One day picnic to Antharagange

We received a call from our friends on Friday night at 10:00pm saying we have to go to antharagange tomorrow. We had no proper plan to go out for that weekend hence last weekend we had been to Hampi. So this was the new place we heard about and we decided to go. So morning around 6:00am we left B'lore and headed towards Kolar. It was so chilling ride I swear we were literally shivering. We came to normal condition once we had morning breakfast at hoskote.

Antharagange hill, considered to be the hidden treasure of natural resources, is situated near Kolar, the land of gold. The hill is just a stone’s throw away from Kolar and any season is just fine to visit the place. It is a hill range with huge volcanic rocks and boulders scattered all over. Thorny shrubs cover the hill, while there is dense plantation forest at the base.
Antharagange, enriched with Shola forests, has been attracting tourists from various parts of the country, throughout the year. The region, covered by seven to eight huge hills, is also known for its rich wildlife and biodiversity.


Antharagange water source,temple
Reaching this place is in fact a real good physical exercise as one has to climb thousands of steps. The Kashi Vishweshwara temple, situated on top of the hill, attracts a good number of devotees. Water flowing out of the mouth of a small basava (bull) statue installed beside the temple is considered as the 'prasadam' of Lord Shiva. This water flows into a pond beside the temple.

Flight of steps, halfway the hill leads to an ancient temple. The spring at this temple is claimed to wash off your sins. The forty-five minutes hill climbing will keep you panting for breath and opens up for an extensive and beautiful green plateau on the top. Anthargange is an ideal location for light trek, rock climbing and camping. Big and small boulders have helped to form cave like formations offering exhilarating network of cave exploration activity.
Later we finished Antharagange trip and had lunch and headed towards to nearest place called Kotilingeshwara temple.

Kotilingeshwara temple
Kotilingeshwara is the presiding deity of the temple of the same name in the village of Kammasandra in India. Kammasandra is a small village situated in Kolar district of Karnataka state. It is about five kilometers from Kolar Gold Fields and about 6 Kilometers from Aalamaram. This place has the distinction of having the biggest Shivalinga in the world. The main attraction of this peaceful retreat, which is surrounded by plush greenery, is a huge Shivalinga. Measuring 108 ft (33 m), this shivalinga is tallest of its kind in the world and accompanying it is a 35 ft (11 m) tall Basava, surrounded by lakhs of small shivalingas spread over an area of 15 acres. So far, around 86 lakh shivalingas have been installed. The entire project involves the installation of one crore shivalingas of various sizes, hence the name ‘Kotilingeshwara’

How to reach
B'lore-->KR Puram-->Hoskote-->Kolar-->Antharagange
To Kotilingeshwara
Kolar-->railway crossing-->Bangarpet

Distance
70kms to antharagange 22kms to Kotilingeshwara

Exploring Hampi

Hampi was our long awaited destination and this time we made it without proper plan. We initially thought of going somewhere and end up with visiting Hampi,but I swear the trip was worth. I never seen such an huge heritage empire. The place contains huge rocks everywhere. We spent two days in Hampi and within two days its difficult to cover whole Hampi but somehow we managed.

Origin of Hampi:
The name Hampi is evolved from Pampa, the ancient name of the river Tungabhadra. Also Pampa is the daughter of Bhramha, the Creator God. She was a devoted worshiper of Shiva, the God of Destruction. Impressed by her dedication Shiva offered her a boon and she opted to marry him! The place thus came to be known as Pampakshetra (land of Pampa) and Shiva as Pampapathi (consort of Pampa).
The Hemakuta Hill in Hampi is the place, according to the myth, Shiva did his penance before marrying Pampa. Kama , the God of Love, felt sympathy for Pampa for her love towards Shiva. He disturbed Shiva from his deep meditation. That attracted Shiva’s wrath. Known for his anger, Shiva burned Kama with his third (fiery) eye. Rathi, Goddess of Passion and also Kama’s consort pleaded for mercy with Shiva. Shiva grants Kama’s life back, but only as a character and not as a physical being.
On Shiva’s marriage with Pampa Gods from the heaven showered gold on the place. This hill in Hampi is called Heamakuta, literally means heap of gold.
The places mentioned here has a continuous religious history ever since known timeframe. It just happened that the Vijayanagara Empire came in-between and gone as an episode in Hampi’s long history. Even today the annual ceremonial marriage festival & the betrothal are important festivals in Hampi. With time, Shiva became more popular here as Virupaksha. Virupaksha, an incarnation of Shiva, literally means the one with oblique eye. This refers to the fact that Shiva has three eyes. The third fire eye on his forehead opens when he do the destruction.

