Road Trips From Bangalore Archives - Page 3 of 3

Road trip From Bangalore to Nandi Hills: A Beautiful Temple You Don’t Want to Miss

Renu on July 17, 2019

In all our Road trip from Bangalore to Nandi Hills, We never miss to visit this ancient, beautiful temple named Boga Nandeshwara Temple with a breathtaking pond.

Many visit Nandhi hills to watch sunset.

Many go on one day trip from Bangalore to Nandi hills for adventurous trip, for trekking with groups.

Not all of them know about this ancient temple which is picture worthy from all the angles. The majestic pond is this temple’s highlight. One must visit this temple to witness the beauty and vast history behind its architecture.

Road trip From Bangalore to Nandi Hills

About Nandi Hills Temple

Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple is located at the foot of Nandi Hills Bangalore, approximately 15kms away. Not to confuse this temple with Yoga Nandeeshwara temple a.k.a Nandi Temple located on top of the hills. But there is a connection between these two temples which many of us don’t know.

These two temples together depict the different forms of Lord Shiva. From Childhood to adult married form depicted in Bhoga Nandeeshwara temple. Whereas final phase of “renunciation” is depicted in Yoga Nandeeshwara temple at the hilltop.

Since it represents a departure from the married life, there are no festivals celebrated in Yoga Nandeeshwara temple.

Note: This Nandi Hills temple is not the same “Nandi temple” in Mysore.

In Bhoga Nandeeshwara temple you can see childhood form as “Arunachaleswara” shrine located on the south, youth form located on the north. (Both are beautiful majestic Shiva Lingas with individual Nandhi guarding them).

In Between “Arunachaleswarar” shrine and “Bogha Nandeeshwara” shrine is the “Uma Maheswara” shrine where Lord Shiva is married to Goddess Parvati, sitting on their Vehicle Nandhi. You will be amazed looking at the ornamental pillars which are small but breathtakingly beautiful. Scroll down to see the pics below.

Temple Pond – Pushkarni Details

Also there is a Kalynai / Pushkarni (temple pond) adjacent to the temple, a very beautiful pond which attracts hundreds of visitors for its exotic design, artistic appearance and its cultural heritage. It is also called Shringi Theertha, Myth says that it was created by Nandi and it is also the source of South Pinakini (South Pennar) River.

Google Map Link of Nandi Hills temple – https://goo.gl/maps/B8H5bD394o1JENTi8

Pushkarni or Temple Pond in Bogha Nandeeshwara Temple

(Note: this pond pic is from internet search since it is beautifully captured than my mobile phone)

Update (14th July 2019) – Since last year we click pics from the Canon EOS 800 D DSLR camera we bought in 2018 for our long bike trip. Also we carried our personal phones whenever we couldn’t take out the DSLR or no space in luggage. Rajesh carried One Plus A6010, and whereas I carried Samsung galaxy S7. Got to tell you my Samsung pics were no good compared to the clarity of One plus. Decided that when I upgrade my phone, I would definitely go for the One plus only.

Road Trip From Bangalore to Nandi Hills – How To Reach

Nandi Hills Bangalore is the most preferred choice for one day bike trip destination by bikers.

It is such a beautiful sight to watch many bikers parading in small or big groups to Nandi hills.

With approximately 70 kms distance from Bangalore to Nandi hills, you have smooth NH 48 roads for seamless drive for the entire 2 hrs of drive. You might experience a slow traffic until Kempegowda Airport on weekdays, especially on Saturdays. Sundays are the most peaceful days.

The distance from Bangalore airport to Nandi Hills is 47 kms distance, which is the most greenery roads.

There are also bus facilities from Bangalore to Nandi hills, and from Nandi hills to Bogha Nandeeswara temple.

Thanks to “Archaeological survey of India”, this famous Nandi Hills Temple is well maintained all the times.

Riding to Nandi hills temple is always a pleasant experience. Once on the way to Nandi hills temple we spent time around the rose plantation, clicked some pics before we reached there.

Read – Kolar is another best place for one day road trip from Bangalore.

If you like to go trekking to far places from Bangalore, you could go either go Coorg or Talakona forest and waterfalls or Yercaud.

10 Things to do around Nandi Hills

After a couple of bike ride to Boga Nandeeshwara temple, we went one step ahead and visited multiple places far apart from this temple in one day.

On 5th November 2016, We went on One day bike trip to the very famous Lepakshi Temple (Anantapur District, Andra Pradesh) after visiting Boga Nandeeshwara temple. I suggest travelling to Lepakshi Temple, which is one of the best one day trips from Bangalore within 150 kms.

That day alone we rode bike for 300 kms on up and down journey. One of the memorable adventurous bike trips ever because we have traveled up and down two different states in one day. Good news is Lepakshi temple is just 76 kms away from the Nandi hills.

