Kolli Hills

This trip is actually for friend's marriage at Thuraiyur, so Thuraiyur - Namakkal  are extra in below Route.

Route : Bellandur - Hosur - Salem - Namakkal - ( Thuraiyur - Namakkal ) -  Kolli Hills - Namakkal - Salem - Hosur - Bellandur 

Round Trip : 813 KM ( included 124KM of Namakkal - Thuraiyur - Namakkal route also)  

Time : April 3rd 2015; 4:00 AM - April 4th 2015; 11:00 PM

Bike : Thunderbird 350

Riders : Me & Anshuman

Places to Visit:
         1. Agaya Gangai Waterfalls
         2. Arapaleeswarar temple
         3. Masila falls
         4. Seekuparai View point
         5. Selur view point
         6. Koyilur View point
         7. Botanical Garden
         8. Boat House
         9. Selur Nadu
       10. Mini Falls
       11. Siddhar Caves

Tips from my Experience:
          1. Agaya Gangai Waterfalls is not recommended for heart patients/old people, 1086 steps in one way.
          2. Carry own food & Lots of Water, Too costly on top of hill.
          3. Petrol bunk available on Top, but might be little costly.
          4. Only Tamil on sign boards, try to remember the Tamil Lipi for the required names.

Lets go to the Trip details from beginning...

               2 weeks back one of my colleague/friend Vasanth met Me and invited for his Marriage, which is on April 3rd at Thuraiyur. It's on GooDFriday holiday and followed by a weekend. Thuraiyur is 60 KM far from Kolli hills and also long weekend, that's so luring.. like throwing a meat to the hungry Lion.  But not expected that we will be going by Bike. Informed about the Marriage and trip to my gang in Watsapp and expected going  by car because of summer time. Only Anshu & Me are ready for the trip :( , so obviously we both decided to go by Bike. Before going to any bike trip, big thing is Bike checkup. Its been 4+ months and 2K+ KM done from last service. So thought of giving for oil change, chain tight and basic checks. Since it is a basic service, decided to give just 2 days before the trip; on April-1st started to Bellandur RE showroom for servicing. 

              It is my first paid service and also trying new service center, I reached RE service center around 9:10 AM and they just started taking bikes, but for my bad they say only free service bikes allowed since they don't have enough parking space. Felt very angry on them and started to my regular service center near to KR Puram. Reached there by 9:40 AM, by the time so many bikes in the Que. Fate again laughed at me, these guys also not taking bikes because of overloaded & no parking place and mainly 3 day delay of delivery. Without service not good to go for long trip..din't get what to do...left to office for the day. 

          Just one day left for trip; if I give at local service, then I must put WorkFromHome and take back the bike at evening. Anshu works in a Bank and for him April-2nd is holiday and luckily his house is near to the service center (Saleem bullet center near to Indira nagar). So I have decided to stay at his home and put WFH. We planned to book a resort on Kolli hills and called few resorts, all good hotel are full because of long weekend. Don't want spend 1500/- bucks on cheap hotels, so thought of booking hotel at directly on the day.

         Bike service done, Anshu packed his luggage and we both left to my house for night stay. Filled 900/- oil before sleep and checked all required bike Papers, First aid kit, camera,chargers...etc and set alarm to 3 AM. Time is 11:30 PM, still not getting sleep...because of tomorrows big day....thinking of it....somehow finally went to deep sleep... Marriage time is between 9 AM to 10:30 AM, so planned to start at 4 AM and reach by 9 AM.

        tring..tring..tring..tring..with an alram beep woke up at 3 AM and got ready quickly. Exactly 4 AM, while everyone sleeping silently...Enfiled roar scared the night daemons and  the powerful headlight won the battle over the dark king and made a path to start. I love the melodious glassy kind of sound when engine revs in cold. Slowly moved on to the empty & non-polluted early morning Bangalore roads. Engine started heating and slowly reached Silkboard. From Silkboard on-words increased the speed and moving with rocket speed. 

owww...a scary BULL.

        Every 1 Hr, we took 10 mins break for small photo session and switching the seats after a little exercise. Had Breakfast in saravana bhavan just before Salem and reached Namakkal at 8 AM. Traveled 287KM in 4 Hrs with an average of 71 KMPH. Actually we maintained 100+ KMPH through out the ride, yet we made average of 71 KMPH because of breaks, diversions and overtaking of slow moving lorries. Till Namakkal road is NH-7, no need to tell about the road conditions.. its perfect. only at 2 places small diversions due to flyover constructions. From Namakkal to Thuraiyur, road is through villages and lot's of speed bumps. Took nearly 1:30 Hr for 60 KM and finally reached Function hall at 9:30 AM. 

            As soon as we got down from bike, we felt the Tamilnadu's HOT. Morning time itself so much hot, for a movement we thought "Is Tamilnadu on a Planet EARTH or on a Planet SUN".  Entered in to function hall and we were sweating like anything... We couldn't sit for a minute there, but we need to take rest as we are tired of journey. After 30 Mins, marriage got finished and wished the couple and then had a lunch at 10:30 AM.. that's an odd time for lunch. Room booked for us already just opposite to function hall, with out any delay we jumped on to beds. Still we are sweating a lot. I took a bath and slept for sometime. In this Hot sun we can't roam anywhere, so we decided to take rest till the evening and thinking what to do. 

