Family outing to Nadhi-hills

Since for many days, all at home were instating about going to an outing to Nandi hills.
Finally the day has come, on January 26th we had been to Nandi hills.
Nandi hill is located for about 60 kms from Bangalore. A place located at the height of around 4500 ft above the sea level.
Driving till to top in a zigzag road is really a thrilling experience. Before I was ecstatic that if I will drive without any stop or without any fear while driving.
Since it was first time driving in such high place where there are more than 30 curves and some of them are hair pin bend so felt little anxious. Though I looked anxious at first, later I didn't feel nervous or scared, instead enjoyed driving. I felt easy might be because of the road and wall they have built along.
As the top was nearing, we were excited to get down from the car to see the sceneries and views from the top. View from nandi hill is really looks scenic. The breeze air keeps you cool even at sunny day noon. I felt like sitting in an AC room.
It’s little difficult to deal with monkeys there as they have well articulated the art of scaring visitors and snatching food from them easily. One have to be vigilant about monkeys mischievous while eating.
There many people seen holding stick in their hand chasing away monkeys while others eating.
Finally a day to that was to hang out with kids for sometime where kids played and had fun. The place looks neatly maintained.
Kids really enjoyed the day. They danced, had fun with monkeys, played in park, ate and climbed tree like a monkey and even practiced scaling up small slippery steep.
There is a place called Tippu drop, in his regime he used punish criminals by pushing them from this place to down.
It’s also famous as many commit suicide at here. It is said to be that, Tippu used to punish people like those who found to be traitors and criminals. They would push from this height and kill. There is no chance of surviving if someone is pushed down from tippu drop.
There is a temple of deity Narashinha looks like built long ago.
Very well known place to Bangaloriance and for a day trip to have fun.

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Himavad Gopalswamy Betta

Gopalswamy Betta is a place, which is famous for its cool and fog weather.
This high hill place filled with vast greenery around. The cool and fog weather prevails in this place almost in all seasons. Those who visit the place would definitely feel relaxed and fresh. On reaching upon top of the hill, there you get to see series of green and beautiful mountains. One would definitely fall in love with lovely scenes and cool air of this place.
There is a temple of Deity Gopalaswamy. The mist of water always showers inside the temple and the priest sprinkles the water on to devotees.
There a wildlife sanctuary nearby, so group of Elephants would be grazing around, they could even be spotted sometime from the place where temple is located.
Almost everyone who comes here would like to spend as much time as they could but due to security restriction they cannot venture into forest place.
Even at tollgate they check of any eatable if the visitors are carrying which is not allowed. As per the security rule one has to return within 1 hour 30 mins.

It is best to visit the place in the early morning so one could get to see some clouds, feel cool air and flog around.
When we visited it was around 1pm and entirely sunny, but still we felt we were standing in an AC room.
The trilling part was to drive at this place. Though the road is not good it is small but enough walls have been built to avoid any incidents.
Though I was driving uphill for the first time, I did not find it difficult to drive. I was afraid at first but got the confidence and was excited as we slowly moved on.

I could say, one would find it thrilling while driving, find it relaxed, calm and cool once you reach the place.

Badami a place, holding memories of 5th centuries

Badami formally known as Vatapi was the capital of Chalukyas in 5^th and 7^th century.

A very old historical place where one can visit and understand what history says and imagine how it was during those days as a capital city of one of the great ruler’s kingdom.

There are around four caves temples which are sculptured in red rock. Different religion rulers have made their foot prints and presence in the locality.

1^st cave temple has sculptures of Shiva and parvati.

2^nd and 3^rd temples are dedicated to Vishnu and his incarnations

4^rd one has Jainism carvings

There is a pond attached to these caves temples located red rock hill. At the corner of the pond, there are some temples in which one called group of Bhutanath temples locatged they look beautiful from the other corner of the pond where in temple appears like standing in midst of the water.

Though these monuments are thousands of years old, they still look like fresh.

Good that some authorities have taken care to preserve and protect the place now.

Sri Banasankari devi is one of the famous and very old Temple located near Badami.

A big fare will be conducted during January month where thousands of devotees gather to mark the celebration.

Sheep guard's nomadic life

They are sheep guards’, who move from one place to another place along with all their material with the help of horses. They dwell in an open space most of the time in farmer’s fields along with their all sheeps which would be put in a closed net.

Physically they are very strong people who manage all things on a move everyday.

Always ready to deal with nature’s threats like heavy rain, floods and scorching heat.

Even their kids also grow as tuff as nature threats. They negotiate with farmers for their sheeps grazing in farmer’s field and intern they dwell in with sheeps in farmers field, which helps field to get better fertilize.

An Idol procession in village

Above are the pics from an Idol procession where village people carry God Nandi idol in a pallakki (palanquin) going round the village. They also carry Nandi kol (long holy stick) on their head along with procession. A long holy stick to lift on their head, one needs to have enough strength to balance as well as carry on their head.

Each village person contributes their share for the function which would be celebrated as a mark of respect to God Nandi. The procession ends at temple premises with distributing of food/Prasad to everyone.

A trip to Melukote & adi chunchanagiri

Melukote is a historic place. The great guru Ramanujacharya stayed in this place for 14 yrs and has built famous temple called Sri Cheluv Narayanaswamy. Beautiful sculptures of columns and temple structure are really attractive.

There is one more Temple in the top of the hill called Yoga Narashinha swamy. It is said to be constructed in the period of Hoysala. The panorama of surrounding from the top of this temple is really breathtaking.

There are several water ponds in melukote in which one pond called Kalyani is really big and nice one to see to it.

The other two ponds are Akkan Kola (Elder Sister pond) and Thangiy Kola (Younger sister pond). It is very strange to know that the water residing in these two ponds is unlike although both ponds are located very next to each other as Akkan kola water is a salty one and thangiy kola water is sweet one.
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After noon we headed towards Aadhi chunchangiri. Temple Kalabairaveshwara in aadhi chunchanagiri is really a nice temple to visit. This Temple has been built with modern touch and is located on the steep hill. A well maintained place where all kind of facility is made available to devotees including arrangement of Prasad (meal).

Apart from main temple (Kalabairaveshwara) there are other small temples too on the hill going further. One has to be ready to climb steep steps to have a glimpse of panorama from the height. It was really a rare experience of reaching the peek and having a sight of nature's scene.
I suggest those who visit these two places (Melukote and Aadhi chunchangiri) prepare to spend more time.
Though there are more steps to climb as temples are in high hill, going up such a height, believe me one may not feel it difficult and tired. May be the magic of fresh air and the divine power of the place itself would not make you much tired.

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It was in the evening we travelled towards Yedeyuru, another famous holy place on the way.
We still had time in the evening after Yediyuru visit. It was on kid’s insistence we proceeded to Markonahalli Dam.
A small reservoir located few kilometers from the main road. Indeed it was good to experience a real village environment where people were returning home after their cattle feed. A greenery land along the road to reservoir was pleasure to watch.