Savandurga Hill : A trekking memory to behold for life

Bike Ride to Savandurga Hill 

If you ever find yourself somewhere near Bangalore and happen to be looking for some adventure, then Savandurga hill is the right place. Located in the , the view is breath taking throughout. Once you reach the top the clouds seem to drift in and out of your hands’ reach. The best part- you have to trek your way to the top.

It is advisable to start the journey early in the morning, as one can connect with the nature, prepare for the trek ahead and avoid the traffic. As you are planning to scale one of the largest monolith hill in Asia, wearing sandals and slippers is one of the greatest mistakes you may commit. So those long forgotten shoes lying in some corner of your closet can be of great help here. Plus carrying a few extra water bottles, snacks and a medical kit is never a bad idea. Since the region hasn’t been much played with by human hands, make sure to carry an extra poly-bag to bring the waste back. If you are planning to go via Bangalore Mysore highway then be ready to shell out more time of your schedule as the progress for the metro line is in full swing. Sundays, especially, can prove to be highly troublesome on this route as people generally commute to Mysore on Sundays.

Journey to Savandurga

If you happen to be Mario, then the 25 km stretch from Bangalore to Hejjala cross is going to take less than hour to travel. However for non-Mario’s, it is going to take longer than that. From Hejjala cross turn left towards Kempadyapanahalli. On the way, all the chai lovers can stop for a moment to catch their breath at the local roadside tea stalls. En-route, also savour finger licking tatta idly with spicy chutney and sambarat Chikkanahalli Village.

A few more kilometres away is the Manchabele dam. Undoubtedly, with its phenomenal view it is a popular tourist destination and makes for an awesome back drop for pictures (and of course, desktop profiles.) If you have a 9 to 6 behind the desk job, then the scenery ahead is bound to fill you with peace and serenity. The journey henceforth is drenched in greenery and if you are lucky, you may even spot the endangered yellow throated bulbul ,native to this place, on the way. Ponds and valleys all along the way are treat to eyes and soul

The rest of the journey, till the Savandurga hill, is going to be quite uneventful unless a leopard from the adjoining forest plans to pay you a visit. So once you finally reach the foot of the hill, the trek might appear to be an easy one. Quite the contrary, the rocks are slippery and there is no support to climb the hill. Amateurs usually take each others help to complete the trek. The simplest way up is marked with yellow paint. The way to the top is full of up and downs and is bound to give you adrenaline rush. Some may find the trekking a huge feat to accomplish considering the fact that the trekking level increases with height and one may have to spider crawl at times, but at the top the view is totally worth it.

Destination

The clouds seem to be literally within grasp and make you feel at the seventh cloud. Moreover there are water bodies at the top which used to cater to the needs of anow dilapidated kempegowdafort. To sum up, the remains of the fort just under the roof of the clouds with the whole world appearing to be below your feet makes a great memory and experience. The moments spent here will be cherished by you and your companions.

Now comes the easiest and the most dangerous part of the journey- climbing down. One wrong step can cost you anywhere between a bruise or a few bones considering the slippery nature of the rocks. So take your time to enjoy the view and climb down.  

One can also spend the night camping at the hill itself . Several people can be found staying in tents along the way. There are villagers selling juice and tea along the way, however other essentials need to be taken before hand.

There is also a temple on the top of the hills as well as in the parking lot, the latter one being of Lord Shiva.

Eventually you will realise that Savandurga is not just a hill but also an incredible experience. The adventure seeking person in you will be overjoyed to trek through the natural terrains. Reaching the temple at the top, after a tiring day of trekking, will not only bring you a sense of accomplishment but also peace to you and your holy being. The nature lover in you will be perplexed by views and vistas of valleys and sparkling blue pools and puddles.

Savandurga is a complete food for soul - made with a pinch of history and royalty at the kempegowda fort, a spoonful of holiness at the temple, mixed with lots of adventure and eventually dipped in nature.