On 21st jan 2017, we went on One day bike trip to visit Sri Ranganathar Temple (Rangastala) and Boga Nandeeswarar Temple (Nandi Hills) in Chikkaballapur District followed by Ghati Subramanya Temple in Doddabellapur District. We rode 286 Kms on that day alone. Another memorable bike ride experiences.

Read – How to Travel to Hampi by Train From Bangalore.

Here are the 10 things to do Around Nandi Hills Bangalore

Watching sunset and going on a trek are the most common things people would do in Nandi hills, here are the other things you could do.

Ride to Bangalore to Bogha Nandeeshwara temple, spend time around temple and in the temple pond.
Go Watch Sunset in Nandi Hills top after visiting Yoga Nandeeshwara temple at the hilltop
Go trekking in Nandi Hills (join any organised groups for trekking to Nandi Hills with food and water provided)
Visit Sri Ranganathar Swamy temple in Rangastala, 11 kms away from Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple
Trekking in Avalabetta Hill, 46 kms away from Bhoga Nandeeshwara Temple
Visit Lepakshi Temple in Anantapur district, Andra State, 76 Kms away from the Nandi Hills
Go visit Ghati Subramanya temple, 29 kms away from Nandi Hills
Go watch traditional dance at Nrityagram located 50 kms away from Nandi hills towards Nelamangala.
Visit Grover Zampa Vineyards, spend a day at grapes plantation in the Devanahalli road.
Or stay in Discovery Village resort in Nandi Hills, enjoy the weather, sunrise and sunset for 2 days, nothing but chill with the family or friends.

Road trip from bangalore to Nandi Hills — One day Bike trip from Bangalore to Nandi Hills images

Bangalore to Nandi hills — Nandi Hills temple – Bogha Nandeeshwara Temple images

nandi hills bike trip temple images — Nandi Hills temple – Bogha Nandeeshwara Temple images

Nandi hills bike trip images — Boga Nandeeshwara temple main entrance

Nandi hills bangalore images — Boga Nandeeshwara temple – Inside entrance to main sanctum

Nandi hills - Boga Nandeeshwara temple images — Nandi hills – Boga Nandeeshwara temple images

One day Bike trip from Bangalore to Nandi Hills images

Bogha Nandeeshwara Temple Nandi Hills Karnataka

As I mentioned earlier, road trip from Bangalore to Nandi hills is always a pleasant experience for us riding among agri fields.

One day trip or a short trip, Nandi Hills Temple is one of the best nearby places in Bangalore to visit on weekends.

7 Articles on Trekking in Coorg I found Useful for Travelers

Renu on November 15, 2018

I have found 7 articles from famous bloggers on Trekking in Coorg which are useful for Travelers.

We are just back from 4 days bike trip to Coorg from Bangalore, starting from 1st November to 4th November 2018.

Travelling to any new destinations, we both invest some time to know the places, temple histories, places to see around, good restaurants and good accommodations.

So, I have compiled all the blog articles that I read which talk about Coorg travel, Trekking in Coorg, Homestays, Coffee plantation experiences and much more.

And I shared my travel experience in Madikeri Coorg, at the end of this article.

About Coorg – Kodagu, also known as Coorg, is a rural district in the southwest Indian state of Karnataka. In the area’s north, Madikeri Fort has 2 life-size elephant statues at its entrance, plus a Gothic-style church with a museum on its grounds. Nearby, the Hindu Omkareshwara Temple dates back to the 19th century. Farther north are the domed Raja’s Tomb, a burial place of Kodava kings, and cascading Abbi Falls. (Source Wikipedia)

Part I: 7 Real life Traveler’s experience on Trekking in Coorg

Travel Highway Blog

This is an interesting travel article where every bit of trek to Tadiandamol, Coorg is explained. I loved the way the author narrated her story from start to end of the trekking at Coorg with a group of 15 members. She narrated that how she had a difficult time trekking without proper shoes, lack of water and food supply and unforgettable experience when the team saw a snake in the trails. It was quite an article with many pics.

But, no much information on where she camped (if any), transportation and accommodation details. All I learnt from her article is I would need good supportive shoes, food and water supply and team coordination as I might get split up on the way up.

So, overall this article is helpful for travellers interested in Coorg one day trip and trekking in Coorg.

Thinking Particle Blog

This article caught my interest because the author traveled by bike to Coorg from Bangalore, and shared his both bike ride and trek experience to Mandalapatti. Our extensive Bike ride experiences have taught us many lessons – one of them is “be prepared for any sudden deviation in the plan at any point in time”.

I was not surprised when the author mentioned that they could not go trek on the planned day due to bike ride delay. I could very well relate to our bike ride experiences, where many things went wrong in our bike travel, one of them is in Dubare Elephant Camp.

