Nandi Hills

Nandi Hills, a towering pair of hills 65 kms. north of Bangalore, is a must-see local sight. Judging by the foothill temples built by the 9^th century Bana rulers, it appears the broad flat plain, overlooked by the 4,800 ft. high twin peaks, has been on the must-see list for centuries. Subsequent Hindu temple builders from the Chola, Hoysala and Vijayanagar empires continued to be drawn to these majestic hills.

Our visit to Nandi Hills was to see the remnants of the hilltop fortification built by the more recent Islamic dynastic rulers, Hyder Ali and his son, Tippu Sultan. Built in the late 18^th century, summer homes, tanks (water reservoirs) and ramparts were constructed to defend this strategic location. Ownership of the hilltops and the valley below changed hands in 1791 when British forces under the command of Lord Cornwallis defeated Tippu Sultan’s fortress garrison. The hilltop then saw the building of a British bungalow for Sir Mark Cubbon. Finally, time and independence returned the hilltop to Indian rule. Cubbon’s bungalow is now a guesthouse with a statue of Nehru prominently displayed outside in the lush garden.

The first adventure to Nandi Hills is the drive from Bangalore. The 40 mile trek took over two hours. With the construction of Bangalore’s new international airport in nearby Davanahalli, new road systems will soon replace the jarring roads of today. Remaining after the airport opening in 2008 with its current “rutted charm” will be the short stretch of road from the airport to the base of Nandi Hills. Also remaining will be the winding switchbacks with numbered curves that snake up the hillside to the fortress.

The grounds of the hilltop containing temples, fortress remnants and the head waters for the Pennar, Palar and Arkavati Rivers is more rustic than we expected. The vistas and the sense of history one gets as you walk along the ramparts studded with cannon and musket ports are more magical than we imagined.

A bit of unexpected whimsy was added to our visit of one of Tippu Sultan’s summer residences by the playful antics by the many monkeys. Perched high atop one wall was a youthful monkey with his head tucked neatly into a coconut shell, attempting to remove the last bit of coconut meat. The shell eventually came crashing down not far from us, either by careless happenstance or a practiced habit of cracking the shell to acquire the last morsel inside. More monkeys were found elsewhere climbing, sitting, preening or just playfully looking at us. Where’s a barrel when you need one? Interestingly, when the camera was pulled out for a close up, shyness was the order of the day.