            Plan is : Go to Namakkal before the night and find a Lodge for night and early morning start to kolli hills, explore till afternoon and return back, take 1 hr rest and start back to Bangalore.

   

      As per plan, we reached Namakkal and asked locals for cheap and best hotel. Sri Bhavan Lodge is best one and then Annapurna lodge. 1100/- bucks for the AC room in Sri Bhavan Lodge, luckly we got window AC room for 900/-. Switched ON full AC and then felt the heaven. Finished dinner in a hotel, which is in same building and then filled 500/- bucks oil. Finally first day comes to an end. 

Sri Bhavan Lodge.. spacious and clean.

     Woke up early morning 4 AM and at 5 AM started to Kolli hills to catch the SUN rise. Roads are completely empty and no one on the ghat roads. Totally 70 Hair pin bends...WoW that's a lot of feast for the riders. We enjoyed each curve and reached top of the hill at 7 AM, but we don't find a spot for sun rise..so missed it. Now comes the hard part, where to go? Kolli hills are part of eastern ghats covered total of 280 KM2 area and 1300 meters high to sea level. There are no signs at all in English and the hill is so huge. We were so hungry and no hotel is ready for breakfast. Till 8 AM, we were roaming and finally one hotel served breakfast at Semmedu bus stand.  Finally we found one Tourism route board  in English and deiced to go to nearest Seekuparai View point and then to Agaya Gangai water falls. 

Ghost Rider (my friend Anshu)

Yup that's me on Ghat road.

70 Hair pins...nearly 1 Hr ride...feast for riders.

One and only route map in English. that too bottom map not visible.

Seekuparai View point...good one.

          Semmedu Bus stand is like a center of the Hill and all the stores are available here. Seekuparai View point is around 1.5 KM and Agaya Gangai water falls is 12 KM from Semmedu. We have remembered these names in Tamil Lipi and followed the route signs. Lot of fog is covered over the city & hills, yet it is great view. Spent 30 mins of quality and peaceful time and then back to Semmedu, from here waterfalls is opposite direction and 12 KM distance with lot of hair pin and many steep bends, which is more amazing than the 70 hair pin route. 10/- ticket for bike parking, which will be collected before reaching the waterfalls. Finally we reached end of the road where Arapaleeswarar temple is located. We have no intention to visit the temple, so parked our bike in shade place and started for Falls.. From here we have to walk to the Falls through 1086 steps.. yes you read correctly..its 1086 steps/1 KM walk. 10/- ticket for the falls. 

         Going down of 1K steps is not so hard, at some places steps are too steep; not recommended for heart problem/old people. As we are closing to the falls, we can hear the water sound. Water fall is not at its full force, yet sufficient for enjoyment. Not much crowded at the morning, we have enjoyed for 2 Hrs. I think this is my first experience of waterfalls. I have been to Hogenakkal falls, but where  we touched the water is not even falls. Standing exactly below the main falls is like facing the Thor's Mjölnir. Had a great fun with falling water, spent 2 Hrs nearly and decided to leave. By the time we are about to leave, many people started coming and its became full rush. Good that we have visited in the morning. There is a room for dress change but it was so crowded, so we have changed at some remote place in the hills.  

OMG..should we go back...?

Pearls falling from sky...so beautiful.

That's me..and the rainbow is not a camera trick..and it's visible only from very close

I guess you too feeling the Thor's Mjölnir in below pic!

Falls not at its full force..yet sufficient enough to enjoy

         Started climbing the steps by counting them; after reaching some 500 steps, we are done. OMG still more than halfway...we were climbing up very hardly.... Reached 700 steps and we have no more energy at all to move, and our legs started vibrating... we took 10 mins break and started again. Next is a big test; very steep and huge steps ahead. Believe it or not, for each step we took a break and literally we climbed each step by hanging to the side rails. Finally our struggle come to an end and felt more joy than seeing the waterfalls. Had some jack-fruit and decided to leave the hills at 12 PM. 

        I was in driving seat most of the time above the hills, so Anshu took the handle while descending the hill. We put engine off and enjoyed the slow & calm descending. Totally 20 KM distance covering the 70 hair pins. We stopped at some green forms for photo session and reached lodge at 2:30 PM.

Photo session below the hills (that's my friend Anshu)

          Finished Lunch and took rest till 5 PM and then started return journey to Bangalore. We maintained 80KMPH top speed for the entire ride on NH-7.  Halted 30 mins for dinner at Krishangiri and filled 500/- bucks oil at Hosur as Petrol price is 4/- less in Tamilnadu. By the time we reached Bangalore city, less traffic and peacefully reached home at 11:30PM. What a trip we had finally, another great memory stored for both of us.

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 :

It's Huge  :

Strong Roots:

ha ha... Me, having fun with our own Human Root :

Manchanabele Dam Landscape:

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