the light baggage

  Overview: Melukote in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district is a sacred place known for its temples. It overlooks the Cauvery river and is extremely scenic. Its a place to be visited by devotees, photographers, bikers and relaxation. On the way to Melukote we come across two lakes with clear blue waters where some time can be spent admiring the beauty of nature.   On entering the Melukote, at the end of the small town we have Cheluvanarayana Swamy Temple which has both archaeological and historic significance. The deity of this temple is believed to be worshipped for more than 1000 years. The pillar structure and the temple complex is a treat for our eyes and makes us go centuries back.   Another main attraction in Melukote is YogaNarasimha temple which is built on a hill top. It overlooks the whole town and offers panoramic view of the whole district. There are steps leading to the temple.       After visiting the temple we took the chance to explore the rustic town. It is f

Overview : Savanadurga is known for big monolith and is a popular destination for rock climbing around Bangalore. It is located around 75 kms from Bangalore and can be reached via Magadi road or Mysore road. Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple stands at the foothills which is frequented by many pilgrims. The temple is pretty old and is well maintained.    The trekking/rock climbing trail starts amidst the bushes just next to the temple. Initial 15 minutes look pretty easy with not much challenge. Its better to ask the locals for the route in the beginning as it is very difficult to climb down from such awkward position. The climb can get really steep at times and one has to maintain will power to overcome such challenges. The half way mark is a brick wall probably a part of the fort built by the Kempegowda rulers. Further ascent managable with a few difficult stages. Once the final Nandi is visible from a distance which is the summit of the rock, one has to climb down a few steps an

Nandi hills, Bhoganandeeshwara & Devanahalli Fort: The Road well travelled Overview: Nandi hills is arguably the most popular tourist destination around Bangalore. Its well known among most people in Bangalore. Once considered a place outside Bangalore city limits, the National highway leading to Bellary and Hyderabad wore a deserted look. But with the International airport in the vicinity, Nandi hills has become a part of Bangalore with the approach road being crowded even during night. It has well laid roads leading to the peak, one gets a panaromic view of the hill ranges in Chikkaballapur district and its really soothing with cool winds blowing from all the sides. Many movies have been shot at Nandi hills. Tipu's drop, Yoganandeeshwara temple are the prime attractions on top of Nandi hills. Visiting Nandi hills in at dawn during monsoons is magical as we can see a layer of clouds below us as seen in the last pic below.   Around Nandi hills- We had a lot of time so