It is an interesting article to see his pics of his bike ride, trekking and camping in Coorg.

Suramya Blog

This is another useful and descriptive article on one-day trekking in Coorg from Bangalore. If you are looking for a guide on one-day trek guide to tadiandamol from Bangalore, this article explains it all. From her trek experience I understood, they returned on the same day to Bangalore – accommodation details also provided. She has carried her food and water supply, so no complaints on those. Overall it seems to be a pleasant experience. Pics say it all.

Escape To Explore Blog

Yet another descriptive article on one day trek to Tadiandamol, Coorg from Bangalore. I liked the way the author first experienced trekking in rain and kayaking. And her trip ended at Golden temple in Nisargadama. In her words, it is “soul-satisfying experience”. If you are looking for a one-day trek in Coorg or planning to book one-day trekking in Coorg via Thrillophilia, this article would be useful. And useful for travelers looking for Coorg one day trip from Bangalore, especially for trekking plans.

My Recent Trips Blog

Even though the author has not gone any trekking in Coorg trip she went, I listed this article for the information, “do’s and dont’s” from her 3 days and 2 nights travel plan.

She has covered Mysore and Coorg in 3 days, spending 12k on budget. Overall, this is a very useful article for someone who is planning to couple 2 places (Mysore and Coorg) in one trip and how you can make maximum out of the trip sightseeing many places.

Like her, we too did stay in Mysore on day-1, roamed around the cleanest city in the evening, headed to Coorg on day-2. If you are looking for one day trip to Coorg from Mysore, I would suggest following this article, pick the places from her article which would fit your plan (Just saying 🙂 )

Maptia Blog

This is the best Nishani Motte trek (Coorg) blog article I have come across. Author has captured some breathtaking pics in his Nishani Motte Trek, Coorg and shared his 2 days homestay and trekking in Coorg.

You can follow his article if you are planning to go trek to Nishani Motte, I would too in future inspired his very own words in the article,

“If you want to experience wilderness in its rawest form, trails which are crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, fulfilling, leading to the most amazing views and experiences, Nishani Motte gives you that Thrilling Experience ! !”

Am sure you would fall in love with his words and photography. Also you will know all details like Nishani motte from coorg, best place to stay in Coorg etc.,

EvolveBack Blog

This author has written general guidance about –1. Tadiandamol trek 2. Bramagiri Trek 3. Galibeedu Trek and the best season to travel and trekking in Coorg. Wish he had written more about the trekking places in Coorg and added few more pics to narrate the experience. Not much you can learn from his article, but it was in my research list, so sharing with the readers here.

Pages: 1 2

4 Days Road Trip To Coorg From Bangalore (Bangalore to Coorg Bike Trip)

Renu on November 8, 2018

We went on a 4 days road trip to Coorg from Bangalore, by Bike.

Since 2016, travelling to Coorg from Bangalore has been in our travel bucket list. We were hesitant to ride that long bike for being new rides. But, by 2017, we were super confident after numerous bike trips, therefore decided to ride to Coorg, but with enough pit stops.

That’s the reason it was a well planned 4 days long bike trip to Coorg from Bangalore.

From our recent Bangalore to Coorg bike trip – here is what you will takeaway.

Bangalore to Coorg road trip travel guide
Popular routes with best alternatives
Best pit stops
Sightseeing guidance to Tibetian temple
Dubare elephant camp timings and procedure
Places to see in Coorg.

Road Trip To Coorg From Bangalore – 4 days Travel Itinerary

On 1st November 2018, hardly 2 full weeks before our 12 days long bike trip, we went on road trip to Coorg From Bangalore.

Throughout the journey we traveled by our bike, with the help of google maps we enjoyed going to all the places discussed below.

This is how we spent our 4 days of a bike ride to Madikeri, Coorg.

Day 1: Bangalore to Mysuru (150 kms)

Stay – Oyo rooms

Day 2: Mysuru to Madikeri, Coorg (157 Kms)

Sightseeing places: Dubare elephant camp, Tibetian temple (Nisargadama).

Stay at Coorg International Hotel.

Day 3: Sightseeing and Explore Coorg

Day 4: Finally Return Coorg to Bangalore (270 kms)

We enjoyed eating in a small – family run restaurant, during our stay in Madikeri.

Coorg road trip pics — *Tibetian temple (Nisargadama)*

Best Places To See in Coorg

Here is the list of best Places to see in Coorg Abbey Falls, Madikeri.

Iruppu Waterfalls, Bramagiri
White River Rafting, Barapole river
Tadiandamole Peak
Iruppu Falls
Omkareswara Temple
Madikere Fort
Honey Valley – Nilakandi Falls
Bird Watching
Spice and Coffee plantations

In 4 Days Road trip to Coorg From Bangalore – Why Didn’t We Go Trekking

Of our 4 days road trip to Coorg from Bangalore via Mysore, we have spent 2 days in Coorg.