Virupaksha temple

Mythology link:

Kishkinda:

Another set of folklores associate the landscape in Hampi with the Hindu epic Ramayana. The monkey kingdom, Kishkinda, is portrayed as the region around Hampi. Anjayaneya Hill, located across the river Tungabhadra, is believed to be the birth place of Hanuman.
Rama and Lakshmana , reaches Hampi in search of his lost wife Sita. On hearing their story Hanuman brings them to Sugreeva. He eventually takes them to a cave and shown them a set of jewels. Rama recognizes them as that of his wife Sita. Sugreeva explains them that Sita dropped them at this site when the demon king Ravana (of Lanka) abducted her on his flying chariot.
Later Rama kills Vali, the rebellious brother of Sugreeva, and installs Sugreeva as the undisputed king of the monkey kingdom. Hanuman offers for help to fly to Lanka. He returns with the news that Sita was indeed in the custody of Ravana. Hanuman offers Rama the help of his monkey army to make a bridge across and attack Lanka. Rain plays the spoil spot and the plan gets postponed till the rains are over. Rama and Lakshmana takes refuge during the rainy season at a nearby hill called Malyavanta. The epic goes on till saving Sita from Lanka and further. What signify are the locations narrated in the epic. The place is treated sacred since it born the footprint of Rama, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Hanuman , who is a loyal follower of Rama is iconic of devotion and valor. Probably Hampi has much more icons of Hanuman than any other gods. Rishimukha Hills where Hanuman met Rama & Lakshmana is a hermitage. The cave where Sugreeva supposedly hide the fallen jewels is on the way to Vittala temple via the riverside ruins. Matunga Hill , name after the sage Matunga ( who cursed Vali with death on stepping to this spot) is the highest spot in Hampi. The hilltop temple dedicated to Rama on the Malyavanta hill is an important pilgrimage and tourist location. A heap of ash hill at a village near the Vittala temple is believed to be that of pyre of Vali.

Stone chariot

History:

The typical version Hampi’s history starts with a popular folklore. Two local chieftains, Hakka & Bukka , reports to their guru an unusual sight they saw during a hunting expedition. A hare chased by their hound suddenly turns courageous and start chasing back the hound.
Vidyaranya, the guru, tells them that the place is so special and asks them to establish theirs local capital at this place. The seed of an empire was sown.
Over the next 200 plus years (1336 AD – 1565 AD) four dynasties ruled Vijayanagar.
History of Vijayanagar’s had been a saga of resistance against the northern Sultanates as well as building of its spectacular capital in Hampi.
The capital was one major trading center. Anything from horses to gems was traded in Hampi. Art and architecture found its special place in Hampi. The rulers were great patrons of art and religion. Most of the kings associated names of their favorite gods with their names.
Some of the kings were renowned for their ambitious projects.
King Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 AD) of the Tuluva Dynasty stands tall among the rest. During his regime the empire saw its peak.
By this time Vijayanagara Empire covered the whole of south India and beyond.
The Krishna Temple that you can visit in Hampi was commissioned by him to commemorate the victory over the Gajapathi kings of Utkala (in present day Orissa state)
.The warring Deccan Sultanates could finally join together to defeat the Vijayanagara army at Talarikota, a place north of Hampi.
Vijayanagar army suffered heavy losses. The capital city was plundered, its population massacred. Treasure hunters ransacked its palaces and temples for months. Kings lost, capital fallen, population fled, Hampi turned into a ghost city. For centuries Hampi remained as a neglected place. This erstwhile metropolitan with more than half a million population slowly turned into a jungle where wild animals roamed freely.
The area came under many kings from time to time with the flow of history. But it was no more considered strategic and hence neglected.
UNESCO’s World Heritage Site was conferred to Hampi in 1986.

Pond

Lotus Mahal,Elephant stable

Vijayanagara Empire

Sangama Dynasty
Harihara Raya I 1336-1356
Bukka Raya I 1356-1377
Harihara Raya II 1377-1404
Virupaksha Raya 1404-1405
Bukka Raya II 1405-1406
Deva Raya I 1406-1422
Ramachandra Raya 1422
Vira Vijaya Bukka Raya 1422-1424
Deva Raya II 1424-1446
Mallikarjuna Raya 1446-1465
Virupaksha Raya II 1465-1485
Praudha Raya 1485

Saluva Dynasty
Saluva Narasimha Deva Raya 1485-1491
Thimma Bhupala 1491
Narasimha Raya II 1491-1505

Tuluva Dynasty
Tuluva Narasa Nayaka 1491-1503
Viranarasimha Raya 1503-1509
Krishna Deva Raya 1509-1529
Achyuta Deva Raya 1529-1542
Sadashiva Raya 1542-1570

