Get away from the concrete jungle.
Nandi Betta a place to behold.
A saying in the local kannada language goes as follows: "Nandi betta nodadavanu, keladavanu, handi ginta kade", which roughly translates to,
"One who has not seen or heard of Nandi hills is worse than a pig". So, if you take old sayings seriously, Nandi Hills is a must see. The good
news is the place is only an hour's journey from the heart of Bangalore.
Nandi Hills located in the Chikkballapur district of Karnataka, is about 60 kms from Bangalore. It provides a very relaxing getaway for a city dweller, who is longing to breath some clean air and empty one's mind of cares and worries. Being a hill station steeped in natural beauty, people can not only enjoy the clean natural air, but relieve their stress and tension amidst natural surroundings. Painters, photographers, or writers can find the location inspiring and motivating for their creativity. Couples with children can relax while the children play in the natural habitat amid parental supervision. The place has an added advantage of being close to Bangalore International Airport and a few Star hotels. Nandi Hill is located to the north of Bangalore, while all the major urban development is focused in south Bangalore. Thus, the place offers a respite from all the hustle and bustle of a typical city attraction. Nandi Hills, also is a place for history buffs, looking to educate themselves on local heritage and culture. During the Chola dynasty, the place was called Ananda Giri (or Hill of Happiness). Later, Tippu Sultan built a fort on the hill and it came to be known as Nandidurga (or Nandi Fort).
For those who are looking forward to stay can find comfortable accomodation at the Guest House controlled by the Department of Horticulture, Karnataka. A stay at the Guest house, however, requires a letter of authorization from the Superindent of Horticulture at Lalbagh Gardens, Bangalore. With letter you can reach the hill top and enjoy the serenity, beauty, and peace for at least a couple of days.
Despite being close to an International Airport and a major software hub, the sad fact is that there is not even a sign board on the NH 7 (from Bangalore to Hyderabad) guiding weary city dwellers the route to the renowned Nandi Hills. One can see the fort fallen in disrepair with weeds growing on the ramparts that signify of a once majestic citadel. Tourism offers such a ripe opportunity for India to not only promote its heritage, but also act as a substantial revenue earner that it is very unfortunate that whoever takes charge of Tourism ministry has failed to make any deep impact.Tourism Minister of the country has never been a part and parcel of our national plans to any thing big and mighty.If a minister says he is in charge of tourism it means he is inefficient and the ruling party wants the fellow to enjoy the power and perks and not make plans for his portfolio allotted to him.
The Archeological Survey of India is one typical branches of the government that typically takes charge of maintaining the country's culture and glorious heritage. Why is it that the various departments that manage this landmark have not only failed to generate significant interest and attract tourists, but also have neglected their duty to better manage and preserve an important aspect of local heritage.
We are not the people to ask any question and even if we do we know the response we get from the people in power.There is no solution to all these problems in our country. The Late G.D.Naidu of Coimbatore who was a born engineer who manufactured India's first shaving blade and Radio has an institute for training in mechanical engineering and there when I saw a sign board that he has put up which reads as " Construction for Destruction " reminds me quite often when I see the things as shown in the pictures above I saw at Nandi Hills.
A saying in the local kannada language goes as follows: "Nandi betta nodadavanu, keladavanu, handi ginta kade", which roughly translates to,
"One who has not seen or heard of Nandi hills is worse than a pig". So, if you take old sayings seriously, Nandi Hills is a must see. The good
news is the place is only an hour's journey from the heart of Bangalore.
Nandi Hills located in the Chikkballapur district of Karnataka, is about 60 kms from Bangalore. It provides a very relaxing getaway for a city dweller, who is longing to breath some clean air and empty one's mind of cares and worries. Being a hill station steeped in natural beauty, people can not only enjoy the clean natural air, but relieve their stress and tension amidst natural surroundings. Painters, photographers, or writers can find the location inspiring and motivating for their creativity. Couples with children can relax while the children play in the natural habitat amid parental supervision. The place has an added advantage of being close to Bangalore International Airport and a few Star hotels. Nandi Hill is located to the north of Bangalore, while all the major urban development is focused in south Bangalore. Thus, the place offers a respite from all the hustle and bustle of a typical city attraction. Nandi Hills, also is a place for history buffs, looking to educate themselves on local heritage and culture. During the Chola dynasty, the place was called Ananda Giri (or Hill of Happiness). Later, Tippu Sultan built a fort on the hill and it came to be known as Nandidurga (or Nandi Fort).
For those who are looking forward to stay can find comfortable accomodation at the Guest House controlled by the Department of Horticulture, Karnataka. A stay at the Guest house, however, requires a letter of authorization from the Superindent of Horticulture at Lalbagh Gardens, Bangalore. With letter you can reach the hill top and enjoy the serenity, beauty, and peace for at least a couple of days.
Despite being close to an International Airport and a major software hub, the sad fact is that there is not even a sign board on the NH 7 (from Bangalore to Hyderabad) guiding weary city dwellers the route to the renowned Nandi Hills. One can see the fort fallen in disrepair with weeds growing on the ramparts that signify of a once majestic citadel. Tourism offers such a ripe opportunity for India to not only promote its heritage, but also act as a substantial revenue earner that it is very unfortunate that whoever takes charge of Tourism ministry has failed to make any deep impact.Tourism Minister of the country has never been a part and parcel of our national plans to any thing big and mighty.If a minister says he is in charge of tourism it means he is inefficient and the ruling party wants the fellow to enjoy the power and perks and not make plans for his portfolio allotted to him.
The Archeological Survey of India is one typical branches of the government that typically takes charge of maintaining the country's culture and glorious heritage. Why is it that the various departments that manage this landmark have not only failed to generate significant interest and attract tourists, but also have neglected their duty to better manage and preserve an important aspect of local heritage.
We are not the people to ask any question and even if we do we know the response we get from the people in power.There is no solution to all these problems in our country. The Late G.D.Naidu of Coimbatore who was a born engineer who manufactured India's first shaving blade and Radio has an institute for training in mechanical engineering and there when I saw a sign board that he has put up which reads as " Construction for Destruction " reminds me quite often when I see the things as shown in the pictures above I saw at Nandi Hills.