Here is the reason why we did not plan to go trekking in coorg even though I have done all the research.

Some people travel for adventure, some travel to experience the place and culture, some travel for passion and make living, some travel to relax and get away from regular life, some travel for creating memories and experiences.

We traveled so we could ride the motorbike to the destinations and cherish the whole experience.

So our prime aim is to ride a bike and enjoy the experience on different roads riding to different places.

Also, a disadvantage with riding a bike for such long hours is that we cannot do any sports activities or any physical activities which demand more energy (unless we choose to stay in one place for a very long time).

All we do is relax at the end of a bike ride, and explore the city where we stay.

That’s the reason even though I read all the articles and collated all the info, we did not plan to go trekking in Coorg.

7 Articles on Trekking in Coorg I found Useful for Travelers

Where we went Local Sightseeing in Coorg Madikeri

Mostly we go sightseeing the famous places in our destinations and chill in restaurants, eat the local cuisine and enjoy the vacation.

While we were there in Madikeri, we chose 2 destinations apart from hanging out in cafes and restaurants.

On day 3 of our road trip to Coorg from Bangalore, we went to Raja’s seat and Abbey falls (mini trekking experience).

Sightseeing In Coorg : Raja’s seat

One of the well maintained tourist places to see in Coorg Madikeri is Raja’s seat.

It is a family vacation spot in Madikeri, with minimum entrance fee for adults.

After a hearty complimentary breakfast at Coorg International Hotel, we went to Raja’s seat, about 5 mins ride from our hotel.

We spent great time hanging around the park, clicking pics on the cliff of Raja’s seat.

The view was awesome and we clicked many pics before we left the place to hang out in a nearby small cafe.

coorg bike trip pics — Raja’s Seat view – Madikeri

Sightseeing In Coorg : Abbey Falls Madikeri

Even Though we didn’t go on a trek in Coorg during our stay, the trip to Abbey falls gave us a mini trekking experience.

After about a 15 mins bike ride from the hotel to Abbey falls checkpost, we walked down the stairs for about 20 mins to reach the falls.

But it was worth the sweat, spent time clicking pics, amazed at the falling river standing behind the barricade.

The crowd was moderate and a security guard was there to stop any trespassers from playing in the river.

Coorg Sightseeing pics — Abbey Falls – Travelduo Pics

Places To see Near Coorg

Dubare Elephant Camp – Elephant Safari and Elephant bathing, wildlife photography, River rafting
Nisargadhama Golden Temple (Namdroling Monastery)
Nagarhole National Park (Wildlife safari at 6am to 8am, so you need to be there by 5.45 am atleast)
Wayanad Hill station
Kabini River (River view and plenty of resorts for stay)
Talakadu (Origin of Talakaveri, Play in the river, Visit famous ancient temples being buried under sand)
Somanathapura – Chennakesava temple (Ancient Hoysala Architecture under Archaeology department)
Mysore (Famous Tourist destination – Mysore Zoo, Palace, Sri Chamundeswari hills, Brindavan garden, Tippu Sultan Fort etc.,)
Srirangapatna – Sri Ranganathar Temple.
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

In this 4 days road trip to Coorg from Bangalore, we have visited Mysore, Dubare (missed) and Nisargadama golden temple before reaching Coorg.

My Disappointment story in Dubare Elephant camp – How we missed the Elephant bath timings

We have been to Mysore more than a dozen times in the past years, and explored all the places. And we have been to Talakadu, Srirangapatna and Somanathapura on our various one day bike trips from Bangalore.

Also we have been on Wildlife safari to Nagarhole national park when we were on a 3 days road trip from Bangalore to Wayanad. In the same trip, on the way back we have visited Kabini river too.

Basically, we have been to all the places in our travel History. :- ) .

Is it Safe to Travel From Bangalore to Coorg Bike trip?

Now the most important question everyone asks -How safe it is to go on road trip to Coorg from Bangalore?.

Going to a hill station like Coorg arises this common question, especially with the wildlife starting from Nagerhole.

Here are few things to know about road safety in your Bangalore to Coorg Bike trip or car trip:

From Bangalore to Mysore, you would be enjoying 4 ways road with divided roads on Mysore Highways.
If you are taking you Kanakapura road to reach Mysore, then you will have undiveded road but with far less traffic. A peaceful and greenary road compared to Mysore highways.
Read more…

Bangalore to Coorg Bike trip – Overall Experience

This was a successful 4 days road trip experience to Coorg.

Overall we had a good time –

– visiting Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple (also Cauvery Nisargadama)

– bike riding / roaming around the places near Madikeri (mainly Raja’s seat and Abbey falls),

-enjoying local food and coffee, clicking lots of pics and making memories.