Aravidu Dynasty
Aliya Rama Raya 1542-1565
Tirumala Deva Raya 1565-1572
Sriranga I 1572-1586
Venkata II 1586-1614
Sriranga II 1614-1614
Ramadeva 1617-1632
Venkata III 1632-1642
Sriranga III 1642-1646

Vijayanagara Architecture:
Nature is at its bizarre best in Hampi. The manmade things not far behind either. Somehow lunatic landscape of Hampi offered a brilliant background for the Hampi’s architects.
Over the years Vijayanagara (what is now popularly called as Hampi) developed a unique style of architecture, later came to be known aas Vijayanagara Architecture. It borrowed boldly from various schools of architecture prevailed at the time and blended them superbly to make its own style of architecture. For example the ornate temples look more of the Tamil country style. Making their palaces in using the Islamic style architecture was no taboo to the otherwise Hindu kingdom. Some of the beautiful monuments in Hampi are made out of a brilliant mix of the Hindu and Islamic style of architecture, popularly called as the Indo- Sarasanic architecture.
Hampi had one this in abundance, rock. Millions upon millions of boulders shaped the geography of Hampi. And even its history.
By and large Hampi’s architecture falls in three categories: Civil, Military and Religious.
Each of them applied different codes. But there is a common factor among the whole of Hampi’s architecture that projects out as the Vijayanagara School of architecture. While the earlier Vijayanagara style was bold, coarse and plane the later ones were ornate, sophisticated and ambitious in scale.

Architecture of Aquatic Structures :
Known for its peculiarities, Vijayanagara architecture stands out even in its aquatic/irrigation structures. The remains of a giant aqueduct (Bukka’s aqueduct) located in Anegondi (Virupapur Gadde area) can offer you the scale and ambition of such projects.
You can reach here by taking a coracle ferry from near Virupaksha Temple followed by a short trek. Also the main road that goes towards Koppal from Anegondi (via the popular hill top Hanuman temple) passes adjacent to this.
In any case this less frequented by visitors stands in contrast among a cluster of tiny hamlets as a giant monument. Many meters above the ground level, it's not known how water was fed to the top of this aqueduct. Probably water from the river below was manually fed to it during its operational days.
Many pillars support the top portion that carried the water duct. Thanks to its style of construction, from a distance the aqueduct would look like a ruined bridge. Huge blocks of dressed rectangular granite was used the make the pillars and the top structure. Larger blocks were used at the lower levels and the block size gradually reduces as it goes up, a typical of Vijayanagara style architecture. This was advantages both for structural stability & constructional efficiency.
It's possible that the top duct (now missing) portion was made of brick and plastered with lime mortar, or installed with rows of ducts chiseled out of long granite boulders.
The next place to see a plethora of waterworks is the Royal Center Area. The Octagonal Water Pavilion, protruding to the main road, probably contained some sort of a water fountain. One of the best-preserved aqueducts can be seen inside the Royal Enclosure. Chiseled out of long slender boulders and supported by granite pillars, they were used to feed the many tanks in side the enclosure.
The chain of aqueducts was used to bring water from the Kamalapura Tank and feed the tanks and wells in the enclosure.One of the main branches of this aqueduct supplied water to the geometrically thrilling Stepped Tank within this area. In fact the very discovery of the Stepped Tank was due to this branch of aqueduct leading to particularly nowhere. The archeologists dug the ground at its end point and the tank emerged.
Radically different from the rest of tank constructions in Hampi, the Stepped Tank is made of made of finely finished black schist stone blocks. It seems the tank was made elsewhere and later brought and assembled at its current location. Practically every stone is earmarked for this purpose and some bears even 'sketches' by its architects. The purpose of this tank is not very sure, mostly it was used during the religious ceremonies by the royals.
Two bathing pavilions of the Royal Center - the Queen's Bath & the Octagonal Bath - are popular for its architectural merits.
The Queens bath is a plain looking building from outside. But the interior is elaborate with a giant tank at the center and overlooking balconies projecting to the tank. The corridor around with its arches, domes and the protruding balconies makes it look more like to a palatial structure than a bath. A water channel encircling the building acts as the means to feed water as well as a barrier from intrusion.The Octagonal Bath is located near a cluster of palace bases. A large open verandah made of cubical pillars supporting the beams runs around this octagonal tank. A giant octagonal platform with fluted decorations on its vertical faces it is located at the middle.
Another interesting structure is the Stepped Tank (also known as the Courtesan's Well or Soolai Well) of Malapannanagudi, a village on the way to Hampi. The well is constructed with series of steps and arches in the typical Islamic style architecture.
Tanks are an integral part of temple architecture. They served both ceremonial and functional purposes. Most of the temple of Hampi has tanks constructed in its near vicinity. The Manmatha Tank near Virupaksha temple is by and large still functional. Temple tanks of the Krishna Temple and the Vittala Temple have elaborate pavilions attached to it. The central podiums of these tanks were used to place the images of the God & Goddess during the boat festival part of the annual temple celebration.
The temple tank part of the Achyutraya’s temple is a place to observe the tank architecture in its close proximity. The tank is empty and also in a much ruined stage. Nevertheless the Archeological Survey of India is repositioning the scrambled pavilion structures around the tank. On the steps around the tank one can see the chains of carvings, especially that of elephants one following the other. The entrance to the tank is decorated with the typical Vijayanagara style pillars. Friezes of rampant mythical beats and other mythological themes decorate the pillars. This tank also known as Lokapavani tank is located at the end of the Courtesan’s Street, close to the Varaha Temple.

