Bangalore Off The Beaten Path

Chamrajsagar Reservoir: 35Kms from Bangalore, built on river Arkavati. It is called a picnic spot, but I could not get back to the resevior and only took this picture from off Magadi Road.

I would say just look at the reseviour and the submerged temple in the distance from Makadi Road, drive on to Savandurga and then go back via Mysore Road and see Machaable Dam and pass by the big Banyan tree too.

Also called Tippagondanahalli reservoir.

good Flickr shots

http://www.flickr.com/photos/64494692@N00/2386163687/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mproopesh/4163100047/

Take the Tumkur Road NH4 and then right on Heseraghatta Main Road. The Tumkur Road is crazy busy and the Heseraghatta Road is busy for five kilometers . Then suddenly you are in a reomote area with not much traffic on the road besides villagers on bicycles.

The lake has a remote feeling away from the Bangalore traffic. After you have visited then take the back roads through Jahali on the return to Bangalore.

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This is a relatively unknown destination off Kankapura Road around 15 kms from Bangalore. A couple of friends introduced us to this place where you can spend half a day easily. The interiors are done up in heritage style with wooden atrefacts that totally remind me of my grandma's house! The antique setting is enhanced by the presence of a water tank totally like a holy water tank in temples of yore. You can ask for food buffet if you are planning to be there for lunch, the feast is sumptuous! You can rent the place for a wedding/reception at an exorbitanat cost. But well worth it if you can afford it! :)
Head off on the Kanakapura Road towards Kanakapura, you need to take a left on a muddy fork, head right in the straight road and they have put up sign boards to help you get there.
Address:Avalahalli, Anjanapura Post, Kanakpura Road ,
Doddakallasandra, Bangalore - 560062

The place is located 60km north of Bangalore. In order to beat the heat of summers in Bangalore, Nandi Hill is the best place to be. This small hill station has been named after the bull of Hindu deity Shiva. It was once the summer retreat of Tipu Sultan and Britishers, it has now taken a shape of getaway destination.

You will have to climb about 1,175 steps to reach atop to have a splendid view of the city. Ruins of the Tipu Sultan's fort can be seen from the top. The most exciting place to see here is Tipu's Drop that is actually a 600m high cliff, used to push prisoners. The cliff provides magnificent view of the city below. Another important tourist attraction is the Yoga Nandishvara Temple which was built by Chola Kings. Amrita Sarovara is a famous lake and visited by a lot of tourists. Gandhi Nilaya and Nehru House will provide you a glimpse of life of two national leaders.

However it is very touristy and quaite a few people crowd here every weekend. Go early in the morning to catch a beautiful, misty drive and the sunrise. Watch out for sudden speed breakers in the road!

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Early in twelfth century, the great Srivaishnava saint Sri Ramanujacharya took up his residence and lived here for about 14 years . It thus became a prominent centre of the Srivaishnava sect of Brahmins, who obtained from the Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana, who had become a follower of the Acharya, an assignment of the fertile tracts of land in the neighbourhood, especially of the Ashta Gramas, on either bank of the Cauvery. The temple is beautiful and the climb up offers you a fantastic view of the cauvery valley behind. The prashadham of puliyogare (tamarind rice) is famous and delicious, not to be missed!However steer away from the pesky goats that make a grab for the same!
So many lakes once you take a detour from the Mysore Road towards Melukote, you can literally walk into the lakes. (Chk photos)

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Shravanabelagola in Hassan District is 157 km away from Bangalore is an important Jain centre. There is a pond and two stony hills, called Chandragiri and Indragiri. Chandragiri has the Chandragupta basadi of the Gangas and the Parashwanatha basadi here is the biggest. The town below the hill has the Jaina matha whose walls have very old paintings. Indragiri has the Gommata monolith, 58' tall, installed by a Ganga general and scholar Chavundaraya, and also Siddhara basadi, Odegal basadi, Chennanna basadi and Chauvvisa Tirthankara basadi, and also the finely engraved pillar called Tyagada Brahma Pillar. The floral designs on it are excellent. To the north of town is Jinanathapura which has the Aregal basadi and the Shantinatha basadi of Hoysala times. Shravanabelagola has over 500 inscriptions, and some of them are recording death by starving (`sallekhana') by Jaina ascetics and laymen.

The Sarala Birla Academy is a premier boarding school for boys in Bangalore. When you visit Bannerghatta you cannot help but notice a massive campus. This 67 acre campus is Sarala Birla Academy at Bannerghatta a premier boarding school for boys. Instituted in 2004 by Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman and named after Dr Sarala Birla, an educationist. It is an international boarding school for boys.

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We hired a taxi and driver and started off at around 0900hr. We stopped at a few sites along the way including a forced road blockade by the people from Tamil Nadu over water sharing dispute. That cost us a 2 hour wait by the roadside. Since you have to wait for the light show it is inevitable that you will return to Bangalore past midnight. While waiting for the light do try their tea, taste like teh tarik if you have been to Malaysia. To those Muslim travellers my advise is to get Muslim driver so that he can bring you to nice Muslim eateries. Our Hindu driver could not find a good one despite him asking around and presumably been there for umpteen times, so we had to settle for lunch in a hotel restaurant.