We didn’t buy any Coorg spices nor Coorg coffee because we were limited by luggage space. But would love to buy some on our next road trip to Coorg from Bangalore.

Now you can also plan for a 4 days road trip to Coorg From Bangalore. You could also add many sightseeing places near Coorg from the list above. Also plan for trekking in Coorg.

Or you could spend just a day or two only in Coorg, because there are many local sightseeing places in Coorg Madikeri.

If you are planning road trip from Mysore, you could cover more places beyond Coorg – like Kabini River, Nagarhole National Park, Wayanad etc.,

So overall it was very memorable and pleasant road trip from Coorg to Bangalore.

Kumbakonam Famous Food Items – And Where to Eat

Renu on February 6, 2018

Kumbakonam famous food items – the list of famous food items and the names of restaurants.

“Where to eat?” is the first thought comes to our mind if we are travelling to new places.

Kumbakonam is like our second home, we have been to this famous temple city many times in the past couple of years. A small vibrant city decorated with equal number of temples and lily ponds – a unique sight to see in any place.

Here is the list of famous food items and where to eat in Kumbakonam.

What is Kumbakonam Famous for?

Kumbakonam is famous for numerous Ancient temples and Navagraha temples across the town. Every year lacs of devotees visit Kumbakonam during Mahamaham festival and during the Margazhi festival season.

So, mainly Kumbakonam is famous for its yearly Masi magam festival (during march), all year around Navagraha temple visits and Margazhi festival (during December).

For such a small town, Kumbakonam is busy all year around with tourists.

It is hard to decide where to eat in Kumbakonam, especially with fake ratings and reviews for restaurants these days.

Myself and my hubby have spent the majority of our vacation in Kumbakonam in our 11 days long bike trip in 2017 and 2018.

During our stay, we have explored all the major eateries – both vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants in Kumbakonam.

I am suggesting the following places to eat in Kumbakonam based on the quality of food, ambiance, fast service and value for money.

Famous food items (with images) in Kumbakonam with best places to eat is detailed below.

Also, I am suggesting the best ginger tea shop at the end of this article for tea lovers in the coffee famous town.

Most Famous Pure Veg Restaurant – Mangalambiga Coffee and Tiffin Center

Where – Behind Adi kumbeshwarar Temple, Kumbakonam

Google map link – https://g.page/mangalambiga?share

If you are a pure vegetarian, your search for good food in Kumbakonam ends here. This restaurant and cafe serves all south Indian tiffin items – Pongal, Vada, All varieties of dosa, Poori sabji, upma etc.,

My personal favourite – Poori and tomato Uttapam

Open on all days from 6.30 am to 10.00 pm, this restaurant serves best veg food in Kumbakonam throughout the day. Even with all the popularity, this restaurant remains humble with limited seats and food served only by senior citizens till date.

The Best place to try all Kumbakonam Famous Food items and Snacks -“Only Coffee” Restaurant.

I am an early riser, and a Coffee lover.

Almost everyday we used to travel 10kms from center Kumbakonam town to “Only Coffee” restaurant for steaming cup of coffee. If we had no long travel plans to any temples, we used to hangout there until we finish our breakfast. Sometimes we roam around near by agri field, chill out, take some pics and come back to the same restaurant for Lunch.

Even Though they have another branch in centre town, a restaurant facing Holy Mahamaham tank, we always loved going to this place for the scenic ride and friendly staffs

The name says “Only Coffee” so obviously anyone would think of it as a coffee shop.

We did too.

When we stayed in Aditya Resorts for 2 days where we had no option for dining, we came out of the resort in a mindset to ride to the nearby coffee shop.

We found “Only Coffee” in the immediate neighborhood, with the display of clay toys and some interesting books.

The friendly hotel staff asked us whether we wanted to have some snacks to go with coffee, we said yes, and we chose “kolukattai” from the choice of salad and sandwich.

This is the best restaurant that serves snacks, healthy options suited for all the ages.

Famous Snacks in Only Coffee restaurant: They had “today’s special” green salads, sandwiches, south indian special pidi kolukattai, kuli paniyaram, etc.,

Since then, our entire two days stay in Aditya Resort, we never had to roam searching for food and snacks in Kumbakonam. Even after we moved to different accommodation in the city, we came back almost everyday, sometimes twice in a day for their dosa varieties and coffee.

They serve all kinds of typical Tamil Nadu breakfast items.

They also serve unlimited and limited meals for lunch, the only time rice item was available, we chose limited meals because we preferred light food for lunch.

Not only their food is healthy (they use only less oil for food items, so they don’t serve any deep fried snacks) but also they have a variety of healthy snacks and pickles for sale. They also sell wood pressed cooking oil (Marachekku oil), some children books and wooden play toys. According to me, this place is the best vegetarian restaurant in Kumbakonam.

