MAKALI DURGA TREK -2022

Hi Friends, 

This is second venture of our SplCABGang Trek outing in the month of September 2022.

Left Bangalore towards DBPura- in four vehicles- reached common point at DCross, had small Breakfast in Samruddi Garden  

and moved  towards Ghati Subramanya Temple,  had a darshan of Lord Kartikeya along with Narasimhaswamy  as we went early in the morning no rush were there for darshan- we had as Special Darshan over there

Ghati Subramanya  is a Hindu temple, situated on the outskirts of Bangalore near Tubagere, Doddaballapura, Karnataka, India. It is 60 km from the city and is a popular pilgrimage centre. The uniqueness of this temple is that the prime deity Lord Karthikeya, is found together with Lord Narasimha. According to mythology, both idols are believed to have emerged from the earth. It is also an important centre in South India for worship of the Hindu deity Kethu. Special rituals are performed during Brahmarathotsava, i.e., on the day of Pushya shudda Shashti. Narasimha Jayanti is the other major festival celebrated here.

Bangalore to Doddaballapura : 44km : can be reached by KSRTC or BMTC’s. or Private Vehicles

Doddaballapura to Ghati Subramanya: 16km : KSRTC or private carriages.

after having Darshan at Ghati we  left towards  our staying place in TapasiHalli (owned by Sri Kishore- kind heartened Guy-Special Thanks to Sri Honnalingappa Ji ) and  having some light Tea we started Trek to Makali Durga Trekking Starring Point Crossing Railway Lane-

Info about Makalidurga

Makalidurga is a hill fort situated near the village of the same name. It is 60 km north of Bangalore and 10 km after Doddaballapura on the way to Gauribidanur. The fort at the summit has an old temple of Shiva with Nandi and in legend Markandeya Rishi performed penance here.

Makalidurga Fort stands at the top of a huge granite hillock, huddled up amidst the chains of hills, formed like a valley close to Ghati Subramanya, a well-known pilgrimage center. It has a fort on top, at a height of 1,117 m.

It has become one of the trekking destination for adventurers. Many people go for night trek to this place.

The Makalidurga trek is the nearest railway trek to Bangalore. It begins with a 2-km walk on the railway track from the station of Makalidurga. One can also ride bikes to the beginning of the trekking trail as well. A lot of refreshments is advised to be carried in case one wants to trek this hillock.

Makalidurga trek is of a medium/difficult level. The total trek route is 4 km in length, which should take approximately 3 hours to complete. There is a parking space created for vehicles in the base of the hill. One has to just cross the railway track and turn left. There is a small temple and some houses at the base of the trek. It is where the trek starts. The trek is managed by Karnataka Tourism department and one needs to make a prior booking on their official website myecotrip.com, which charges a sum of ₹250 Indian rupees per adult. 

Karnataka Tourism provides a guide and local support for the charge. There is a public notice by Karnataka Forest Department as follows: "Makali hills comes under Makali Reserve Forest. This place is under the supervision of Doddaballapur forest department. Illegal trekking is prohibited, which is an offence under Section 24(C)II of Karnataka Forest Act-1963. Strictly illegal trekking is restricted. But on the public and trekkers demand, department provided the facility for trekking through online booking in website www.myecotrip.com. Night trekking not allowed. Morning 0600am to 0500pm only." Also, after a few meters, one can find an open ground with a view of the mountain. Turning right, would lead one to the trek path with markings all around. There are fort ruins and a temple at the top. 

Attractions : Trek, Greenery
Season            : January to December
Weather : Summer (25 to 30°C), Winter (15 to 25°C), Rainy (20 to 25°C)

How to reach Makalidurga-Nearest Bus station
Nearest bus station is Doddaballapura which is 10 km away.

Nearest Railway Station-Makalidurga has a railway station.

Nearest Airport-Nearest airport is Bengaluru.

How to reach Makalidurga from Bangalore

Car / Taxi

Bengaluru to Makalidurga distance is 58 km via State Highway 9. From Bengaluru, connect to Bellary road / Ramana Maharshi road. Drive from State Highway 9 to Melinajuganahalli. Drive along this road for around 50 km. Take left to reach Makalidurga.

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I Thank Sri Kishore for a wonderful Hospitality at Tapasihalli- No words to say about Sri Kishore, What an amazing person you are! You showed to us so much love and kindness even when you didn’t know us except Sri Honnalingappa. God bless you for your hospitality. A simple thank you is nowhere near enough to show us our  appreciation and express our deepest gratitude for your hospitality.

It was great visiting. You were so kind and I just want to let you know We cherish it. You are a true friend. Thank you. We can never repay you for the kindness shown me, but you took yours to a whole new level. May God never stop rewarding you for being so kind to us.

