Tipu's Summer Camp - Nandi Hills

lonelyaztec

Nandi Hills also called Nandidurga is 65 kms North of Bangalore, and is a good weekend Drive-away for those living in Bangalore. You could leave on a Saturday morning, you would reach in 1 and half hrs, spend the day there, and get back in the evening. Nandi hills also has rooms and a small restaurant..with prior bookings done, you can also spend the night there.

Nandi Hills, 1,478 meters above sea level is Bangalore's own hill station. It was Tipu Sultan's summer retreat and Tipu's fort walls still stand as testimony to history. The grandiose of the Mughals is missing, the entrance is modest, indicating the modesty of Tipu Sultan himself. Tipu’s summer lodge is in a dilapidated condition, and is not maintained well. But, you can check that out too. There are a flight of steps behind Tipus lodge, will will take you right down to the base of the hillock. Do not look for a large palace kind of structure. Tipus summer lodge is a small 2 storeyed building painted in deep pink and it can be found on the left side, as soon as you enter the main fort wall, where you buy the parking ticket. The Amrita Sarovar is close by.

Nandi Hills was popular with the British too, who made it their Military station for a while, built bungalows and laid out gardens here. Nandi Hills has attracted the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, Sir Mark Cubbon, Queen Elizabeth II et al. Lord Cubbons summer home is nice and is now converted into a guest house. It has canons at the entrance. The gardens around Cubbon house are awesome and has flowers of more colours than you can imagine.

The rivers Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate from these hills. A flight of 1.175 steps lead from the base of the hills to the top. And the forests surrounding the hills are abound with wild animals. Around the Nandi Hills are several smaller hills, which can be visited on foot.

There are a few interesting places to see in Nandi Hills.

Tipus Drop - A 600 m high cliff face where according to legend, condemned prisoners were pushed to their death. But look down on a clear day and the view is inspiring. Yoga

Nandishvara Temple - This beautiful Dravidian style Chola temple has an inscription of Sambhaji, Shivaji's son. The Dwarapalakas, the splendid metallic figures are not-to-be-missed.
You can take long walks in the gardens.

The other places you can visit if you have the time are Sri Ugra Narasimha Temple, Gandhi Nilaya, and Nehru House. Muddenahalli close by has the home of noted architect Sir Vishweshwaraya, which is now a museum. I avoided all of these.

You can stop by the Pine top restaurant for a coffee. The view from the restaurant and the balcony is beautiful. You can see Bangalore city from the top, and it is beautiful.

Don’t forget to take your jerkin if you are going in the rainy season. The sun rise view is good, and so if possible, drive in the night, and wait for the sun.

Nandi Hills is worth a visit.

Getting There : Road – 65 kms from Bangalore
Trip Duration : 1/2 day or 1 day
Where to stay : My suggestion is dont' stay there. Spend 2 to 3 hrs and drive back to Bangalore.
If you insist of spending the night there, you can check these out.
Hotel Mayura Pine Top Nandi Hills, Kolar District. Guest House of the Horticulture Department. PWD Accommodation.

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Aztec

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firefox

i had been to nandi hills in feb this year. Its an awesome place to spend the weekend. During my visit the drizzlin rain added to the beauty of the place.. reachin nandi hills was not a problem but the return had to be early as the last bus from there to chickballapur was around 4.30. Its better to go by a private vehicle..