Nature at it's Best. Review on Nandi Hills

I had the good fortune of having my college and hostel at the foot of this famed hill resort, and those mornings used to start with a view of the beautiful hills forming a picturesque curtain to my curtainless window. Nandi hills is situated 60 kms from Bangalore and is 1500 mts above the sea level. This was the great king Tipu Sultan's summer retreat cum fort.

The REAL journey to the hills starts only after you reach the first hairpin bend. They are so sharp that if yo go by the Government owned bus you can feel the tail of the bus scratching the Tar road while negotiating those turns. But I would say that a trip on a motorcycle is more interesting, but those who own the typical Indian More Mileage less Pickup bikes might find the upward climb too tiring(atleast your poor mobike will feel strained) For those who own bikes with good pickup this is the ride U have been waiting for. So go ahead and test your machines to their max.

Once U reach there U have to walk approximately 1,175 steps(counted on umpteen occasions but got a different number each time) to reach the top of the hills. Eventhough cars are allowed to go to the top, I would recommend U to park your cars and walk the steps. Its worth each step !! Along the way to the top U get to see Chola style Temples, Dravidian style sculptures and also a breathtaking view of the plains below. The hills are also a source for a few rivers, which form a silvery patch along the sides of the cliffs visible when U climb.

The must see spot at the hills is the cliff known as ''Tipu Drop'' a 600mt deep pathway to hell where Tipu Sultan is supposed to have had convicts, pushed down to their death. But our favourite spot was the cliff from where we can see our college as well as the hostel resembling tiny models created by Architecture students from TOPVIEW. Still remember those funny moments when guys used to shout their lungs out, declaring their love for their beloved ones in the hope that the girl sitting in the classroom will hear it. The funny thing about these sound waves generated is that, they never reach the destined ears but always echo back and give a sort of happiness which is far better than the girl hearing it and turning down the proposal!

Eventhough we have been to Nandi on many occasions, the most memorable one was when we went by walk, a sort of trekking expedition. It took us around 3 hrs to reach the top. As soon as we reached there, it started to rain and we took shelter under one of the many manmade Shelters. It was so cold and we started to have the best known chillbusters we had with us and the whole bottle got empty in a few minutes without the help of any munchies or mixers. We left the shelter after the heavy rain slimmed down to a slimNthin Drizzle. That barefoot walk under the tiredNlazy drizzle is still green in my memory like the wet green grass on which we walked to reach the restaurant. Sometimes a Green Carpet welcome is better than a Red Carpet Welcome!!

The restaurant is built at the edge of a cliff (or did they construct it and place it there?)and has glass walls so that U can eat with a breathtaking view of the plains below. Sitting there and watching the scenery play hideNseek through the gaps left by clouds passing below is too interesting that U might forget the food placed in front of U!!.

We were so lucky that day that we also got to see a rainbow that was not just an arc!! it was a circular formation starting from the skies to the vacant area below the clouds. That was breathtaking and i'm sure that not many people would have seen such a sight. Nature at its Best!

Eventhough the place is very popular it's hasnt been exploited for commercial purposes. It still retains it's natural beauty. Its better to visit the place on weekends, as on other days it's deserted and might not be safe for couples, but my advice is visit on a rainy day even if it's not a weekend!! I haven't stayed overnight but U can stay at Hotel Mayura Pine or Guest House of the Horticulture Department.