

We had a second plunge into the waters and enjoyed a few more moments of floating in the Cauvery before heading further down to our end point. We had a final rapid to encounter which was made memorable by our instructor. After hitting the rapid, we paddled back against the flow and went head on facing the water that was flowing over a rock. We were all then asked to squat near the front portion of the raft and bend ourselves facing the rushing waters. Our instructor made all his rafting skills to the best use by hitting the raft on to the rock and we had water gushing all over us and it soon filled up the raft. We repeated this enthralling act many number of times before flowing back along with Cauvery. 

Though the rapids were not very exciting (due to grade 1), the long time spend rafting in the Cauvery taking in the beauty of the surrounding greenery, diving into the cold waters and all those adrenaline rushing acts was definitely a great experience. The day which began as lazy one turned into a memorable one by the time we drove back from Dubare.

Signing Note- Raft away and get engulfed by the nature in Dubare...!!

Route- Bangalore- Mandya- Hunsur- Kushal Nagara- Dubare
Distance- 235 Kms

The Landscape...!!

A meandering river, a curvaceous ghat, thick canopy, shadows of floating clouds, distant open lands, brown hills and a blue sky made a beautiful landscape vista from Dhimbam ghats, Tamil Nadu. August 2013.

Danglers...!!

Gundlupet, Karnataka. August 2013.

The Waterfalls...!!

Can you spot the waterfalls amidst thick vegetation and floating mists?

Western Ghats, Kannur, Kerala. August 2013.

Mypadu Beach- Along the Bay of Bengal...!!

It was nice early morning drive along NH-4 from Bengaluru to Chittoor, past the many rocky hills of Kolar. However the broad four lane tracks turned into a single track after crossing Mulbagal. The construction work was underway and hopefully would be a smooth drive all the way till Chittoor very soon. Though the roads were single lanes after crossing over to Andhra Pradesh, it has been beautifully maintained. We drove through the Koudinya wildlife sanctuary with numerous boards of animal crossings. Unluckily, we did not encounter any. The hills of Tirupati loomed shortly after that and then it was a long drive along NH-5 to Nellore. After a couple of enquiries, we were on the long 22 km village road to Mypadu.

From the dusty roads of Nellore, the drive to Mypadu was a refresher. The road was lined with prawn hatcheries, coconut trees and paddy fields till it ended at the dark blue waters of Bay of Bengal. Mypadu is a small village with a crossroad and a few shops, a kilometer before the road hits the blue sea. Apart from the locals who are basically the fisher folk, there are hardly any visitors during the weekdays. Haritha resort, run by the state tourism board is located right next to the beach. The vistas that my room provided were magnificent. In fact all rooms face the sea and the roar of the waves hit your ears all through the night. Even though it was mid noon the beach was crowded being a weekend. Weekend travellers from Nellore and a few who stayed at the resort were happily frolicking the salty waters of Mypadu beach. There are a couple of thatched shops near the beach that sells tea, water, biscuits etc.

Prawn hatcheries on the way

Haritha resort

View from the room

 I got into the waters only after the sun had fairly come down. The beach is vast and uninterrupted but the tides were quite strong. The distant blue waters turned brown as it came closer to the shore. However, the water was clean and the tides brought a lot of shells along with it. The golden sands blended beautifully with the blue waters. I chased a few crabs that peeped out of its holes. Colourful fishing boats were neatly lined up and were all set to hit the rough waters early next morning. There was a water scooter which was jetting around, but decided to give it a miss and enjoy the blue sea.

Boats lined up

I walked along the shore for a distance and after a while the fishermen, their boats, the frolicking visitors and everything seemed distant. All I could see was the sea and the horizon, both melting in brilliant shades of blue. It was blissful to sit on the sands and hear to the waves thrashing and frothing as it touched my feet. Numerous shells in various shapes, sizes and colours got dropped on the shore each time a wave came by. Slowly the sky turned grey and I could not sit for long as the crabs started chasing me. All the hidden ones were all over the place and I had no option but to walk back to my resort. I went into the waters and then strolled along with knee high waves splashing on to my trousers. There were a few people who were enjoying the cool breeze as I trod past them to my room.

Ready for a catamaran ride?