We absolutely enjoyed eating every time in “Only Coffee”.

Its definitely a best place for healthy, vegetarian food choices to eat with family and friends.

Only Coffee Restaurant, Best Vegetarian Food in Kumbakonam — Only Coffee Restaurant, Tiruvidaimaruthur

Only coffee Restaurant – The best hangout place for all kinds of TamilNadu food and snacks 3x a day.

You will absolutely love its peaceful ambiance with the healthy variety of vegetarian tiffin and meals, packed organic snack, pickles, evening salads and Sandwiches served all time with hot coffee/tea/milk.

Alert

“Only coffee” Restaurant is operating only at centre town kumbakonam, opposite to holy mahamaham tank. Call up and check for “Only Coffee” Thiruvidaimaruthur branch, as it was closed for renovation when we visited last time in Dec 2018

Small Shop Serving Quality Food items and Snacks all the time In Kumbakonam- “Ayya Kadai“

Initially, we thought of it as a tea stall, because hardly 15 people can sit inside this shop. Later we came to know they serve food 2 times a day apart from coffee/tea with snacks.

We found this shop when we stayed in “Poppy’s SET hotel” for 3 days Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam.

Famous food list in Ayya Kadai: Poori masala, pongal, idli, dosa varieties for breakfast and dinner, variety rice and parotta for lunch.

Famous Snacks List in Ayya Kadai: Methu vada (Urad dhal vada), Paruppu Vada (Channa dal vada), Valalikkai Bajji (Banana Besan Fry) are must try here. They are available in the morning and noon timings, different dishes at different times throughout the day.

Almost all the prices were less than or equal to Rs. 20/- including the variety rice(like tomato rice, puliyogare, lemon rice and curd rice), so it is obvious to doubt the quality of food.

But it is a super clean small eatery shop run by 3 elderly guys, and they promise to deliver the quality food and they live up to their words. And from my experience, it is the super clean place in Kumbakonam serving good quality food and snack items.

Evening Parotta In Ayya Kadai, Kumbakonam — Ayya Kadai, Kumbakonam centre town

Ayya Kadai – is the best choice in Kumbakonam town for anyone looking to eat light (and healthy) without hurting the pocket. Also, it is a must try place for an evening snack – masala vada and other oil fried snacks with coffee or tea.

Google Map link – https://goo.gl/maps/efzmdoiTVN2mJKMV7

Try Pandian Hotel For Famous Non veg Food items when in Kumbakonam

I love to eat Non-Veg for dinner, if not daily at least twice in a week is a must for me. Rajesh does not like non-veg as much as I like it, but he too loves to indulge in it, if it catches his eye.

After asking few people in the busy street, we were guided to a hotel across “Sarangapani temple”. We very much liked the variety of food they had in the menu, in fact, we had a hard time picking orders from the menu.

Non-veg Hotel in Kumbakonam, Pandian Hotel — Pandian Hotel Menu

Idiyappam In Kumbakonam, Pandian Hotel — Idiyappam With Chicken gravy

Non-Veg Hotel in Kumbakonam, Pandiyan Hotel — Muttai Lappa with Prawn Masala

Non-Veg Hotel in Kumbakonam — Egg Kothu Parotta with Fish Fry

Food was served in Banana leaf, calm place to enjoy the feast. We had enjoyed two varieties of parottas, Kothu parotta, chicken masala and prawn masala with butter milk.

No chinese items were available.

We loved going back for the crispy Kothu Parotta and the Idiyappam. (Note: You need to be little early in the evening for idiyappam, since there is a huge demand).

We were also suggested to go Hotel Shanmuga, which is also a famous non-veg serving restaurant. The other day we tried some chinese there, but we didn’t enjoy it as much as we did in all other restaurants in Kumbakonam. Eventhough Hotel Shanmuga is popular among localities, we personaly did not like it much because of noisy ambiance and poor quality food.

Pandian Hotel in Kumbakonam – Pure authentic restaurant serves all kinds of Non-Veg items with a wide variety of parottas, dosa items, idiyappam, and meals.

Google map link – https://goo.gl/maps/utsGgKZEKMRxEaS68

For Family Lunch – Indeco Hotels Swamimalai

Indeco Hotels located 4kms from Kumbakonam, is one of the award winning eco-friendly resorts.

This finest heritage resort offers guests an unique opportunity to experience rich cultural heritage in tranquil environment.

We got to expereince this place when I went on 5 days solo trip to Kumbakonam, later husband joined me for the weekend.

Their saatvik meal was delicious and spent quality time sightseeing their heritage collections (arts and automobiles) after the unlimited meals.

