Jogimatti

Yesterday at 6 AM we started to drive towards Chitradurga. It took nearly 4 hours to cover the distance of 220+ kms. Had breakfast at my cousin's house and went straight to Jogimatti.

Jogimatti, a mini hill station with highest wind flow in Asia(people there say so !!!)  is situated at 12 kms from Chitradurga. It’s nothing but a group of hills. There is a narrow winding road to the top of the hill which takes you through thick shrubs and nice vegetation. May be because of the fast winds, the trees and other plants are shorter than normal here.

There is a watch tower on top of the highest peak. Just climb that and you will have an awesome view on the surrounding valleys. The wind is so strong that you need to hold the railings to ensure that you are not blown away. The view is so good that one can spend 2-3 hours easily on top of the watch tower.

There is an IB (Inspection Bungalow) on the top and general public is allowed to stay there with proper permission and with a nominal charge. There is a check post at the beginning of hilly road and you need to take permission there to enter the area. If you are driving to the top, then you r vehicle needs to be registered.

There is a trekking route (12 kms) through the forest. Planning to do this before December 09. There are a lot of Leopards, peacocks and bears in this area and chances of sighting one are high compared to other places.

If you are ready to pack your bags, wait, the IB is under renovation and it will take some time for re-opening. And, now there are only few beer cans and very little plastic derby around, please do not add to that. This is one of the most clean and green places I have ever seen, let it be like that and enjoy the beauty.

Note: if you are looking for a park or a proper hill station, stay away. It’s not yet up to the mark. Mornings are quite misty and cloudy during September to January and I think it’s the best time to visit.

Photos : (From my 2 MP Sony Ericsson Mobile)

BhogaNandishwara, Nandi Hills.

This is my Nth visit to Nandi Hills.

While coming back, we visited 'Bhoga Nindishwara' temple on the base of Nandi Hills at a village called 'Nandi'. Bhoga Nandishwara Temple follows the Dravidian style of architecture.

This temple has a huge 'praakaara' (compound), a 'pushkarini' (pond) and a beautiful 'mantapa'. The main temple, 'pushkarini' and the 'mantapa' have their own enclosure within the temple compound.

Route: Best thing is to visit Nandi Hills first and then ask villagers for the route to Nandi village while coming back

Photos :

Link to BhogaNandishwara Album

Ranganatittu and Somanathapura

It’s been a long time since our 'Thomson' group went for a trip. We had been to Ranganatittu ( a bird sanctuary near Mysore) and Somanathapura Temple ( an old temple built by Hoysalas) two weeks ago (24th Nov 07). It is one day trip. We started from St. Marks Road at 7 AM, after waiting 30 mins for Maheshwar. Had nice breakfast at Kamath Lokruchi. It took nearly 2.5 hours to reach Ranganatittu. (One has to take a right turn towards Hunsur, 3~5 kms after Srirangapattana). Its was off season and we could see only 5/6 varieties of birds.

Two type of boat rides are offered here 1) Public (need to wait till boat gets full and 15 mins, 25 Rs per head) 2) Private (30 mins - 250 Rs). We opted for second and shared the cost with another group of two. The gurd who took us for the boad ride was very helpful and he showed us all birds in their natural habitat and helped us in photographing the birds. We had Lunch in the Canteen there, which was not bad.

We spent nearly 3 hours there and started towards Somanathapura. This is an old temple built by Hoysalas. Architecture is similar to Belur and Halebidu. One good thing is that this temple is not destroyed. Most of the sculptures are intact. Its took an hour and a half to reach Somanathapura. Spent an hour there clicking the photos.
Reached Bangalore by 7 PM .

Team: Myself, Chetan and Maheshwar
Date: 24 - November -2007
Route:
Ranganatittu: Bangalore -> Ramanagara -> Mandya -> Srirangapattana -> (3~5 Kms) Road towards Hunsur on the right side -> (500 mts) Ranganatittu Sanctuary.

Somanathapura : Ranganatittu -> Srirangapattana -> Srinivasa Agrahara (After 1~2 kms from Srirangapattana, need to take a right turn immediately after a bridge. Ask locals) -> Karighatta -> Banoor (Roads are BAD) -> Somanathapura (Very BAD roads)

Expense: 600 per head.

PHOTOS:
Link to Ranganatittu photos.
Link to Somanathapura photos.