Temple Architecture:
A typical Hindu temple has a cluster of structures with sanctorum as its nucleus. A smaller temple could be a single chambered shrine with the image of the God or Goddess is installed in its sanctum. A large temple can be an elaborate campus with many auxiliary structures within it.
Large Vijayanagara temples are typically enclosed within giant compound walls. Tall pyramidal towers make the gateways to the temple campus. The principle shrine at the center of the campus and the main towered gateway are in the sale axis. Usually this axis is along the East-West direction with the temple facing the east. Immediately around the principle shrines are the auxiliary shrines of the Goddess (typically the consort of the God) and gods of the Hindu pantheon.
For example a temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu would have an image of Vishnu in its main sanctum. Somewhere nearby would be a shrine dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu. It is not unusual to find the shrines of a number of other gods associated with Vishnu.
A very typical example of Vijayanagara (Vijayanagar) style temple architecture is the Virupaksha Temple at the Hampi village. The temple is dedicated to Lord Siva, the god of destruction. Next to the main shrine are the two shrines of Goddesses Pampa and Bhuvaneswari. For majority of their grand temples, Vijayanagara borrowed the Tamil country’s architecture (The Chola’s Architecture) for making its towers. The lower portion is usually made of giant granite blocks with a huge wooden door installed at the centre of it. Either side of the doors is carvings of the doorkeeper deities wielding clubs or other similar weapons. Either sides of the passageway are carved with life-sized nymph figures or images of gods.
The top portion of the pyramidal tower is made of brick & mortar. The exteriors of which is packed with terracotta images of gods, demigods, people, animals and host of other mythological themes. The pinnacle is usually an inverted barrel shaped with two hones projecting on either side. The hones resemble that of cows, a sacred animal in Hinduism, and the tower is thus called Gopuram (the home of cow).
Usually a large elevated hall with porches stands in between the entrance tower mentioned above and the main shrine. These open halls are one of the architectural pieces that best demonstrate the Vijayanagara architectural skills.The hall structure stands on a platform with porches. The platform is typically a few feet tall with fluted sides. Chains of intricate carvings go around the platform. The porches, typically located on all sides, give access to the top of the platform. Granite pillars support the usually flat roof structure. These pillars are carved with rampant Yalis (giant mythical creatures). Generally the Yali pillars seems facing the porch or the central hall portions. The other pillars are carved with images of gods and other mythical themes. Vijayanagara architects succeeded in using these monolithic giant pillars as an integral artistic feature of the architecture than merely as a structural inevitability. Though many large temples in Hampi have them in plenty, the halls of Vittala Temple are the best place to see them in close proximity.
A semi closed small hall called Antarala connects the hall to the sanctum.
Usually large temples would have a large standalone hall, typically like the hall above explained, used for the annual ceremonial wedding of the god and goddess.The long pillared cloisters along the inner side of the compound wall are another typical feature of the Vijayanagara architecture. This was used us a community dining hall and for prayer.
Apart from the above one can find many structures and artifacts like the lamppost, the flag post etc that are of ceremonial and functional significance.
The wide street leading to the temple was used as the chariot street for the annual chariot festival.