Crab holes

The day ended listening to the roar of the sea and the next day began with the same. Quite keen on witnessing the sunrise, I headed to the beach at 5.30 a.m. It was still dark but very surprisingly there were a few early birds at the beach already. They were not from the resort and neither were they the fisherfolk. They had driven down so early from Nellore to enjoy the sea and the sunrise. I walked along the shore in the cool morning breeze past the fishermen who were all set to sail into the waters. Boat after boat left the golden sands and plunged into the blue sea. Amidst this, I hoped the sun would come out of the horizon spreading its warmth all over the place. That however was never meant to happen. The day dawned, more boats went into the roaring waters and more people walked into the beach to enjoy the sunrise. Dark clouds hovered everywhere and the sky remained grey for a long time. A glimpse of sunlight was seen in one corner but that is all one could see and I had to be content with that. It was my first experience and I found it immensely refreshing to stroll on a beach early in the morning.

Dark clouds

Fishermen all set to sail

Into the roaring waters

 After a cup of tea from one of the thatched shops, I kept gazing at the boats as they sped past each wave deeper and deeper into the sea. How I wish I could get into one of those boats and head into the horizon. Suddenly I noticed something that kept appearing and disappearing amidst the waves. It was not a boat. Dolphin fins they were! It was absolutely a pleasant surprise to find loads of them swimming away and popping up in between for my lens to click. It was an exciting moment as I was least expecting to see them and to have them so close to the shores was definitely a memorable experience. 

Can you spot the fins towards the right side of the frame?

After enjoying the dolphin sighting, it was time to head back to the resort, pack up and drive the long road back to Bangalore. En route we also took a detour to Kothakoduru beach which is 12 Kms away from Mypadu through a village road. This beach was quite crowded, littered and badly maintained and I did not spend more than 10 minutes there.

Mypadu beach is quite a secluded one but is slowly gaining prominence on the tourist map and is sure to lose its charm once the frequency of travellers increase. The beach also needs to be maintained as the entrance was quite littered. The vastness and golden sands are the big attraction of this beautiful beach along the Bay of Bengal.

Signing Note- Blue waters and golden sands await you at this little explored beach along the east coast...!!

Route- Bengaluru- Kolar- Chittoor- Tirupathi- Naidupeta- Nellore- Mypadu
Distance- 405 Kms

The Pier...!!

Kothakoduru beach, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. August 2013.

Tadiandamol Trek and Barapole River Rafting...!!

When I half opened my eyes it was 4 am, our vehicle was manoeuvering  the curves covered up in mist. With hardly 20 metre visibility the vehicle was going past the coffee plantations in Madikeri, Coorg. By the time sun came out, we were speeding past further plantations and paddy fields to Kabinakkad. After a break for tea at the diversion to Honey valley estate where we were put up, we clung on to the four wheeler that took us up to the estate. By then it began drizzling and the drive through a 10 feet wide stoned and slushy pathway turned exhilarating. We went higher and higher past the coffee plantations and gurgling streams. Chingara waterfalls could be seen from a distance and being monsoon, the falls was at its fieriest best.

Before long, we covered the 3 Km stretch and were at the entrance of our resort- Honey Valley. Nestled amidst coffee plantations and with stunning hills in the background, the resort is perfectly placed in the lap of nature. The magnificent views of the plantations from the cottages was a sight to behold. 

View of the coffee plantations from the resort

After the morning ablutions and breakfast we began our first task, trek to the peak of Tadiandamol. Situated at a height of 1748 metres above sea level, it is the third highest peak in Karnataka. This was my first experience of monsoon trekking and I was quite sure about what lay ahead- rains and leeches. The sky had by then cleared up and the trek began after taking the precautionary measures of salt, vinegar, lime etc to counter the blood sucking leeches. Rather than the usual start point of palace estate (which is also a shorter route) which trekkers take, we decided to go for the longer one from Honey valley estate. Though almost double the distance, the panoramic vistas are breathtaking is what my guide mentioned.

The initial stretch was slightly steep and went above the plantations and resort. Laden with stones, the pathway turned green on either sides and then became a smooth track. Two dogs from the resort accompanied us when we began the trek. To my surprise they trekked the whole stretch with us. The 20 minute initial walk gave us a glimpse of what lay ahead as it began drizzling and a leech or two was seen clinging on to our shoes. We crossed a small forest patch before reaching a clearing. Two locals who were to be our guides through the trek was waiting for us. By then the drizzle had become incessant, the distant hills were engulfed in fog, earth look so red and wet and we followed our guides along a trek path into the green hills.