God bless you abundantly Sri KishoreJi and this event is well  organised - executed by Sri HonnalingappaJi a great Special Thanks to him also on this occasion

Thanks to One and All of SplCABGang Members

HUTRIDURGA TREK-2022

Hutridurga TREK-2022

On Sunday, the 24th July 2022, we friends of Secretariat [SplCABGANG] drove towards Kunigal at around 8:00AM. and it is place of our colleague Sri Gangadhar, who is the resident of Doddapalya, near Kammanahalli, visited his house and his farm and a nice breakfast and we proceeded towards Hutridurga [ Uttari Betta ]

Hutridurga is situated 65km from Bangalore and 15km from Kunigal. It is located off Kunigal-Magadi state highway (SH94). Google maps and helpful locals will be able to guide you to the base. There is a designated parking area at the base, near the village temple. Villagers especially the priest of the temple  will collect a nominal fee. 

Most people trek this hill fort in the night or at dawn to view the sunrise. By the time we reached, many were heading back after having watched the sunrise. The place is safe for night treks.

Hutridurga trek is an easy trek and can be completed within an hour. Most of the trail has rock-cut steps. The first stop, is at Shankeshwara temple. There is a small pond by the temple. We relaxed there for a while. The route leading to summit was marked. Some places were steep but nicely built stairs carved on the hills helped, some places without any stairs and you will have to negotiate thorny bushes along the way. With each elevation we could see wall fortification.

More about Hutridurga

Hutridurga, also known as Uttari Betta is a fortified hill in the south-east of Kunigal taluk, rising to 3708 feet above the sea level that is located 15km south-easterly to Kunigal, the Taluk centre. Hutridurga is situated about 65 km west of Bengaluru in the state of Karnataka, in Kunigal taluk, Tumakuru district. It is situated off the Kunigal-Magadi state highway (SH94), at a distance of about 7 km from it and 10 km from the Anchepalya industrial area on the Bengaluru-Mangalore National Highway (India) - NH48 near Kunigal.

Hutridurga was built by Kempegowda in the 16th century. Ruined fortifications are still visible on the two hillocks surrounding the village. Historically, Huthridurga Fort was the military bastion of Tipu Sultan against British, which was conquered by the latter in 1791. It is believed to have been a seven tiered fort and is considered one among the nine "Durgas" (fortified hills) around Bengaluru ("Nava Durgas"). It has a small temple dedicated to Shiva known as the Shankareshwara temple, a Nandi idol on the top of the hill and an Anjaneya temple, midway. Aadi Narayanaswamy and Veerabhadra temples are situated in the village. The Pooja to the deity is done only on Mondays and Fridays. It saw use as a center of administration during summer and there are structures that housed the war commander, soldiers and a stone umbrella that is said to have been used by Kempegowda himself.

The hill fort has eight gateways from the foot to the summit in addition to several outer gates. On the summit known as Sankarakumbhi is situated a small Shankareshwara temple with a spring called Dodda done or big spring in front of it. From the summit, we get an extensive view of the surrounding landscape dotted by a large number of tanks and hills. Hutridurga derives its name from Hutri, a village situated about 3 km from the foot of the hill. The village immediately at the foot of the hill is known as Santhepet and that situated on the first elevation as Hutridurga. The Hutridurga village has several temples of Adinarayana, Veerabhadra and Anjaneya etc.

It is a day hike for enthusiasts showcasing the nature at its best and is located close to the state capital of Karnataka, Bengaluru. Wildlife includes a diversity of insects, birds and mammals, including bear, leopard and wild boar. As available infrastructure is basic, there have been discussions about initiating work to build a museum to showcase Kempegowda particularly as it is the only place that has monuments connected personally to the founder of Bengaluru There have also been demands to improve public transport services to this hobli cum village. the whole hike is 5 km in distance and can be completed by beginners

Egyptian vulture

The Egyptian vulture, also called the white scavenger vulture or pharaoh's chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus Neophron. It is widely distributed from the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa to India

Egyptian vultures feed mainly on carrion but are opportunistic and will prey on small mammals, birds, and reptiles

Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:         Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Near Hutridurga is the village of Sondalagere, home to the Kambada Narasimha Swamy (Pillar Narasimha Swamy) temple. The village is situated on Kunigal - Magadi road via Kempanahalli at a distance of 12 km from Kunigal town and connected by bus service. The village has views of Hutidurga hill.

After descending had a nice Lunch at Doddapalya, left towards Bangalore by 5 pm, I thank Sri Gangadhar, for the Nice Breakfast and Lunch at his place

PANORAMA VIEWS

-- Yeshwanthpur [Bangalore]  to  to Johnson Tile Factory via Nelamangala on Kunigal Road- 60 Kms

-- Johnson Tiles Factory to Hutridurga - 15 Kms approx

-- Bangalore to Hutridurga around 75 kms 1 1/2 hrs drive 

Even when time and distance get in the way, we always pick up right where we left off. That’s true friendship. Thank you so much for taking the time to reconnect with us - Shashi Bhai

Thank you for making our trip absolute perfection! This trip was amazing because of Shashi Bro.”

Thank you for the fun times and incredible memories. We will cherish them forever.”

“It was wonderful visiting with all of SplGang Guys.  Each moment was such a joy, and I’m looking forward to the next time we see each other. Thank you so much! Shashi Bhai and Gangadharji”

Thank you, thank you, thank you for going out of your way to meet up with us of all  bad guys ,

Seeing you brightened our day and Our Spl trip. I hope to see you again soon.”

With Regards and lot of Love to all Group Members

Sateesh