MM Hills and Gundal Reservoir

 

Male Mahadeshwara Betta aka MM Hills is 210km from Bangalore (80km from Kollegal). Situated in the Chamarajanagar District of Karnataka, it harbours a temple of Lord Mahadeshwara, believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The miracles performed by this deity are glorified in songs sung by villagers (Kuruba tribes) by dancing to its tunes in folk style, described as “Kamsale” (Ughe Ughe Maadeva!!). Interestingly, MM Hills was the home of the then Forest Brigand Veerappan. The Kannada movie Jogi, popularized the place as various sequences were shot here.

Route Map to MM Hills and BR Hills

The road to MM Hills was average, with numerous pot holes. We had to cross 27 hair pin bends to reach the Lord Mahadeshwara temple. Initially, it was an up hill drive, however, we had to finally descend the hill to reach the temple. We traversed through moderately dense forests without much wildlife spotting to do. There are petty shops at the base of the hill which serve hot masala vadas and tea which are ultimately delicious and help in tucking a few calories! We were treated to this heavenly delight by Mr Srinivas in his kiosk.

 

The Malehahadeshwara Temple complex is housed in the midst of seven hills - Anumale, Jenumale, Nagamale(here one of the rocks is shaped in the form of a snake and a Shiva linga) , Kanumale, Pachchemale, Pavalamale, Ponnachimale and Kongumale. We were informed that all these hills together form MM Hills and trekkking these hills would take close to two days! There was nothing much to see at MM Hills other than the temple. Seeking the blessings of Lord Mahadeshwara and almost getting burnt in the hot sun, we bid goodbye to MM Hills and started our journey towards BR Hills, racing against time. We hoped, prayed and kept our fingers crossed, to reach BR Hills before 6pm (as the check post gates would close and the entry to BR Hills is restricted between 6pm to 6am by the forest department).

 

Gundal Reservoir:

 

On the way to MM Hills we came across Gundal Reservoir (However, mentioned on sign boards as Gundal Dam), about 18 km from Kollegal. Constructed between MM Hills and BR Hills, it is a picturesque location, hardly frequented by people. The Reservoir is surrounded by a chain of hills and we were told that the rain water which flows down the hills gets collected here. We spent quality time at this awesome location. The tribes at Gundal told us that the hills seen at a distance in the background, were the BR Hills. We did not get much information about the place, however, just managed a few pictures.

 

 

BR Hills

After an enchanting Yelagiri trip, we had nothing much to do for a week or two, it was hectic at work with client visits, fast approaching project deadlines and last moment targets to meet. We were just waiting for a long weekend to unwind and relax. Luck By Chance!! As we can put it, we were off on Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the last week of May!! All we wanted to do was to stay away from the mechanical Bangalore lifestyle and enjoy the peace and tranquility of any place close to Bangalore. Thanks to one of our friends who introduced us to BR Hills.

Saturday morning, around 0530 hrs, our bags, all packed were loaded to the boot of our car, we drove straight to Maddur and took a pit stop at Maddur Tiffanys  to gobble hot idlis and steaming coffee/tea. With the job well accomplished, back into the car, we drove further, and took a left onto the road which leads to Malavalli and following the directions promptly we headed towards Kollegal. Kollegal can be reached through the Kanakapura route as well, however, we preferred the Mysore Road route for two reasons – better road conditions and good restaurants! On reaching Kollegal we got to know from the natives that a 30km drive from there would take us to BR Hills without touching Yelandur. Till then we were under the impression that we had to reach BR Hills via Yelandur (as per the map). It was a welcoming suggestion indeed, we saved on fuel, distance (close to 15km) and most importantly time!



Route Map to MM Hills and BR Hills

Stepping our feet on BR Hills, we realized, we had made the best choice. With a couple of showers, the entire place looked a “Green Heaven”. Biligiri Rangana Betta, popularly known as BR Hills is located on the Eastern side of Western Ghats in the state of Karnataka, 30km from Kollegal Taluk of Chamarajanagar District. B R Hills attracts people from far and wide to the temple of Lord Ranganatha (another name for Lord Venkateshwara) which stands on top of a white cliff (Bili – White and Betta – Cliff in Kannada) and hence the name.

 

We were asked to reach BR Hills before 6pm, as the check post gates would close and the entry to BR Hills is restricted between 6pm to 6am by the forest department. Stay here is a hassle, however, we were lucky to get accommodated at one of our friend’s ancestral home. The road to BR Hills was fantastic , with dense lush green forests on either side. BR Hills aka Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary(BRT Wildlife Sanctuary)is a reserve forest , formed by the confluence of the Eastern and Western Ghats. This region serves as a home for the Soliga tribes and Dr Sudarshan(Padmashree award Winner) is a well known personality here, who has contributed immensely towards tribal welfare and development.

 

We were told that there were two options to reach the temple – one was to take a flight of 250 steps (still under construction) and the other was to drive for a certain distance on road and then take a flight of 35-40 steps. As expected, we preferred the latter. A pathway through the temple lead us to the view point where we saw endless ranges of hills, covered with dense forests in shades of green, it was an awesome sight. We enjoyed the cool breeze which soothed our senses, however, missed a glimpse of the sunset as it was cloudy that evening.

