Big Banyan Tree & Manchanabele Dam

Route : Bellandur - Mysore rd - Big Banyan Tree - Manchanabele Dam - Mysore rd - Bellandur

Round Trip : 113 KM

Time : Mar 1st 2015; 11:45 AM - 6:30 PM

Bike : Thunderbird 350

Riders : Me & Praveen as pillion

Places to Visit:
1. Big Banyan Tree (Dodda Aalada Mara)
2. Manchanabele Dam

Tips from my Experience:
1. Take NICE road unless if you are going on early morning.
2. Carry own food, but don't eat at the banyan tree. Monkeys will not allow you.
3. Dam entrance is closed, but It's worth seeing the landscape and it's just 10 KM from Tree.

This was an unexpected trip, My friend Praveen asked me for a small ride and so we have decided to go to Big banyan tree & Dam .....

Before starting we checked the route maps, there are two ways : one goes through NICE road and the other through Banashankari ORR. We have selected ORR as I don't like to pay the toll fee for a small trip and assumed no traffic after Banashankari circle. We have started just before 12 noon and weather is little hot, and to add that traffic is worse. finally after 1Hr of struggle we have crossed Banashankari. Traffic is getting worse as we moving ahead and many Traffic signals till the Mysore rd.

Got a great relief after reaching Mysore road, but still speed limit is 50 only. Some KSRTC bus not giving the way so I was following him at ~60 KMPH, and suddenly I see a Police vehicle with speed gun, Heart beat raised little bit as the police moving to stop someone.... luckily not ME. I think I was going little less to 60 KMPH , thanks to KSRTC for saving my 200 bucks :) :).

Once we separated from Mysore rd, felt so good with village atmosphere and greenery. Village roads are good but lot of speed bumps. Finally after 2 Hrs of ride, we reached Banyan tree. It's good that there is no fee for parking/ Entrance. Its really a big tree, but I am not convince'd it as a single tree, there are many roots and more over its not even 1 acre area (History says as 3 acres, may be globalization effected its area).

It is really a nice place for family spending a quality time of 2 to 3 Hrs from the City life. There are lot of Monkeys spoiling our mood but at same time fun for kids and animal lovers. Careful with Monkeys, if they see anything with you, they will not leave you. We were eating Groundnut's and walking... and saw one of the Monkey trying to grab the food from a family just in-front of us, they feed little to monkey and with a stick they made it go away. I understand the situation and quickly hide my Groundnut packet inside my Jacket. That bloody cunning Monkey somehow saw my packet and it came straight to me and standing in-front of me on 2 legs and other 2 holding my legs. As a animal lover, I felt good by seeing the Monkey action like how the Dogs do. I have waited for few secs to see what it will do. It is not attacking us nor leaving us. It understand something is there with me. finally I took few Ground nuts and given with hand. Looks like it did't like nuts and left me.

Took few pics of Tree.. and settled at some place. Everywhere Monkeys..Monkeys..behind the visitors for food. I put my Ground nut packet on a bench and eating slowly with confidence that Monkey don't come for it. With in no time, one Monkey came and sat next to me and trying to grab my packet. I quickly grabbed most of the nuts and left the paper with few nuts in it, still the Monkey looks like I grabbed his own property. while the monkey eating with concentration slowly we escaped to some other bench. I have finished the nuts before some other Monkey claims it.

There is no good Hotel in surrounding places, adjusted with some junk food and juices. After spending 2 Hrs, at 4PM started to Manchanabele Dam which is 10 KM (30 mins) ride from Tree. We know that Dam entrance is closed long time back, we just have to see it from road side or nearby fields. View is really beautiful with open water in a wide spread water body from the road itself. We took few landscape pics and started return journey.

This time we don't want to struggle in traffic, so we took NICE road with 36/- Rs toll till Electronic city. We enjoyed the slow and calm ride on NICE road. Suddenly its started raining, what else a biker need ???. Enjoyed the rain ride for few minutes and deicded to stop as our mobiles and wallets about to get drenched, but there is no shelter or nothing to take cover...after few mins, we saw a flyover and took a halt under the flyover till the rain stops. After 10 mins, raid resumed and reached EC . Not much traffic on Hosur road, with in no time reached Silkboard and then safely returned to home by 6:30 PM .

History :