TB dam

Places to visit:

Virupaksha Temple
Hampi Bazaar
Matanga Tank & Shrines
Monolithic Bull
Achyuta Raya’s Temple
Courtesan’s Street
Varaha Temple
Chakratirtha
Yantrodhara Anjaneya Temple
Sugreeva’s Cave
Saraswathi Temple 1
Chandikesvara Temple
Uddana Veerabhadra Temple
Krishna Temple
Badavilinga Temple
Lakshmi Narasimha
Hemakuta Temples
Sasivekalu Ganesha
Kadalekalu Ganesha
Vishnupada Shrine
Veerabhadra Temple
Hemakuta Hill
Matunga Hill
Akka Tangi Gundu
Archeological Museum
Band Tower
Basement of Palaces
Bhima’s Gate
Domed Gateway
Elephant Stables
Fortified Walls
Ganagitti Temple
Granaries
Guards' Quarters
Hazara Rama Temple
Horse Stable
Jaina Temple
King's Audience Hall
Large Stone Trough
Lotus Mahal
Mahanavami Dibba
Malayavanta Raghunatha Temple
Malyavanta Hill
Mohammadan Watch Tower
Mosque
Noblemen's Quarters
Octagonal Bath
Octagonal Water Pavilion
Palace of Krishna Devaraya
Palace of Vira Harihara
Pan Supari Bazaar
Parshwanatha Temple
Pattabhi Rama Temple
Pattanada Yellamma Temple
Public Bath
Queen's Bath
Ranga Temple
Royal Enclosure
Srinagarada Hebbagilu
Stepped Tank
Stone Door
Tenali Rama Pavilion
Treasury Building
Underground Chamber
Underground Siva Temple
Watch Towers
Water Pavilion
Water Tank

How to reach:
By bus/train/vehicle via Tumkur-->Chitrdurga-->Hospet
Distance
350kms from B'lore

One day trek to Nijagal betta and Devarayana Durga

We decided to go for one weekend trekking this time. So my friend Naveen forwarded the link on, the place called Nijagal betta..So on Sunday we decided to go and started at around 6:30am from JP nagar,we 6 ppl with 3 bikes headed towards Nijagal betta..We went by NICE road..it was chilling weather in the morning with the cold breeze blowing. When we crossed half way we got to see sunrise. We knew Tumkur highway is always busy with trucks..somehow we managed to overtake the trucks and reached one small city. We had thatte idli and tea there as a morning breakfast and continued our journey. Reached dabaspet at around 8.30am and went further away and stopped our vehicle near to Reliance petrol pump and started walking towards the betta.

Sunrise and reuined temple at Nijagal

About the destination:

Nijagal Betta is not popular, it’s got a Dargha on top with a temple in ruins at the base and a twin-kalyani. The climb to the top was not tiring at all.

Nijagal Betta is a hillock of ruined temples, forts, caves and striking rock formations. However, much of all this, save for a portion of the fort wall, is not visible from the road. It’s believed that Hyder Ali and Peshwa Madhav Rao fought a war here.

Though the hill is accessible from a nearby village, the nearest path is from the highway.

But the path becomes rocky as you climb, thus giving a better foothold.

can see NH-4 and Mysore railway track,Carving of Hanuman
Half way up the hill, the two outer layers of the fort come into view. The fort is believed to have been built by Chikkadevaraya Wadiyar in the mid-17th century.

There are plenty of abandoned structures worth exploring. The path has many sculptors from the Hoysala period and also has rock etchings that appear to be pre-historic, but this hasn’t been authenticated.

This path finally leads to a set of adjacent caves that nestle a small Sri Siddeshwara (Shiva shrine) and Dargah, which are popular among local villagers.

We finished our Nijagal trekking by 10.30am and we had enough time so we thought of visiting Devarayana durga which is the nearest fort.

Located 80 Kms from Bangalore (Bengaluru) on the way to Tumkur, this beautiful countryside of Devarayana Durga is dotted with hill top temples and is an ideal place for trekking.

Yoga Narasimha Swami Temple: The temple, built in the dravidian style of architecture, faces east and is said to have been constructed by Kanthirava Narasaraja I. From the inscriptions numbered Tumkur 41 and 42, we learn that the enclosure and tower were repaired in 1858 by the Mysore king Krishnaraja Wodeyar III.

Outside the temple is a small pond and beside that is the way to go right to the top of the hills. We ventured on the pathways, no steps here and went towards the top, we had to navigate through some rocks, narrow pathways before reaching the top. The top of the hill has some building structure which I am unable to say what.
It looks like a place where the person keeping watch would rest.

Yoga narasimha temple,Devarayana durga
This place offered splendid view of the places around and it was quite a wonderful experience to be able to stand there with the cold breeze blowing. It took me to a totally different world all together. It was an experience which cannot be put down in words. People say what do you get by going up the hills, I say you have to climb one and see the view from the top to really understand the true feeling.

How to reach:

Tumkur Highway(NH-4)-->Dabbaspett-->Reliance Petrol pump(opp)

Distance

80kms from B'lore

One day trek to Savanadurga

The Story:

Savandurga is a large monolithic rock which is located 60 km west of Bangalore (Karnataka, India) off the Magadi road.The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level.

