Makalidurga: Story of a Railway station in the middle of hills

 

Overview: Makalidurga is a small hillock just next to the railway station and is increasingly becoming popular with photographers, trekkers and just nature admirers. We didn't have trekking in mind on that Sunday and set off on our bikes towards Doddaballapur. Makalidurga is around 18 kms from Doddaballapur and is just past the junction of Ghati Subrahmanya. We reached the station and the view of the tracks and the surrounding hills was a beauty of a sight. This railway route is known for big boulders and hills around it. We parked our vehicles near the railway station and started walking on the tracks. We didn't actually intend to do trekking as we were not quite prepared for it. We did walk a fair distance on the tracks though which was fun. We saw a train coming from Bangalore heading towards Gouribidanur which was exciting to watch. This place is famous for the hills lined with lemon grass. We spent around a couple of hours in solitude and headed towards Gunjur Lake which is around 1 km from Makalidurga station. The lake was very huge with rain water filling it and increasing its size. We relaxed beside the lake for sometime and headed back towards Bangalore.
         

How to reach: Bus: KSRTC buses ply regularly from Bangalore to Gouribidanur stop at Makalidurga.
Train: Train No 56503 Yesvantpur-Vijayawada passenger starts from Yesvantpur at 8:00am and reaches Makalidurga at 09:20am. The return train departs from Makalidurga at 02:40pm and reaches Yesvantpur at 5:10pm.
By Bike/Car: Take the NH7 towards Hebbal, at Yelahanka cross, turn towards Yelahanka New Town, at Yelahanka, take the Doddaballapur road. Proceed towards Gouribidanur after Doddaballapur for around 18 kms to reach Makalidurga.
Food/Accommodation: Not many options available for food at Makalidurga. Its advisable to carry home food.
Map:
View Larger Map

Comments

  1. Beautiful place. Lovely photos. Yet to visit the place.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

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  2. Seems like a nice trip to make...it was interesting to see the photos making a story of railway tracks. I would be fascinated both by the tracks and the hills lined with lemon grass!

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  3. that's really very interesting...

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  4. Looks like a nice and peaceful place. Added it to my bucket list. Thank you

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  5. beautiful place
    and wonderful clicks

    Thank You
    http://drivingwithpen.blogspot.in/

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  6. definitely a lovely place!!

    http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/

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  7. Nice to see this post. i liked the train shots best :)
    and the map too. reminds me of the days when i would put up a map on my blog

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  8. Lovely pics of the railway station,train, tracks,hills,valleys,lake. Sublime and beautiful.

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  9. interesting blog. It would be great if you can provide more details about it. Thanks you







    Hotels in Trichy Near Railway Station

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  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. Hi ,
    Can someone help me with Trekking Clubs or Adventure Companies which are organizing Group Treks near Bangalore in the coming Weeks.
    So that Me and my friends could join them.

    Thanks

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  12. I am a college student from Bangalore. My classmates are planning on a class trek to MAKALIDURGA. We are about 40 people and we we wish to go on a day trek there.

    I read your blog and thought it would be a great idea to take a few useful inputs from you.

    Firstly, I'd like to know if we require any PERMISSION to trek there.

    Since it's a class trek, a lot of the trekkers will be first timers. A good number of them will be girls too. We don't plan to take the walk on the railway track instead we would like to directly go to the trekking spot by bus.

    I would like to know if the trek is a safe one to go on and if the difficulty of the trek will not be an issue.

    I'd be happy if you could give us any other important tips.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Anjana, thanks for the query. Its been quite some time since I visited this place (more than 4 years now) so things might have changed a bit. As far as I know no permission is not required to visit this place. If you want to trek to the top, its a bit hard for first timers as it gets steep at places. Arrow pointers are indicated on the rocks while climbing up. Anyway you can reach the top within 2 hours.
      I would also suggest to move in groups only and not to venture out anywhere leaving the group behind. The trekking point starts after a small walk on the railway track so you can park your vehicles right outside the station.

      Regards,
      Arun

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  13. Very strange. Thanks for sharing this useful post. Can't splurge this holiday? Head to Yercaud from Bengaluru for a pocket friendly getaway! With its rugged mountains cradling a serene lake, Yercaud makes for one hill station that will blow your mind. Endlessly sprawling orange and coffee plantations spell this charming hill station, which also has numerous parks, viewing points, waterfalls and caves to offer you the thrill of exploration. Don't forget to throw in those walking shoes when packing for Yercaud. Check out all best hill stations near Bangalore for absolute fun!!!

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  14. Its more beautiful to get on the top.... The view is breathtaking.... I've been thrice n it asks for more!

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  15. Another thought is that a unit will give you the choice to dismantle it sooner or later, regardless of whether to move it or store it. This shouldn't imply that you can't construct your own unit with an eye towards dismantling of your model railroad trains.model railway scenery

    ReplyDelete

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