Mayank Sharma
SRS Hills Ramanagara | One of the umpteen beautiful things that Bangalore offers is the wide range of hills in and around the city.
While some hills challenge the trekker inside you and offer a great camping site as a reward, few others help you to connect to the divine.
Today, we will share our experience about our trip to a place where the hill tests you with a decent trek while comforting you with a shade till the top to save you from extreme sun or rain.
The reward of the journey is a blissful view from the top along with the blessings of Sri Revana Siddheswara, a reincarnation of Jagadguru Sri Renukacharya Ji.
Bangalore to SRS Hills Ramanagara
Kanakapura Road never disappoints any seeker who is on a quest to explore the divine in mid of nature, or the mysticism of the nature itself.
It is always a good idea to follow this beautiful road for an escape from the humdrum of the usual city-life.
While on Kanakapura Road, one starts seeing waterbodies as soon as one reaches the Art of Living International Center.
The traffic also starts getting lesser from this point and one can enjoy a nice ride or a drive.
Plenty of riders are often spotted near Silk Institute where the riding groups assemble for the weekend rides. Also, smaller groups of cyclists are seen enjoying the early morning fresh air.
South Indian Breakfast Points
A great authentic South-Indian breakfast is the first best thing to start the day with while exploring the state of Karnataka.
We usually believe in opting for the basic road-side eateries which have that authentic taste to offer while being friendly to our pockets and safe when it comes to hygiene.
We stopped at a place that offers the taste of Bidadi (Town near Bangalore-Mysore Expressway) on Kanakapura Road.
The shop’s name is Pavan Bidadi Thatte Idly & Benne Dosa Hotel. However, I recently learned that the hotel has been shut down.
For people who have come to know about Bidadi for the first time, this is a place that is famous for the breakfast comprising of Thatte Idly, a bigger and flatter variant of the usual Idly, and Benne Dosa (Benne meaning Butter).
For all the friends exploring north, people go to Bidadi here for Thatte Idly, the way people near Haryana go to Murthal specially to enjoy Parathas.
We ordered Benne Dosa, Thatte Idly and Poori Sabji followed by two invigorating coffees and it costed us just Rs.120.
Gift from Google | Mani Ratnam’s Picture-Perfect Village
While heading to our destination, thanks to Google Maps, which suggested us a detour, we ended up crossing a beautiful village.
This village seemed to be coming right out of Mani Ratnam Sir’s movies which had everything that one can think of.
There was a bridge with a sparkling stream, making it a sight worth seeing.
After crossing the bridge were these beautiful coconut trees standing in a line on both sides of the road, as if they were waiting to give us a warm welcome.
Then there was this old open well with a pulley, marking the entrance for the village. The village was a cluster of some new and old houses built closely, across a road of an average width.
As We Approaches SRS Hills Ramanagara
Our destination, SRS Hills, was soon visible after crossing the village and getting on the highway.
The first impression was of a giant blue serpent slithering on a huge rock while following two small creatures.
On a closer look, it turned out to be a blue colored shade which was covering the stairs that were leading to the two temples on the top of the hill.
On reaching the premises, we paid Rs. 30 for the car parking and made our way up to the last point till which the vehicles are allowed.
Parking space was ample and also there were some small shops offering Coconut Water, fritters, basic food and flowers for Pooja.
Closing Time of TSRS Hills Temple
For all the tardy souls out there, please ensure that you should not delay your arrival beyond 2:45 pm as the main gate gets closed at 3:00 pm.
One may take 5 to 10 minutes while parking the car and taking off the footwear before reaching the main entry gate.
Thankfully, we reached in the nick of time and the guard allowed us as the last entry.
The gate was closed right after we entered, and unfortunately, another family could not get the entry as they were 1 minute late. I am sure you would not want to miss the Darshan of the temple after coming so far.
Although you may see different timings mentioned online, the guard says the main gate is open from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm for entry. Please come back from the ascend by 5:00 pm.
A Not-So Uphill Task
With approximately 300 steps to climb the task was not so herculean considering the shade which is in place to comfort the climbers.
Being the last amongst the visitors, we saw few elderly people and some kids as well descending which also was quite motivating.
There were few tricky steps on the way where one needs to be careful.
Please carry your water bottle and something to munch on as the only edible item available on the top would be the bananas that you would get as Prasad.
We took nearly 15 minutes to reach the top while enjoying the beautiful view of a green fields, mango orchard and a lake with some boats.
Normally the time taken is anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes, depending on one’s comfort in hiking.
Sri Revana Siddheswara Temple
Thankfully we reached the top in time and we were able to enter Sri Revana Siddheswara Temple, a beautiful cave temple which is nestled on this magnificent monolith hill.
Inside this Shaiva temple is a Shivling and one can offer prayer through the priest who sits inside the temple.
We offered our Pooja and were blessed with a garland and some bananas as the Prasad. Soon after, by approximately 4:00 pm, the temple door was closed.
We had to keep the bananas in the bag as there were some monkeys around the temple.
Top of The World
Even though a height of 3066 feet (935 m) above sea level may not be considered too high officially, the feeling that you get is still top of the world.
There is a beautiful panoramic view, full of serenity, waiting to be captured. Two smaller temples and few bells hanging on an iron pole add on to the beauty.
The distant hills, green fields, villages, orchards and lakes make the place a site worth for all those shutterbugs who are into capturing landscapes.
We also clicked some pictures and then rested for a while, feeling the breeze and relishing the raw beauty of nature.
The Retreat
After spending some quality time on the top of the hill, we climbed down and then went to Renukamba Temple which is at the base of the hill.
We also had a close encounter with some monkeys but thankfully they had somehow sensed that we were not carrying anything edible.
Coconut water from the local vendor was helpful in quenching our thirst and revitalizing us at the same time.
A Quick Camping with a cup of Coffee
Since we still had some time and energy left with us, we planned to set up a quick camp to relax by the lake while enjoying a cup of coffee.
Fortunately, we found a spot which was just right to pitch the tent and set up our table to make coffee.
We had SRS Hill overlooking the lake right in front of us and I am sure that we could not have found a better spot.
Nature is the best musician – For those who listen
We witnessed the sun lazily sliding down and the ducks still searching the lake for food, completely utilizing the grace period given by the sun.
Soon some other smaller birds also returned back to the nests in the nearby shrubs and the sound of chirping started getting louder.
The crickets and some other insects also added chorus to the nature’s beautifully composed song.
We enjoyed mother earth’s composition for a while and before it would have become a lullaby putting us to sleep, we decided to pack up and head back.
We reached back home safely by 8:30 pm and a blissful trip was over this way.
Location Map
You can reach this wonderful place by following the below map:
Your location to srs hills – Google Maps
Summary
Let me summarize few important details about this temple:
- Distance – 60 KMs from Bangalore
- Timings – 8:30 am to 5:00 pm (But the last time to start climbing up is 3:00 pm, post which the gates are locked)
- Parking Space – Ample
- Parking Charges – INR 30/-
- Eatables – Eatables not available on the top of the hill. Please carry your own food and be careful about the monkeys.
- Drinking Water – Water not available on the top of the hill. Please carry your own water bottles.
- Activities – 15-30 minutes trekking, Pooja and blessings from Sri Revana Siddheswara Swami Ji. Boating and Camping sites available near the lake.
I recommend you to read our exclusive KRS Backwater camping experience.
Join Our Exclusive Travel Community!
You are cordially invited to join our exclusive TravelEscape Facebook community. In case you are interested, we also have a WhatsApp group.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading…