It was a cold Sunday morning (really cold). Still we were excited to go to Nandi Hills. The other three had been to Nandi Hills before but it had been quite a while, and this trip was different in a way since this was with friends and the earlier one was with family when they were kids. The plan was that we all would meet at Madhavan Park circle by 7 am, and start from there. We had to reach Nandi Hills before 9 am, as we wanted to feel the clouds. The summit is around 1200 meters above sea level, so when you reach the summit, you actually are above the clouds. We all were excited about this trip. I had recently purchased a new digital camera, and I was all excited to take pictures, which has always been a dream for me to take artistic pictures. Still pictures somehow have a feel to it than a movie, as you capture the moment.
I woke up at 6 in the morning and got ready for the trip. By 7 am, I was at Madhavan Park. After waiting for nearly 15 minutes, I started calling others. Shyam was to pick up Kiran on the way, and he was there at Kiran's place by 6:45 am, only to find him still in his pajamas. Shyam and I were trying to call Rizwan, but to no avail, he was not picking up the call. This was unusual as Rizwan is a guy who would keep his word. Well, since we could not reach him, we decided to go without him. By the time Kiran and Shyam reach Madhavan Park, it was 7:30 am, then it was time for our breakfast (cannot go hungry, right), so it was pit-stop No. 1 at Adigas. It was already 8 am by the time we started from Adigas. As we started driving, Rizwan called stating that his phone was in silent mode so could not answer the calls, when he saw the phone there were 23 missed calls. Of course, what he could not see or hear was all the names we called him (censored). So, now we had to go to his house and pick him on the way. By the time we reached Hebbal, it was 9 am. Since Rizwan had not had his breakfast yet, it was pit-stop No. 2 at Hebbal. It was already 9:30 am when we started from Hebbal, and Nandi Hills was still 60 Km away. Our dreams of watching the clouds up-close early in the morning before it melts away went down the pits (two of them).
The drive to Nandi Hills was extremely good on the Express Highway. Huge wide roads, six-lane highway primarily developed for the massive Hyderabad-Bangalore intercity traffic. So the drive was extremely pleasurable. I gave my camera to Rizwan who was my co-pilot (my bike is my plane). He was holding a digital camera in his hand for the first time (just like me), and he was click on everything that he thought was picturesque, including a wedding hall, our shadow, my helmet,....and the list goes on. Out of the 294 pictures taken that day, 90% was garbage. The picture on the right is one of them, but it is my sheer brilliance that I am able to put it to good use.
After driving 40 Km on the Express Highway and 22 Km detour along villages, we finally reached the foot of Nandi Hills. The drive upward (take off) was 7 Km long along the cliffs. It was a beautiful drive along the mountains, the freshness of the air was so tasty, I do not have words for it. The view was just amazing. Watching the hills up close makes you realize how beautiful our world really is - the real beauty of this world is not in man made structures but the ones created by nature. The greenery around you gives you a sense of happiness and pleasure that is beyond words. It can only be felt. Soon we drove the 7 Km and reached the top. As you enter the huge gate built centuries ago, you realize how difficult it would have been to construct those walls on this terrain. The walls are almost hanging on the edge, yet they have been this way for centuries and still standing tall welcoming you. Once inside, we could not drive anymore, as two wheelers are not allowed to drive any further. The rest of the way up was by foot.
As we went up climbing the hill on foot, we saw Tipu Sultan's summer guest house, Tipu Drop, Swimming Pool, among others. As we went along, we realized that we were as high as the clouds, it not above them. If only we had reached before 8:30 am, the view would have been magnificent. As you can see in the picture, there is a thin layer of cloud surrounding us. At the top of the hill, you have three beautiful centuries old temples. Of course, you also have alongside, ultra-modern mobile towers - nice combination. Once you cross the temples, you have a commercialized park, and alongside a Bar & Restaurant. After having lunch, it was time for us to get back. We stayed at the park for some time, and started our climb down the hill. As usual, Rizwan was busy clicking pictures.
On our way back, the drive down the hill was very pleasant, we took deep breaths of the pure air. The return drive felt much more tiring. By the time we reached home it was around 5 p.m. - we did not want to drive back after sunset, as we would be in real trouble if there is a flat tyre or something. Overall, it was an enjoyable day, tiring but really enjoyed it. My advice is that if you can spare one day out of your busy schedule, do visit the place, it is worth the day spent.