Savandurga is formed by two hills known locally as Karigudda (black hill) and Biligudda (white hill). The earliest record of the name of the hill is from 1340 AD by Hoysala Ballala III from Madabalu where it is called Savandi. Another view is that the name is originated from Samantadurga attributed to a Samantharaya, a governor under Ahchutaraya at Magadi, although there is no inscription confirming this. This was the secondary capital of the Magadi rulers such as Kempegowda. from 1638 to 1728, Mysore took over this place and Dalavayi Devaraja occupied this place with the palace at Nelapattana. In 1792 Lord Cornwallis captured it from Tippu Sultan and this was described by Colonel Wilks. Robert Home in his Select views in Mysore (1794) shows distant views of the hill from Bangalore. He called it Savinadurga or the fort of death. There were no steps to reach the hill.

Savanadurga also called as Savinadurga(death of fort) We got to know the truth behind that name when we climbing the rock,one false step could have meant a downward plunge,

huge rock,first fort

Our Journey:

We left bangalore at sharp 6.00am and reached the rock around 7:45am. The climate was cool that time. We couldn't have morning breakfast and decided to finish our trek in empty stomach..We started at a brisk pace climbing the monstrous rock, but had to slow down in few places. At some places, the rock slants upwards at an angle of 70 degrees and the ascent is difficult. If you are scared of heights, then do not look down! You might not continue upwards and may feel like descending immediately.

View of reservoir,Temple located at the peak,scenic view from the top

To simplfy the way, somebody has been marked by arrows on the rocks using white paint..The other way is to follow the foot holds carved on the ground and the electric lines overhead. It took us right to the top, in few hours..We had to watch carefully where we treaded. Savandurga is pretty steep in some places, so be prepared to push your physical fitness. To inspire us three dogs accompanied us from the base of the rock. Some how one stopped in middle but remaining two were there till we finish ascending...One dog was so loyal to us,even it was with us till we reach the base of the rock. It was stopping if we had to stop in between. We were calling it as fandu ;)

According to the villagers one could finish climbing by three hours but we finished within 1:30hours.The way down would be a lot faster, but be careful that you don't slip. Also try as much as possible to climb on two feet rather than go down on all fours.

Fandu is resting,we sat for a while in another fort

How to reach:

Bangalore-->Magadi-->towards Ramanagaram-->Savandurga

Distance:Nearly 70kms

Melukote

Yoganarasimha and Cheluvaraya swami temple
This was our long awaited and pending picnic from past few months. We thought of going on May end but somehow it got delayed. Anyways we could make it this time. It was 25th Jul we experienced series bomb blasts in B'lore city. SO we thought of postponing our picnic this time,so we mailed each other and dropped the plan. So after going to home according to the news,we got to know that those bombs were low intensity and couldn't cause much damage and public no need to worry. This was the boosting statements for us and we again decided to stick to our plans. So we have planned to start at 6:30am.
Me Naveen,Praveen,Shyam,Avi,Abhi we six left with three pulsar bikes. Since we left early there was not much traffic and once we got Mysore highway it was traffic free road. May be ppl were scared to comeout due to blasts. We reached chennapattna and then Mandya,took the divertion from there and headed to Melukote temple. The farmers are growing sugarcanes there and making jaggery. We could savour the smell of jaggery,so nice it was. When we reached Melukote it was started drizzling. We reached the foot of the hill,left our bikes and shoes there and started to climb the steps. I think the temple has got nearly 1000 steps. The God Yoganarasimha on the top of the hill. The temples are 900 years old and are very beautiful with carvings around the temple.
At the foot of the temple there is a lake called Kalyani kere. Which is very huge and beautiful. I really getting angry on uncultured ppl who making it dirty by writing their names and their lovers name.

Kalyani kere
Later we visited Cheluvaraya swami temple which is also beautiful one. There, one of an Iyengar who was marketing his puliyogare. I heard about it so we thought we could taste it. It was amazing and really tasty one. So we planned to pack it for us and visit the Rayagopura and Akka thangi Kola.

Rayagopura
Rayagopura became famous now a days after shooting Barso re song from Guru. This is a nice monument with carvings. The below Rayagopura there is two lakes called Akka and thanki kere. Thangi kere water is sweet and Akka kere salty. We had our puliyogare there and had sweet pongal too. We could see chariot of Chelvaraya temple were pulled by devotees. We again came back to puliyogare hut and had sweet pongal. Now we thought of going to Thonnur kere and later Srirangapattana. So we started our bike and headed towards Jakkahalli and from there to pandavapura. So we reached near to thonnur kere and walked for a while to reach the top.