The memories of a trip to Savandurga will linger on forever. Believe me it is a once in a lifetime experience! 

A Car Trip To Shivaganga Hills

Shivaganga is a mountain peak with a height of 804.8 meters or 2640.3 feet. It is the Hindu pilgrimage center located near Dobbaspet, in Bengaluru Rural district India. It is situated 19 km from the town of Tumakuru and 54 km from Bengaluru. The sacred mountain is shaped as a shivalinga and a spring flows near locally called "Ganga", and this is why this place is named as Shivanganga hills. You can find two temples inside the cave of Shivaganga, which are Sri Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple and Sri Honnammadevi Temple. I wanted to travel to the hills with my friends and family and carry on the trip. 

Here I am going to share my own experience to the Shivaganga hills. 

Around 12 pm, we have started from Koramangala. The distance from Koramangala to Shivaganga hills is 60 KM. We took roadway to reach the Shivaganga hills. We took a car for our exciting and stunning trip. We were driving down to reach the Shivaganga hills. Be it the distance from koramangala to Shivaganga is 60 km, we have decided to take lunch on the way near Neelamangala. We got into the Desi Dhaba of Neelamangala for our lunch. We were again started to drive towards Shivaganga hills and we have reached the base camp at around 4 pm.

Car can be driven until the base camp, so we have parked our car at the base camp. The car parking charge was 15 in the base camp. We left our unwanted possessions inside the car. We took the dharshan of Nandi at the base camp. After devoting Nandi, we started trekking and reached on the river start area around 5 pm and we took the dharshan there. We took dharshan in the two temples on the cave. After our dharshan, we immediately started our journey to reach down.

Around 5.45 pm we have reached to the base camp. We spent 15 minutes to start to home. We took our car from parking and we were checking our bearings inside our car. Yes, we were checking all our bearings are safe inside our car or not. After ensuring everything, we have started to home at 6 pm. We knew that driving down to home will take some more time, so we have decided to have tea first for refreshing ourselves. On the way to home, we stopped at a tea shop and had tea.

Again, we started driving to our home. On the way back to our home, we felt hungry, so we have decided to finish our dinner too. We have stopped at a hotel on the way to our home, took dosa there. After finishing our dinner, we started to drive down to our home. The road from the Shivaganga hills to our home was smooth and nice, so that we could able to drive with no ups and downs. Because of the reliable and nice road, we have got back to our home at around 8.30 pm. The overall journey to Shivaganga hills was a nice experience. 

Thottikallu Waterfall

Road Trip To Thottikallu Waterfall 

There are several waterfalls around you and its look more beautiful in the monsoon. So today we are visiting one of kind waterfall called Thottikallu fall located nearby 40 km from city Bangalore. If you staying in Bangalore then 40 km distance is not much far, So we decided to go on the bike.

In The Journey

We started our journey at 10 am from Koramangala towards Kanakpura road. Because of Sunday, less traffic was on road. We stopped near Yelachenahalli metro station for a breakfast. After having a couple of idli’s and chutney we continue our journey towards Thottikallu fall. Now distance was just a 15 km. Shower also started. We crossed the NICE road flyover and get a chance to enjoy the bike ride from the traffic of Bangalore. The road condition is pretty good and you can see the Art of Living ashram on our right side. After a few kilometers, we took a left turn to Thottikallu. It is a single road but in condition is good. On the way, we can experience the beauty of villages fully green farm both side and small homes inside it. The road is very safe and we see the number bike going towards the waterfall. Distance from the main road (Kanakpur road) is nearby 7 km only. Finally, we reached to our destination at 11:30 am and we have seen bikes and cars parked beside the road. We also park our bikes at the same place and one villager told us not to park here because it is not safe, some people are stolen petrol and helmets so instead of the park here go to just 100 meters ahead of where you will get paid parking which is safe.

At The Thottikallu Fall

We parked our vehicles in a paid parking area with the parking fees Rs 30 per bike. I asked security person where is the waterfall and he replied in Kannada “ Mundde left” means go ahead and take left. After 4-5 minutes walk, we have seen many people including corporate team, families, college students going that way. Now rain also taking a speed and we reach our destination. There was a one small historically pond with overflowing and some people taking photos and selfies inside the pond. One small wall inside the pond so you can easily cross the pond and go another side where a small temple was there. After taking photos and selfies we proceed to waterfall. 

Enjoy The Place

We’ve arrived at the beautiful Thottikallu waterfall. The water is falling from the height of 50 meters approx. People are standing down and enjoy the bath under the waterfall. We are waiting to get a chance go under the waterfall for photos but the already huge crowd was there. After some time we go and stand under the waterfall and enjoying the bath and shower. Some people are having fun above the waterfall. God’s only know how they reached there? Now we got the path to climb the hill and reach on the roof the of the waterfall. The place is like plain ground full of rock. The place is very beautiful but that much slippy. After spending some time and some photoshoot we left the or parking area. The route is very difficult to climb and more difficult to descend.

When Leaving From The Waterfall

Now the time is 1:00 pm and its time to have a tasty lunch. On the way to Bangalore, there are lots of dhabas where you can enjoy the authentic south Indian food. After finishing lunch we left to Koramangala. Rain also stop now and riding in pretty weather is another wonderful experience. We reached home around 5:00 pm.

It is an amazing experience to visit Thottikallu Fall in the rainy season. Finally, I can say its a good place for a one-day bike trip near Bangalore. 

Muthyala Maduvu Waterfall

One Day Bike Trip to Wonderfull Muthyala Maduvu Waterfall

Have you decided to take an off-road adventure? Is bike riding your passion? If your hometown is in Bangalore, you need not worry about which is the best choice to take a long ride for a distance of near about 50 km. We made a plan for a road trip to Muthyala Maduvu waterfall which is only 40 km away from the Electronic city. So, you may also opt for this plan if you want to take some adventurous road trip on your bike.

The Ride


Just because the distance of this waterfall from the city is 40 km we planned to go on the bike only. So, we left for the trip around 3 in the afternoon after completing our lunch. This waterfall is located near Anekal. We started our ride towards Hosur on NH7, then turned right from Chandrapura and went straight to Anekal. In between towards Anekal we stopped and purchased a bottle of water. You can find many dhabas beside the roads where you can have a break for a while if you get tired of riding. We reached there in an hour. There is no problem with parking two-wheelers. We parked our bike and had to take about 100 stairs where actually the waterfall is located. 

The Place and the Beauty of it

Muthyala Maduvu is also known as Pearl Valley. It is one of the most famous spots for a half day trip. It is also a wonderful picnic spot as this waterfall is situated in the midst of hills. Here the water falls from a height of over 100 ft. which has made the surrounding more beautiful. There is also an option to take a dive in the crystal clear water of this waterfall.

There are also a few resorts cum restaurants beside this valley. One of the nearby and popular restaurants is the KSTDC restaurant. It is truly awesome as it’s a hanging restaurant in the valley. This restaurant is totally open where a foodie can enjoy his or her dish in the open nature. There we had some tea and pakoras and spent some quality time in the lap of the affectionate nature. The best time to visit this place is in monsoons in between August to November. Otherwise without monsoon season lack of water in the pond can prove to be a wastage for your visit. Even a snake park beside this waterfall has been added to add some more fun moments. This place can be loved by kids more. 

The Journey Back

After spending a couple of hours there, we left for home from Muthyala around 6 pm in the evening. We reached our locality, Koramangala near about 7.30 pm as we had to take breaks in between our rides due to heavy rain.

The place was, in fact, a treat for the eyes because of this monsoon weather and heavy rains. Do visit this place once if you are staying in Bangalore. And a small advice people who stary near Electronic city does not miss to look over this spot, otherwise, it will b a great loss indeed.