Nandi Hills Attractions

Nandi Giri watered by Arakavati, Pennar and Palar River, is in Bangalore’s backyard, north of Doddaballapur in Kolar.

Nandi Hills is a craggy range squatting obstinately on the absolutely flat surrounding plains just outside Bangalore. These are not gently rolling hills but a giant 2,000 ft granite monolith towering over you that seems to appear from nowhere. The effect is megical.

The hills get their name from the beautiful statue of Nandi standing guard outside the yoganandeeshwaran Temple atop the hills. Elsewhere peaks give birth to the rivers Arakavati, Pennar and Palar. Nandi Hills has for long attracted a loyal following among royalty and commoners alike. Tipu Sultan, who ruled Mysore in the late 18th century, came here to recover from the din of battle. Nandi Hills and made it his summer haven. The Brits took over Nandi Hills, looking for the salubrious climate of their homeland. Sir Mark Cubbon, former commissioner of Bangalore, made it his official summer residence. Many bungalows the Brits built still pepper the hills, Dignitaries, including Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Queen Elizabeth have since visited. The point of all this name-dropping is that with cobbled paths leadingup to hills full of birdsong, Nandi Hills is a good getaway for you and your family too.

Reaching the top is easy as there’s a good, motorable road going all the way up. If you are in need of a drastic workout, take the steep flight of 1,175 steps from the base of the hills to the top. Nandi Hills is the place where laziness can be perfected into an art from. The most strenuous activities here are long ambles along the walkways meandering along the hills.

Tipu’s Drop

Tipu’s Drop a near 2,000 ft-high sheer cliff has a gory past. It is the place form where convicted prisoners would be hurled to their death by Tipu Sultan’s decree.

If you want to get the best out of Tipu’s Drop wait until the last tour bus departs with its cargo of noisy day-tippers. Then watch the dusk paint the horizon in vibrant colours. As the dusk melts, the light of Bangalore becomes visible in the distance. The city spearkles beneath you like a giant rangoli decorated with diyas.

Yoganandeeshwara Temple

This temple the abode of Shiva the ascetic at the top of the hills was built by the cholas. The tow dwarpalakas guarding the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum merit quite some attention. This ancient temple also has an inscription in the name of Sambhaji son of chhatrapati Shivaji.

Amrita Sarovar

This large tank is fed by perennial springs and is called the lake of ambrosia, Visit it at night when it shimmers in the moonlight. Nearby lies the chabootara or platform where Tipu Sultan used to pray.

Bhoganandeeshwara Temple

This temple at the base of the Nandi Hills dates back to the period of the Bana Dynasty but was rebuilt over the centuries by Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagara kings. The Nandi here is massive. Locals refer to Bhoganandeeshwara as the doddu Nandi and Yoganandeeshwara as the chilkka small Nandi.

Around Nandi Hills

Muddenahalli 12 km

This is the hometown of Muddenahalli Vishveswaraya whose creations include architectural masterpieces like Bangalore’s Vidhana Soudha and the Brindavan Gardens. His house near the park and Tirnahali Bs stop in Muddenahalli has been converted into a museum. On the way out of Nandi Hills, keep going straight for Muddenahalli instead of taking the right halli instead of taking the right turn back to Bangalore.