Thonnur kere
The lake was too huge and beautiful. Looks very deep too. It was already 3.00pm so we dropped our plans to Srirangapattana and headed back to B'lore. While we were back it was very cloudy and started to pour. So we stopped in Mandya and had a cup of tea and Maddur vada and continued and reached B'lore by 6:30pm.
What is the story:
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Due to incessant wars between native Hindu kings and invading Muslims the place got ruined. The main deity Cheluvanarayana got buried under the ruins. The Utsavamurthy was however taken away to Delhi, along with the other riches of the temple, by the king Mohammed Badshah.

Sri Ramanuja (born in 1017AD) was camping in Thondanur for propogating Srivaishnavism due to the strong influence of Jainism in the region then. He brought many people into the folds of Srivaishnavism including King Vishnuvardhana. One night, Ramanuja dreamt of Lord Cheluvanarayana beckoning him to unearth the Vishnu idol from the ruins, in a nearby place. With the help of King Vishnuvardhana and his army, Ramanuja arrived in Yadavadri in 1099, and dug up the idol of Cheluvanarayana and reinstalled the Lord in a newly constructed temple. He also established regular prayers and processes for the Lord. From then, the place gained the name "Yathishaila" (Saint Hill).
Once the main deity was established, Ramanuja felt the need for a utsavamurthy in the temple. Again Lord Cheluvanarayana informed in a dream that the temple’s utsavamurthy was available in Delhi in the palace of the king. In spite of his old age, Ramanuja immediately travelled to Delhi and approached the king with all his radiance and charm. He requested the king for the return of the idol of his dreams. The muslim king, who was highly impressed by Ramanuja’s power and devotion agreed to return the idol. The idol however was in possession of the young princess who was deeply attached to its beauty. The princess agreed to hand over the idol to Ramanuja with great difficulty. Ramanuja accepted the idol and started on his return journey to Melkote. The princess who could not bear the separation followed the idol with Ramanuja to Melkote. Even today, there is a small idol of the princess at the feet of Ramapriya in her memory and is identified as "Bibi Nacchiar" (Muslim Angel).
Today, Melkote (known as Thirunarayanpuram among Srivaishnavas) is one of the four most sacred centres of Srivaishnavism in South India, the others being Sriranagam, Thirumalai and Kanchipuram. Ramanujacharya composed the following chant (shloka) in recognition of the places,
The main deity in Srirangam is in a sleeping posture and hence the place is called "Bhoga Mantapam" (House of relaxation). Thirumalai is called "Pushpa Mantapam" (House of flowers) as the deity is always decorated with flowers. Kanchipuram is known as "Thyaga Mantapam" (House of relinquishment) as the main deity bestows the devotees. Thirunarayanapuram is known as "Gnana Mantapam" (House of Knowledge) as the main deity radiates knowledge.

Lord Narasimha Temple:
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Temple of Lord Narasimha on top of the hill is one of the oldest temples in the area. It is a picturesque view from the temple. On a clear day visitors have sighted Sri Gomateswara statue of Sravanabelagola from the roof of the Lord Narasimha temple. The cave below the temple commonly known as "Bilswarga" is an extraordinary cave that goes right under Lord Narasimha's idol. It is a challenging trip down the cave with very tight spaces.

Others:
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Dont miss the Puliyogare and sweet pongal of Iyengars. You can try curdrice as well which is really delicious.

Nandi hills

Nandi hills

We have planned to go to nandi hills on friday and decided to start saturday(5Jul08) early morning to see the sunrise,contacted all our picnic buddies but many people busy on saturday. So we four only decided to go by Pulsar 180 and 150. It was a amazing and thrilling picnic,we started from BTM around 4am in the morning and reached there around 5:30am. We never started so early before to any places from B'lore (but I do remember that we had started at 2:00am to Jog falls once when I was in Udupi).It was a nice chilling ride in NH-7. It was cloudy and full of mist,one cant makeout the road more than 10mtrs. We started so early because we wanted to see the sunrise. So we reached there around 5:30am and we could wait for a while since they only opens the gate after 6:00am. So we took few snaps there. It was drizzling at that time.Waw so romantic atmosphere,we could see couples going around by holding their hands ;) So we went inside after taking the tickets,We had a nice time pass there and crazy moment was we had Amul forstick in that chilling climate..Saw the tippu drop and waited for sunrise. We couldn't got to see proper sunrise but our journey was worth to be frank. Sun was playing around and hiding behind clouds always.

The morning beauty of Nandi hills

After we finished enjoying the nature we came down and decided to move back. We didnt have our breakfast yet. So thought of having breakfast somewhere,it was already 9am. So we started our bikes and reached the the Nandi town. So now we thought of visiting bhoga narasimha temple. What next?? our bikes already headed towards the temple road...Its a historical temple and huge one too.