Here are some pics from the trip.

kumbakonam is famous for — Pet Deers In Indeco Hotels Swamimalai

kumbakonam famous for — Heritage Collections – Hotel Indeco Swamimalai

Famous Tea Shop for Snacks and Ginger Tea in Center Town Kumbakonam

Speaking of tea, all I would suggest is to go to this shop opposite to clock tower in center town Kumbakonam.

You will get the best ginger tea all the time.

You can also enjoy coffee or flavoured milk, all of them are good here.

Ginger tea shop in Kumbakonam — Ginger tea famous Sri Balaji Shop, opposite to clock tower in Kumbakonam

If you want to have some evening snacks before having tea, then above mentioned “ayya kadai” is the only place I would suggest.

You can have snacks and can come back to have tea here.

Sum -Up

You could also try the famous sweet shop in Kumbakonam town named Murari sweets. Their famous ajmeet cake, dry jamun are must try sweets. Buy only from a shop near to Ramar temple, as there are many fake brands all over the town.

In general, Kumbakonam famous food items are usual south indian dishes apart from degree coffee.

Since we are not a foodie we did not attempt to eat in all the restaurants in Kumbakonam. Instead, we went and explored which was convenient for us and repeatedly went to same places for comfort.

Oh yeah, while you are there, try Kumbakonam famous degree coffee in any of the restaurants. Happy Sightseeing !!.

Melkote From Bangalore (335KM in One Day Bike Trip)

Renu on February 15, 2017

In our One day bike trip to Melkote From Bangalore, we have visited CheluvaNarayanaSwamy temple and Lord Yoga Narasimha Swamy temple on the Melkote hill.

On our way back we have visited the very famous Srirangapatna temple, near Mysore.

We have traveled a total of 335 kms just in one day trip from Bangalore and here is our travel story.

How to Reach Melkote From Bangalore by Road – 2 Routes

On an early morning on 11th Feb 2017, we started our bike journey to Melkote from Bangalore, coincidentally it was our 11th one day bike trip from Bangalore :).

Never we have ever been to Melkote on our previous bike trips to Mysore or Srirangapatna.

You know we always make it a point to visit a famous temple / historic place during all our bike trips.

Knowing that Melkote is famous for a historically important Lord Vishnu temple called Cheluvanarayana Swamy temple and the other Yoga Narasimha Swamy on the hill, we have decided to ride exclusively to Melkote.

This was our first exclusive trip to Melkote from Bangalore.

There are 2 routes to reach Melkote from Bangalore. One is Kunigal Mangalore Highway and the other Mysore Highways.

We took Kunigal highways to reach Melkote (I explained the reason in next section). If you are taking Mysore NH, the distance is almost the same as above, you will be taking a diversion from Mandya to reach Melkote.

The following is the route we took to reach Melkote by Bike.

Melkote route from Bangalore (Kunigal Highways)

Bangalore-Nelamangala-(Kunigal Mangalore highway)-Bellur cross- Nagamangala-Melukote (temple visit) -return via Srirangapatna (temple visit) mysore highway road

Melkote Distance From Bangalore

Melkote distance from Bangalore is 167 kms (from my home) via Kunigal route and 140 kms from my home via Mysore NH.

The reason I mentioned “My home” as a starting point is because the distance might vary a little based on the location you start in Bangalore.

Both the routes now have plenty of options for restaurants, cafes and fast food joints.

Since we never experienced Kunigal route ( with 167 kms) we decided to take that route.

Note: Both the routes have plenty of pitstop options for the travellers.

In Kunigal route, we had breakfast at tiffanys in Nelamangala. And we stopped at Hotel Mayura at Bellur cross for lunch.

2 Must See Temples of Melkote

Melkote is famous for two temples namely Cheluvanarayana temple and Yoga Narasimha temple on the hills.

We spent some time in the CheluvaNarayana Temple pushkarini until the temple opened for evening darshan. As soon as we had darshan, we headed to the Melkote hill temple.

We had to wait a long time in the queue to darshan Lord Yoganarasimha and headed as fast as we could to Srirangapatna temple.

Again standing in queue for quite sometime in Srirangapatna temple, we had darshan only at 7.15pm.

Well, we knew for sure made mistake of coming all the way to Srirangapatna instead of returning to Bangalore from Melkote itself.

We then started our bike around 7.30 pm, with a prepared mind for a thrilling bike ride in the NH.

Riding in dark is not new to us, once we rode about 500kms in Hassan trip, the highlight was riding in pitch dark among tall trees.

Sightseeing Places Around Melkote

From our experience, know that it’s better to stick to just sightseeing in Melkote on your trip.

Here is the list of places to go nearby Melkote.

Feel free to click on the name to get google map location, explore more about the places in google before you decide to go sightseeing these places around Melkote.