We were exhausted by the time we reached BR Hills and wanted to feast on a good meal. The one and only hotel/mess we came across in BR Hills is Hotel Giridarshini. Every single person here suggests Giridarshini. We were told that this hotel has survived the test of time and has been catering to the taste buds of the tourists since ages. With limited menu options, nominal cost and excellent hospitality, we feasted on a good spread and felt at home.

 It was a long day for us as we had left Bangalore early that morning and on our way to BR Hills, we had managed to cover MM Hills and Gundal dam. We were very tired and just wanted to sleep to set out all fresh to K Gudi (Wildlife Sanctuary) the next day. K Gudi is 30km drive from BR Hills and is a wildlife reserve. The forest department here has made arrangements for a wildlife safari, costing Rs. 400 per person per trip. Our drive to K Gudi was an unforgettable one. We spotted a few spotted deer, a barking deer and thousands of varieties of birds in different hues. We could also hear the calls of the peacock and various other birds, which filled the surroundings in a musical bliss! Our excitement reached its zenith when we spotted a Leopard! By the time we could capture him in our camera, he had camouflaged with the wild.

 

 

Wow!! What a weekend spent amidst the lush green foliage, the chirping of the birds which sounds like a sonnet, the endless ranges of hills, the fresh air, the cool breeze, the dynamic wildlife, the humble cuisine and hospitality, truly an experience we love to cherish. Given an option we would like to spend a lifetime in this Paradise Personified!!

Yelagiri

Yelagiri is a hill station in Tamil Nadu, about 150km from Bangalore. The place is not very well known, however, has started attracting tourists of late. Located at an altitude of 1,140m above Mean Sea Level is a picturesque locale situated on the Vaniyambadi-Tirupattur route, 19km from Jolarpet. 

We heard about Yelagiri from my dad, when he went on a one day trip with his colleagues. Yelagiri can be either reached by private transport or by train to Jolarpet, form where local buses shuttle tourists to the top of the hill.

On getting positive feedback about the place, we did not want to wait long and headed to Yelagiri on a Saturday morning. We took the Hosur Road, NH 7 and reached Krishnagiri. Its an amazing road, we literally flew over the entire stretch. Its worth paying the toll (better to keep the exact change handy and pay two way). Food was not a concern as we came across Kamat Upachar and Adyar Anand Bhavan.  At Krishnagiri, we were asked to take the service road, under the second flyover and then a left towards Chennai, onto NH 46. We were advised by the locals to drive for a few minutes further till we saw the building of a Higher Secondary School, the name of which is off my memory now!! Guess Vani…not sure though. We drove and drove and drove…in circles, finally got help from someone, on his TVS 50 (our Saviour), whom we followed to reach the sign board which read “Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu Tourism Department welcomes You”.Wow! what a releif…

We had to cross 14 hairpin bends to reach the top of the hill and trust me it was lovely weather with a light drizzle, the greyish black clouds hovering the sky and the lovely smell emitted by the action of actinomycetes in soil, created magic…By the time we reached the peak, it was a downpour. We managed to reach a restaurant and feasted on hot rotis with steaming vegetable curry, felt like heaven. What more could we have asked for…

In the meantime, the Rain God showed mercy and cleared the sky for us. We marched straight to the park which harbours  an artificial lake called Punganoor Lake, the most famous tourist spot here. A Boat Club is housed here with pedaling and rowing boats, costing Rs.75 per trip. We took a stroll around the lake as the weather was awesome and captured a few glimpses.  The lake is surrounded by a childerns park, a zoo and a garden. We just settled down on one of the benches bordering the lake, it was so peaceful, how we wished the clock stopped ticking!

   



 

We had heard about the Swami Malai (The highest Peak in Yelagiri) trek, however, as time was not on our side we had to hurry to Jalagamparai Waterfalls and spend some time there before it got dark. On our journey down hill, we visited the Telescope point, our expectations about the place was dashed to see a dilapidated building at a certain elevation. The good thing about this place was the cool breeze…Oh boy! It was awesome…

 

Jalagamparai Waterfalls, formed by the River Attaru, is a 5km downhill trek from Yelagiri. We decided to drive to Jalagamparai and drove through a couple of villages (the country side as it can be put). It was an awe inspiring sight – with the narrow winding roads, sandwiched between the endless lush green ragi fields, served us a bumpy treat. On reaching Jalagamparai, we had to approximately climb 70-100 steps to reach the waterfall. The waterfall looked very subtle at a distance, more like a shower. We felt its force only when we stood beneath it! For sure, took us to a frenzy!! A Muruga Temple (Vel Murugan Temple) is another attraction in the same complex.

 

 

 

 

We had spent close to an hour and half in the waterfall and realised it was time to leave only when hinted by a passerby, that the clock ticked 5pm! As the dark clouds started to gather and we had to bid good. Its a better idea to trek Swami Malai after the rainy season and spend atleast two days in the enchanting Yelagiri…