The initial stretch

Our local guides

Open lands

We continued our trek into the forest patches with frequent checks for leeches. Leeches had by then clung onto everyone's shoes and and making their way up. First timers let out their shrieks which mellowed down once the salt was applied and the slimy ones were plucked out. But there was no respite from the blood suckers as each step we took made a new one climb onto us. Each moment spend on taking out a leech allowed a couple of others to get on us. And taking them off  your body wasn't an easy task. You really need to pluck them out along with salt. We were loosing time because of the leeches and the rain, and after a while I just decided to give up on leeches and just trek fast. I could see at least ten leeches at a time on the outer of my shoes and could also feel the bites inside. But I just trekked on. 

The open lands turned into goat tracks which were slippery and the vantage points were engulfed in mist denying us the beautiful vistas. From the open vast lands we moved into forest patches and from there to hill tops which were soaked in rain. The tracks in certain places had become slushy with small puddles. We then for a long while trekked along the ridges with the engulfing mist which had reduced the visibility to less than a hundred feet The slopes looked gorgeous with vistas showing up intermittently. However the rain gods weren't that kind enough. But this is exactly how a monsoon trek is like and I had absolutely no complaints.

Forest patch

Mist engulfed hills

Yes, that is the track!

The landscapes kept changing with small forest patches again showing up followed by open lands. There were stretches that were rocky but the marked path helped us trek it without much difficulty. We had climbed a couple of hills and had a few more to go before reaching the base of Tadiyandamol. Without the vistas I was slowly getting disappointed and the leeches which were feasting inside my shoes made me restless. We had specifically taken this long route just for the vistas but nature had other plans. I did manage to capture a few frames of the landscape before my camera went kaput. Water seeped through due to the continuous rains and it just stopped functioning. So, from then on it was just pure trekking with the leeches and rain. No frames and no vistas!

Slowly the landscape changed and turned tougher as the track we followed were covered by tall grasses. The rains became stronger and we had another 3-4 kilometers to the top of the peak. All we could see were our two guides and the dogs a few meters ahead of us and we just kept following them along the covered track. This was supposedly the dangerous stretch during the trek as there was hardly any support and the tracks were either slippery or had gravel . With low visibility and incessant rain we trod forward precariously.

Hill slopes

After an hour of trek through the grasslands along the ridges, we made it to an open land and then joined a wide track which was supposedly the short route from palace estate. We were close to the base of Tadiandamol but were confused and contemplating about future of the trek. It was a further two kilometers to the peak and we were already running short of time. All were completely drenched and the leech bites had not gone down well with most of them. After a short discussion we decided to call off the trek due to shortage of time. We were also yet to take a break for lunch which would definitely be time consuming. We would not have got back before dark had we continued to the summit. 

With drooping shoulders we walked along the palace estate track to the starting point of the shorter route. This stretch seemed much easier and was mostly devoid of leeches, but a few were spotted. The big attraction was the numerous monsoon waterfalls which we passed by. With monsoon at its peak, all the streams and creeks were at their glorious best. They were full and gushing down the hills. Each time I passed a waterfall, I looked at my camera and gave a sigh. This part of the trek was definitely a walk in the lap of nature. When I waded past the ankle high waters, I could feel the slimy blood suckers inside the shoes getting active and wriggling through my toes. The rain had receded by then and the first thing to run into my mind was Murphy's law. 

In between we stopped by for lunch at an abandoned house en route. I was amused when I removed my shoes and blood soaked socks as five or six blood drunk leeches rolled out of it. They almost resembled balls and were half the size of my index finger. People pay a big price for a leech therapy and here I have it as a compliment with my trek. After all the cleaning and gulping down the lunch that was carried, we began our walk further down to where the resort vehicles were to take us back. The vehicle came in some time and we clambered into it along with our local guides and the dogs. This was definitely a tailor made monsoon trek. Rains, mist, vistas, vantage points, greenery, waterfalls, leeches and wet earth all made it a perfect one. Except for the low point of not trekking to the summit of Tadiyandamol, the trek was an absolute rejuvenation. Now I have a reason to trek Tadiandamol again.

Woods are lovely, dark, deep and misty too!

