Bangaluru.org - "Nandi Hills" Hill Stations in Karnataka

Nandi Hills Nandi Hills or Nandidurg is a hill fortress of southern India , in the Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka state. It is located just 3 to 5 KM from Chickballapur Taluq. It is 4851 ft. (1478 meters)

above sea level. Nandidrug hill, known commonly as Nandi Hills , is the source of the Penner , Ponnaiyar and Palar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of Nandi . An ancient lord Shiva and Parvati temple also adorns this hill.

A view from Nandi Hills, near Bangalore India. Photograph by Clement Francis M. (2005) <clement.bird AT gmail.com>

Nandidurg was traditionally held impregnable, and its storming by Lord Cornwallis in 1791 was one of the most notable incidents of the first war against Tipu Sultan of Mysore . It was formerly a favorite resort for British Raj officials during the hot season. Francis Cunningham built the summer residence here for Sir Mark Cubbon .

Watercolor of Nandidrug Hill ("Nandidroog") in 1791 ; painted during the October 1791 siege by Colin Mackenzie , then a British officer in the Third Anglo-Mysore War . The original is in the British Library collection.

The hills are now a popular tourist spot during summer. The state horticulture department maintains a garden for the tourists. The pressure of tourists on the environment here is great with a considerable problem of litter, noise and physical disturbance.

On the way to Skanda Giri - Photo by Arindam Bhowmik.

Skanda Giri - Photo by Arindam Bhowmik.

Biodiversity

The vegetation of the hills is typical of high hills. Inside the fort at the summit, many of the large trees are planted exotics such as Eucalyptus and the undergrowth consists of Coffea arabica along with some native species. The forest acts as a substrate for cloud condensation and every morning the trees are covered in water. This allows for many moist forest species of plants and animals. The hills are very rich in birdlife making it a very popular location for birdwatchers and bird photographers. The evergreen forest patch on top of the hill being a favoured wintering location for many migrant species of warblers, flycatchers and thrushes. The forest patch is also home for a relict population of the Nilgiri Woodpigeon . A breeding pair of Shaheen Falcon, the resident race of the Peregrine Falcon is also often seen at the Nandi Hills. The Malabar Whistling Thrush , Uropeltid snakes and Pill millipedes which are otherwise known only from the Western Ghats ranges are also found here. The hill slopes are the home of the Yellow-throated Bulbul , a species endemic to the hills of peninsular India.

Muddenahalli The home town of Sri M.Visveswaraya- Photo by Arindam Bhowmik.

Places to see:-

Tippu's Drop the place from where Tippu Sultan made his prisoners fall.
Skanda Giri:- Kalavaara Halli and the mountain is called Kalavaarahalli Betta (also called as Skanda Giri). It is near Chikkaballapura (70 km from Bangalore).
Tippu's Summer Residence a beautiful palace on top of this hill. This palace is closed to the general public .
Temples There are temples dedicated to Sri Bhoga Narasimha, Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha .
Nehru Nilaya, where Jawaharlal Nehru used to stay, now a guest house of the horticulture department of India.
Rivers The rivers Pennar, Palar and Arkavati originate from these hills.Most of the sources have dried up .
Brahmashram It is said that Sage Ramakrishna Paramhamsa meditated here.Its a cool cave .
Muddenahalli The home town of Sri M.Visveswaraya, the architect of modern Karnataka. Muddenahalli is just a few Kilometers from Nandi Hills. The house of this genius is now a museum.

Distance:-	60 km North of Bangalore
By Road:-	2 Hours - There is a motorable road to the top of the hill.Beware there is only one road to the top. You can expect vehicles coming from the other side as well. Buses ply from Bangalore.There are two roads to the top one that goes through Chikballapur and the other that goes through Doddaballapur.The latter is the fastest way to reach the top around 2 hrs while the former takes more than 3 hrs. If you are going by bus, you will get KSRTC bus from Majestic Platform no. 10. There is a bus to the top at 8.30 AM. You will get KSRTC buses from the Hills to Banglore. Bus timings are 2.30, 4.15 and 5.00 PM There are no buses in afternoon(12PM - 4 PM) from Bangalore so make sure that you arrive before time. The charge is around 40 /- per head. If you miss the direct bus to the top of Nandi Hills, take a bus to Chikballapur from KSRTC bus stand (Majestic) Platform no. 10. From Chikballapur there are frequent buses to the top.
Route:-	NH7 to Devanahalli via Yelahanka then state road to Nandi Hills via Betta Cross.
When to go:-	All year around.
Tourist offices:-	KSTDC(bookings and info) Badami House, NR Square, Bangalore Tel: 080-2275869, Fax: 2352626 Email: kstdc@vsnl.in
Where to stay :-	For accommodation at the T.B., contact the Executive Engineer, Public Works Department, Tumkur. There are well-furnished bungalows for lodging and good catering establishments. For reservation of accommodation, the Director of Horticulture, Lalbagh, Bangalore- 2. Tel:91 - 080 - 26611925. Hotel Mayura Pine Top, managed by KSTDC. Tel: 91 - 08156 - 78624.