Next morning Aunt Emma (our guest) stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped like a turban around her wet hair. "Did you sleep well?" asked Lina. "Oh, yes I did". We sat down to a breakfast of fried eggs and toast with baked beans and tea. "The end is near and zombies have started walking this earth". said Aunt Emma all of a sudden. "WHaT!! are you ser..." and Lina cut me short. Rubbing her palms together excitedly, she said "Let's go to Nandi hills this weekend and talk all about it"...
A family outing to Nandi hills
It's Friday morning, and although I wondered why Lina would recommend Nandi hills for a weekend of spooky tales; it still sounded like an excellent idea. Just 65km from the bustling metropolis, Nandi hills is Bangalore's most visited hillstation. The weekends are especially crowded. We packed a few things, before stopping by to get some snacks and drinks along the way. I also got a bottle of good wine for an evening of spooky tales.
Nandi hills or Nandidurg is one of the 9 hill forts envisioned by Kempe Gowda I to guard the city of Bangalore. The other 8 being~
2- Savandurga
3- Devarayanadurga
4- Huliyurdurga
6- Channarayana Durga
8- Bhairava Durga
And just like the others, a trekking trail leads trekkers atop Nandi hills. We, however, took the bus from Chikballapur that drove through the beautiful countryside and many hairpin bends. En route is the ancient Bhoga Nandeeshwar temple. This beautiful temple dedicated to lord Shiva is famous for its mesmerising sculptures, but we just drove through the gates until our final destination for the day.
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| A viewpoint at Nandi hills |
Where to stay in Nandi hills
Usually Nandi hills is done as a day trip from Bangalore. But, if staying overnight & experiencing the mist and sunrise next morning is what you wish, then KSTDC's Mayura Pine Top is the only option available with indisputably the best location atop the hill. But it's pricey plus weekend rates are higher. Check-in 1 pm, Check-out 11 am. We opted for a less expensive room with a balcony at KSTDC's Mayura Pine Top (sadly don't remember the rate).
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| A hotel at Nandi hills |
There are otherwise many premium and mid-range resorts and hotels at the foothills. There are also budget hotels not so far away at Doddaballapur and Muddenahalli.
It was dad's idea that we stay back and spend more time amidst the misty hills. Aunt Emma looked a bit tired too so I couldn't agree more. Since the check-in (1 pm) was later than anticipated, we preferred having lunch at one of the many small eateries.
Tip~ Watch out for monkeys, avoid loose carrying food.
A misty evening at Nandi hills
Karnataka tourism's Mayura Pine Top has an illustrious past as indicated on its many boards. It was the summer retreat to Tipu Sultan and the British, plus hosted many dignitaries.
NEHRU NILAYA
After a short siesta, we visited NEHRU NILAYA, named after Jawaharlal Nehru who had stayed here. It is still an exclusive guesthouse with stately decor and colonial style furniture. The well-kept garden is a beauty!
"How about some tea 🍵?" proposed Lina, so we stopped by the food court for some refreshments. Aunt Emma was more relaxed and laughed at dad's jokes and they talked about the people they knew in common.
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| bhel and chai, tea-time |
It was 5 pm and the mist began to gather slowly and steadily. As the evening progressed, it got colder and we snuggled in our coats. The few tourists were clearing the scene. The sound of the wind as the fog set in made the place seem so eerie that we thought it advisable to return back.
Tip~ do carry a jacket as the morning and night temperatures dip low.
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| Spooky tales night |
After hours spooky tales
As the darkness gathered outside and the wind made a howling sound, I shut the windows and snuggled into my quilt. We all waited with bated breath at what Aunt Emna had to say.
The Summoning
"Have y'all heard of the Ouija board?", asked Aunt Emma in a whispering tone.
I faintly recollect watching a movie with a board like this...
Lina cried out "Yes, yes it's a sort of planchette with letters and numbers."
Aunt Emma: "That's right, it's used to summon the spirits of people who are dead!"
YeWww this was certainly turning out scary.
Me: "But why would people want to summon spirits of the dead?"
Aunt Emma: "To find out some secrets, to get answers to questions that have been disturbing them, or to contact a loved relative or friend they miss"...
So aunt related how she was invited to a house birthday party of a relative. Much to her surprise, the members of the family later assembled around an Ouija board and began summoning spirits of each person they knew asking questions. 2/ 3 family members lightly touched a coin and it moved to each letter spelling out the answer to the question.
The wind howled like anything, so we thought of giving it a break. It was 8 pm and time for dinner. So we passed the bottle of good wine 🍷 around and ended with a satisfying dinner.
< Day 2 >
Next morning we woke up to a knock on our door. It was the tour guide recommended by the hotel. So after a quick breakfast we got ready and set out for the day's sightseeing.
What to see and do in Nandi hills
# 1 get your head in the clouds ☁️
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| Walking through the clouds at Nandi hills |
Experiencing the slow-moving and low-hanging ☁️ clouds at Nandi hills is at a different level altogether. We shuffled along as our guide led us to the rocky outcrop yonder that was teeming with weekenders already. It was a chilly early morning as we snuggled into our coats and held close to each other since visibility was quite low. But the clouds cleared slowly as the sun shone through.
# 2 Yoganandeeshwara Temple
When the mist cleared, we visited the small Yoganandeeshwara Temple. As explained by our guide,the sculptures portray the end stage of lord Shiva's life. Judging by its look, the temple does seem quite ancient.
Thereafter, we took a break for refreshments and some hot tea. I snuggled close to dad to keep myself warm. Other places to look for :
# 3 signs of Tipu Sultan at Nandi hills
Weapons house, Tippu’s Summer Palace, Tipu's drop
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| dad walking towards an artillery shell since the days of Tipu Sultan, Nandi hills KARNATAKA |
#4 the huge statue of Nandi
probably after whom the hill is named. Whispering in the ears of Nandi is said to make your wishes come true ~ as stated by our guide.
#5 Nature Walks
through the early morning mist is just as alluring. There is also a park where kids can have a good time.
It was an interesting weekend. A great deal of Aunt Emna's spooky tale had me thinking.
Till then.. Do Comment and Share my blog. Bye!!
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