Nandi Hills Early Morning Ride

Nandi Hills :

To start off , Let us know the history of Nandi Hills . Nandi Hills is an ancient hill fortress in southern India, in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is approximately 60 km from the city of Bangalore . The hills are nestled between the neighboring towns of Nandi, Muddenahalli and Kanivenarayanapura . 

There are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Ananda Giri meaning The Hill of Happiness. Nandi is also commonly called Nandidurga (Fort) because of the fort build here by the ruler Tippu Sultan. It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hill resembles a sleeping bull (Nandi).  Another theory holds that the hill gets its name from an ancient, 1300 year old Dravidian style Nandi temple situated on this hill. An ancient, lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill. The Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple in Nandi village is one of the oldest temples in Karnataka dating back to the ninth century.  

Nandi Hills offers a surprise of breathtaking scenic beauty and excellent climatic condition. Situated in the Chikkaballapur Taluk of Kolar District in Karnataka, Nandi Hills, at the height of 4851 feet above sea level is, the most popular picnic spot. Tippus Summer Residence also known as Tashk-e-Jannat (Heaven’s Envy) a beautiful palace resembling the Dariya Daulat at Srirangapatna was built in 1791 on top of this hill. The fort covers a huge area of 90 acres and is above 4,851 feet above sea level .

                                       

We started from Bangalore around 4:30 AM and we reached Nandhi hills around 6:00 including pit stops at view points on the way . The plantation and landscape of the place is beautiful. You can walk in Nandhi hills and explore the place and time will pass by. Bamboo lookouts are one beautiful thing of this place, though they are considered abandoned. After a nice 5 hours in nandi , we headed back towards Bangalore

Amrutha Sarovara is a lake formed by the water-lets flowing from the hills. It has clear cooling water with does not dry throughout the year .

Route :
From Bangalore catch airport road , reach Devanahalli cross which is on the Hyderabad highway . Take the deviation on the left and travel  23 kilometers to reach Nandi Hills . 

Timings 
Nandi hills is open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m . 

Reach there before 5 AM to see the sunrise and to feel the cold. Such a calm and neat place. Best for bike riders for a early morning ride .  Good road with less traffic. You can enjoy the ride . Good place for relaxation but can be experienced on week days only. Weekends would be crowded. Don't carry any eatables with you as monkeys will snatch it from you. Never dare to visit on public holidays as traffic jam there will not let you reach hilltop. Early morning is the idle time to visit. whether you opt for a quick tour from bangalore , Nandhi Hills is well worth for an half day early morning trip . 

Have a safe journey .!!