Misty Nandi Hills

That morning in Bangalore (B'lore), a quiet call and a whiff of hot coffee woke me up. My friend had made us a perfect cup! enough to make me jump out of bed and get ready for our early morning journey to the mesmerizing hills called Nandi Hills. 

Statue of  sitting 'Nandi' bull on top of a temple.It was very foggy that morning so the pictures are not that clear 

'Nandi' is the sacred bull,the vehicle of lord Shiva. There is a famous ancient dravidian Nandi Temple situated a top the summit. Hence, the name Nandi Hills.

We started our drive @ 0400 hrs from B'lore as we wanted to reach our destination before sunrise. Weather that day was perfect. Not to mention,B'lore has always had an awesome weather. Ever perfect- not too extreme. 

The misty fog, chilly breeze, freshness of early morning feel in the air made our car ride to the hills more rewarding. Nandi Hills is a beautiful weekend getaway. The panoramic view of the landscape from a top just holds you spellbound. It is 1,478 mtrs above sea level and is around 60/65 km from B'lore. It is best suggested to visit these hills before sunrise. The wind,the fog and the clouds magically blow towards you at this time of the day. Early morning clouds condensation brings water.That is why, while we explored the ruins, I felt soft water droplets continuously pouring. Although, it wasn't raining, however, it felt wet if you stood at one place for long. There is a good motorable road to the top of the hills and we stopped our car twice to enjoy the quiet sound of breeze and the mistiness of the clouds that beautiful morning.

When I saw the ruins on the top I was a l'll surprised as I had expected huge statues with huge temple complex. However, after spending some time, I could relate to the grandeur and majestic that this place must have reflected hundreds of years ago. We did find a small Nandi statue on top of the roof of a temple ruin. It was a sitting Nandi and was not a big one though. But I could imagine how magnificent it would have been when the area was alive during the reign of its various rulers. 

There is also a beautiful palace on top called 'Tipu's summer residence' but it was not opened for public that time. Tipu's drop is an interesting point here from where you get the best view. They say that Tipu Sultan punished his prisoners by getting them pushed off this 600 meters high cliff.

On our way back from the hills we loved walking a bit alongside the pavement, admiring the flora growing on the hills and the fog all around.

Me standing on the pavement near a milestone. yes,there was a lot of fog around that beautiful morning.