The next day began with our drive from Honey valley estate to Barapole river for rafting. River rafting was something new to me and after the previous day's disappointment of not trekking to the top, I was definitely looking forward to this adventure. After the declarations, instructions and guidance, we geared up to lift take the rafts into the cold waters of Barapole. The river was at its flowing best and the rain which had not stopped ever since we landed in Coorg, helped it. Being amateurs and beginners, we were sceptical in the begining but slowly turned confident and rowed according to our guide's guidance. 

After an initial stretch of calm waters of more than half a kilometer, our guide stopped rowing and asked us to take a plunge. The river was mostly stagnant were we had stopped and one by one all just jumped into the cold waters of Barapole. This was to get ourselves accustomed to the water in case of a topple. We swam, frolicked, clicked photographs and played for about half an hour before getting back on the raft. Then began the rafting with instructions flowing from the guide along with quirky names of rapids like The Big Bang and Ram Jaane. Each rapid has a name but these two were the prominent ones and as the name suggests, were definitely the most adrenaline rushing ones. Each rapid had dips and rocks which we had to raft through and the excitement grew as we passed each rapid. Our already soaked bodies were further drenched and the two hour adventure was definitely exhilarating. The adventure finally came to an end after almost a two and a half kilometer stretch of rafting. We then drove back carrying the rafts for a hot cup of coffee by the free flowing Barapole river.

Signing Note- Coorg is undoubtedly an adventure seeker's paradise...!!

Route- Bangalore- Mandya- Srirangapatna- Hunsur- Gonikoppal- Virajpet- Kabinakkad
Distance- 270 Kms

Flea Market...!!

Anjuna, Goa. December 2012.

Nandi Hills- The Hill Fortress...!!

It was a spur of a moment decision to take the road to Nandi hills. It had been five years since I last visited the nice little hill and six years since I rode to it. The cloudy cold climate fueled it further and before we could plan anything, we had crossed half way, gobbled an Ambur biriyani and had taken the detour off NH-7. After the deviation, it was a ride through the villages with small gatherings and shops popping up at intervals. The route was adorned with wine yards all the way till the base of the hill. Distant hills confused us as to which was the actual one that we were about to climb and the guessing game went on till we reached the top. However the road that led us had no such qualms and we rode on past the villages on to the ghats.

Eucalyptus trees, chill breeze, bonnet macaques and magnificent vistas welcomed us as we went higher past the curves on the smooth tarmac.  There were no big hair pin bends but a couple of them were steep. The wayside view points made us break for a photo session before lunging forward towards the hill fortress. We were soon at the entrance of the fort which lies atop the hill. The 18th century fort which belonged to Tipu Sulthan has a beautifully carved entrance gate. We went inside, parked our bike, bought tickets and then strolled inside the fort.

Tipu's summer lodge was the first place we visited. It looked slightly dilapidated and neglected. The rooms were locked and after peeping through the windows of the same we walked ahead to the stepped tank, Amrita Sarovara. Though it is devoid of carvings and architecture, the steps looked beautiful as it goes down to the waters. There is also a small park near the tank. Arkavathy river and Pennar river has its origins in these hills.

From the tank it was a climb up the steps through thick vegetation. Though it was not raining, the effects of monsoon were clearly visible as the place was green, looked fresh and smelled of the earth. The hike took us to the top of the fort which has many elevated resting places. Further up its rocky and there is a temple right on top, the Yoganandeeshwara swamy temple with beautiful carvings and stone works. The authorities have also created a seating area which gives brilliant vistas of the plain below. We found it a bit tough to sit there for long due to the strong cool breeze. However to sit there and stare at the horizon, the blue sky, the grey clouds, the green paddy fields and the greenish brown hills below was truly a surreal experience. To its left there is a small sky walk to help the visitors get a different angle to the vistas. Another interesting point of visit is the Tipu's drop. Tipu Sulthan used to punish his captives to death by pushing them down a 2000 feet drop. Though exciting, it might not be a very safe place to wander around. The edges of the rocks have also been fenced for the safety of tourists. This also gives everyone an opportunity to get close to the fences and gaze at the vistas in oblivion.

There is a restaurant next to the sky walk which faces the plains below. It also provides options for stay. Boghanandeeshwara swamy temple at the base of the hills is another popular point of visit and has numerous visitors during the day. The ride back was equally exciting with winding roads and the cool breeze.

Signing Note- Head up the hill and listen to the chimes of the wind...!!

Route- Bengaluru- Devanahalli- Nandi Hills
Distance- 60 Kms