Nandi Hills

Need a break from the heat and dust of the plains? Welcome to the Nandi Hills one of the hill resorts of Karnataka. The Nandi Hills or the hills of the Nandi have been named after the bull of Lord Shiva. The pleasant hill resort of Nandi Hills is also known as Nandigiri or Nandidurga amongst the locals. The Nandi Hills have attracted people since long. Nandi hills were the summer haven of Tipu Sultan as well as the British. The palace of Tipu Sultan and the Bungalows of the British stand in testimony of the same. Now Nandi Hills are popular with the tourists and act as ideal weekend getaway for the people from Bangalore. In the past the Nandi Hills have attracted the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, Pt. Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi, Sir Mark Cubbon, Queen Elizabeth II et al.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Tour to Nandi Hills You may plan your visit to the Nandi Hills any time of the year. The Nandi Hills experience pleasant and moderate temperate all the year through. The Nandi Hills is the perfect hill resort as the summer temperature varies between 29 and 23 degrees. During the winters the temperature at the Nandi Hills hovers between 21 and 11 degrees

LOCATION

The Nandi Hills are situated at an altitude of 1478m above sea level and 65 Km from Bangalore. The Pennar, Palar and Arkavati Rivers start off from the Nandi Hills

TOURISTS ATTRACTIONS

So climb up the 1,175 steps that lead to the top of the Nandi Hills, the effort is truly worth it. Once you reach the summit of the Nandi Hills you will spot the ruins of the Fort that once belonged to Tipu Sultan. Do visit the Tipu's Drop the tourist attraction is a 600 m high cliff face from which the prisoners are believed to have been thrown. Tipu's Drop offers some wondrous vistas.

Tour to Nandi Hills While at the Nandi Hills do visit the Amrita Samovar. The sparkling water of the Lake of Nectar is a major tourist attraction at the Nandi Hills.

At the base of the Nandi Hills in the Nandi Village is the Bhoga Nandishwara Temple that follows the Dravidian style of architecture. Atop the Nandi Hills are the temples in honor of Sri Ugra Narasimha and Sri Yoga Narasimha

The other sites worth visiting at the Nandi hills are the Gandhi Nilaya and the Nehru House. The adventure seekers may indulge in paragliding at the Nandi Hills

PLACES AROUND NANDI

In close proximity to the Nandi Hills is Muddenahalli. Muddenahalli is renowned as the birthplace of Visveswaraya. While at Muddenahalli do visit the Museum that was actually the home of Visveswaraya- the great architect who built the modern Karnataka.

Further excursions can be made to the Hills with nature's bounty like Biligirirangana Hills, Agumbe Hill and the Madikeri Hills.

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The airport at Bangalore is the nearest to Nandi Hills at a distance of 65 km.

BY RAIL - The railway station nearest to the Nandi Hills is that of Chikkaballapur just 9 km away. Though it is the railhead at Bangalore though 65 km away from the Nandi Hills is connected with all the major places in India through rail. There are frequent trains that connect Chikkaballapur with Bangalore.

BY ROAD - The excellent road network links the Nandi Hills with the important places like Bangalore and Chikkaballapur. Nandi Hills is situated on the Bangalore - Hyderabad National Highway

WHERE TO STAY

Accommodation is easily available at the Nandi Hills. You may take your pick from hotel, cottage, tourist bungalow, Forest lodge, Guest House et al at the Nandi Hills. Otherwise you may stay at any of the several star categorized hotels or Budget accommodations in Bangalore, just 65 km from Nandi Hills. In fact you may take up the one-day conducted tour to the Nandi Hills from Bangalore coordinated by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation and other tour operators. It is an hour and a half's drive from Bangalore to the Nandi Hills