With the travel bug bombinating 🐝 inside my head yet again, and myself failing pathetically to hold its reins, succumbed to the enticing Mandaragiri 😍, just 80 km from Bangalore through NH 48🚙🚗 I was excited after seeing some photos of the place, packed food, water and snacks humming happily to myself. We left at 4.30 am, enjoyed the buttery smooth drive through empty Bangalore roads, crossed Dobbaspet and reached Madagondanahalli in Tumkur District, even before the mighty Sun peeked out of His dark clouded blanket. 🌤🌤. Trust Google Maps on this one!
There are lots to explore here - a Jain temple , huge statue of a Jain sage, a hillock to climb, ancient temple on top of the hill, a pristine lake, rocks to scramble over, nooks and crannies to explore, a muddy trail for hiking / offroading, peaceful ambience and lots of birdies cooing and calling. A complete package of natural beauties, steals the heart. Let your kids free here - let them unleash their curiosities and exert their energies.
My eyes opened wide at the first sight of this colourfully designed Jain Temple, almost 80 feet high, creatively built to look like the peacock-feathered brush used by Jain Theerthankaras. The tranquil ambience and well maintained gardens made us linger around the place for a long time, clicking, posing and enjoying the views. The temple opens at 6.30 am everyday and sufficient parking is available in front of the Jain Temple.
Adjacent to the shrine, stands the statue of Chandranatha Thirthankara in the midst of white marbled mandap. As the first golden rays of the Sun drifted through the trees, the dew drops on the grass glittered like diamonds.
We slowly moved out towards the Mandaragiri Hill with 450-500 steps to climb, making it a good morning workout. Infact, we witnessed few localites climbing the hill on their morning walk routine.
Four small temples on top, believed to be from 12th - 14th centuries are perched on top of the hill and the views were astounding. We descended soon as we noticed more attractive options at the back of the hill.
Through the arch to the right of the hill, we went on a short but adventurous offroading, towards the back of the hill - and wowwww.....the breathtaking beauty - still waters of the Mydala Lake. Such a serene spot - I was stunned by the beauty of the place! No words - Only pictures below 👇👇👇
That amazing feel when you are surrounded by such splendorous views! You will be lost for words. A small island and the surrounding huge trees are home for large number of feathery friends, adding a pinch of magic. We spent long hours here, filling our lungs with fresh mountain air and our souls with the tranquil silence. It was a mesmerising sight to behold, with sunlight glittering in the clear waters of the Mydala Lake.
Huge granites and rocks are scattered all over the banks of the lake, bringing out the creative photographer and poser out of everyone. While kids clambered around, adults were busy clicking selfies !
Our attention was diverted towards this muddy trail, with the vrooming of bikes, leading to the temple on top of Mandaragiri through the back gate. This mud and gravel road, with challenging inclines offers superb off roading for the bikers, rewarding one with a sense of accomplishment, once you have successfully manoeuvred it. Well! we manoeuvred it - with our legs🚶♀️🚶♂️ - and that was exciting too.
Yeah! Yeah! I clicked some awesome pictures from the top, for the views were clear and sharp. Lots of shrubs, trees and rocks to explore here too. There were small ponds, adding to the beauty of the place.
Finally, our tummies reminded us that we have feasted our eyes and heart well - and now it is the stomach's turn. We marched down on the slippery mud, treading carefully to reach the base.
There are several places to have a picnic here. The area is quite clean and well maintained. Please do not litter the place or pollute the waters. We satisfied our tummies with the food we had carried, looked around the lake once more and started our drive back, with happy memories. We were back home by 1 pm, just in time for a simple lunch and a glorious nap. Truly, a trip that started well, ended well! Adios - until next time.🖐🤟
Meanwhile, for more offbeat adventures and journeys, with pictures, map links and details at : https://wordpress.com/posts/deepassionatewanderer.wordpress.com