Bhoga narasimha temple and Shringi kere
We went inside and prayed to God. One could see nice carvings so attractive. We saw the lake called Shringi theertha were monkeys swimming. Amazing,I never saw it before..they are putting dive too. After that we had a breakfast and We started back and reached back to B'lore at 12:30pm. Thanks to Shyam,Naveen,Sathya who made it to happen.

Few things about Nandi Hills:

This range of craggy hills (the highest peak being 1,478 m) holds the shimmering Amrita Sarovar Lake and offers walks of sylvan beauty. A popular health resort today, it was also the place Tipu Sultan and assorted royalty retired when they sought to escape the din of battle and the heat of the plains.
The hills are located about 60km north of Bangalore and about 3940 ft above sea level. The deviation road at Oordagere on the Bangalore-Tumkur Road can reach it. On the top of the hill, there are temples dedicated to Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha. On the lower hill there is a temple dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha. There is a Traveler's Bungalow and a Kalyana Mantap on the top of the hill and a Forest Lodge and Taluk Board T.B. at the foot of the hill.
A flight of 1,175 steps leads from the base of the hills to the top. On top was Tipu Sultan's summer retreat and the remains of Tipu's fort bear this out. Tipu's Drop, a 600 metre high cliff face, where prisoners were hurled down the precipice, is an awe-inspiring sight.
Sir Mark Cubbon, when he was Commissioner of Bangalore made this his summer residence. Mahatma Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Queen Elizabeth II were among the other dignitaries who enjoyed their stay here. More recently, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and the SAARC delegates chose this spot for a retreat after their international deliberations.
You can visit this place at any time of the year. Its best if you are on top of the hill before sunrise. The wind, fog and clouds that blow towards you in the morning is just amazing. To be on top of the hill by 5:30 AM, you need to leave bangalore at around 4 AM. If you are not sure about the route, leave even earlier.

Bangalore to Nandi Hills directions-> From Hebbal flyover take NH7 and then turn right to Devanahalli after about 30 km.From there go till BIAL airport and then take a left diversion at the entry of Chikballapur.The left diversion is too easy to miss since there is no signboard in English.Look out for mount view resorts board .Only when you turn left there is a board ten meters ahead which says Nandi Hills 22 Km.
See
• Tippus Drop the place from where Tippu made his prisoners fall .
• Tippus Summer Residence a beautiful palace on top of this hill. This palace is closed to the general public .
• Temples There are temples dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha, Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha .
• Rivers The rivers Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate from these hills.Most of the sources have dried up .
• Brahmashram It is said that Sage Ramakrishna Paramhamsa meditated here.Its a cool cave .
• Nandi At the foot of Nandi Hills is this place with "Bhoganandishwaraswamy Temple",it is a Wonderful Place.(A Must visit)
• Muddenahalli The home town of Sri M.Visveswaraya, the architect of modern Karnataka. Muddenahalli is just a few Kilometers from Nandi Hills. The house of this genius is now a museum.(A Must visit)
• Paapagni The Panchanandikshtra. Visit it is Only 3kms from Chikballapur. (A Must visit)
• Chikballapur Sri M.Visveswaraya done his school Days in this place.And Also visit SSS Temple (Sri Shirdi Sai Baba, Sri Subramanya, Sri Shanimahaathma Temple ), H.S. Garden, Chikballapur.

Shivagange

The entrance and scenic view from top
The hillock has few temples atop and a statue of Nandi carved out of single stone is a beauty. It is about two kilometers from the bottom of the hillock where there is a village to the top of the hill. There are many temples all along the way.

Nandi
This place is also called as "Dakshina Kaashi" - Kaashi/Varanasi of South India. One strange happening here in Shivagange is, if you do an 'abhishek' of 'ghee' in the temple, the same ghee turns in to 'butter'.
Other places one can visit in the same hill -

* Pathala gange -a a belowground spring, where water level goes down during rainy season and increases during summer!!
* Olakal teertha -- (Olakal = (in Kannada) manual wet-grinder, manual means one has to rotate the top oval shaped stone mannually).
* Nandi on top of the hill
* Shantala drop
* Veerabhadreshwara temple
Other nearest place: Devarayana Durga
The places is mostly crowded all the time. At the same time it because of this number one can find the place very much dirty and full of garbage, plastic being thrown everywhere. Adding to this the shops over here sell water and other beverages in plastic sachets. The monkeys make you scary,they will just attack you if you didn't do anything to stop them. Better hold one stick while going.
Total distance:60kms from B'lore
The route:B'lore-->Tumkur highway(NH-4)-->Dabaspet-->Shivagange