Ancient Sri Brahmeswara temple, Kikkeri – Famous Hoysala architecture temple. Located 40 kms from Melkote.
PanchaLingeshwara temple – Hoysala architecture temple located near Kikkeri
Shravanabelagola – Bhagawan Bahubali Statue, A famous sightseeing day trip destination in Karnataka, located 35 kms from Melkote.
Sri ChennaKesava Temple – Hoysala architecture temple located 47 kms from Melkote and located near to Shravanabelagola. You could plan to visit these two temples in one go before reaching Melkote.
Nuggehalli Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Temple – located a short distance from Bellur cross, is yet another breathtaking architecture of Hoysala. Located about 30km away from Bhagawan Bahubali Statue and 55km from Melkote, it is a must visit temple in Karnataka.
Adichunchanagiri Hills – Sri Kalabhairaveshwara Swamy Temple, located close to the Bellur cross. At 54 kms from Melkote – a serene temple with a breathtaking view atop the hill should be in your travel bucket list.
SriRangapatna – Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, located 38 kms from Melkote is yet another historically famous temple of Lord Vishnu near the Kaveri river. This temple location is close to both Mysore and Melkote.

We have fallen in love with the beauty of this Nuggehalli temple. Consider this place to add to your bucket list on your trip to Melkote from Bangalore.

Here Is the Sample Road Trip Plan for you

If you are not sure of trip plan, here is a sample road trip plan to help you started with.

Start From Bangalore -Darshan Melkote temple – on return journey from Melkote – visit in order – Shravanabelagola -Nuggehalli – Adichunchanagiri hills.

You could even plan the other way around, like you can visit all famous places first, later in the evening visit Melkote before reaching home.

Moreover it gets too dark and scary in Adichuchanagiri hills temple (from our Hassan bike trip experience).

Did We Return Home Safe?

Following what seemed to be a never ending ride among the super crazy vehicles in the National Highways, we reached home safe sometime past midnight.

Yet another memorable one day bike trip to cherish, to Melkote from Bangalore, of total un-freaking-believable 335 kms in Pulsar bike.

Anything around 200 to 250 kms, we are good to go by motorbike in a day.

But on that day, we pushed past our comfort zone and rode about 335 km in just one day.

Looking back we are now so proud of the risks we took in our early days of bike trip. So later we were able to go on an 11 days long bike trip.

After almost 4 long years of bike ride to places, now we are settled to travel by car.

So these bike rides definitely hold a special place in our life. All credit goes to Rajesh, who was never afraid to set new milestones.

Read Related Our Bike Ride Stories here:

From Bangalore to Hassan Road Trip: A tale of New Bikers Riding at Night, 500KM trip

Bangalore to Tiruvannamalai Temple Thrilling Night Bike Ride Of 200 Kms

4 days Road Trip To Coorg From Bangalore (Bangalore to Coorg Bike Trip)

Is it Safe to Drive From Bangalore to Coorg by Bike?

Renu’s Solo Trip To Kumbakonam – How I roamed Kumbakonam for 5 days in a Rented Bike

2 Less Popular, Historically Important Places to Visit from Bangalore to Belur (Train Trip)

Renu on November 10, 2016

This is our travel story of visiting Halebidu and Belur in our one day trip from Bangalore by Train, along with the 2 other less popular destinations. This is the travel guide to the places to visit from Bangalore to Belur.

Bangalore to Belur distance is 222kms, an easy distance to cover by road for one or two day trip from Bangalore. Even though this was a train trip, you could use this guide to plan your Bangalore to Belur Road trip.

Places to Visit from Bangalore to Belur

When I searched for the places to visit from Bangalore to Belur – Here is what I found. Almost all the travel websites suggested the most popular places like Halebidu, Belur Chennakesava temple, Yagachi dam, Chikmagalur and Shravanabelagola.

I wanted to explore the less popular. I wanted to go to a place where not many show any interest. Not any particular reason, when it comes to visiting Historical places, I am kinda nuts.

So these are the two places I have got digging into the google maps after researching my brains out.

Both are beautiful places to visit from Bangalore to Belur, both are very beautiful and unique Hoysala Architectures.

Arasikere – Beautiful Hoysala Architecture (For Lord Shiva)
Javagal – Beautiful Hoysala Architecture (For Lord Vishnu)

When it comes to ancient popular Hoysala architecture in Karnataka, people always prefer visiting Somnathpur Keshava Temple in Mysore or Halebidu – Belur temples.

Whereas these two – Araskiere and Javangal are less popular among the tourists for unknown reason. And here is the detailed itinerary of how to visit these two temples.

places to visit from Bangalore to belur — Beautiful Arasikere Temple – Lord Siva temple

Places to visit in Bangalore to Belur trip — Javagal Lord Vishnu temple entrance

We have also visited yet another less popular Hoysala Architecture in Hassan district in our two day adventurous bike trip from Bangalore.

How We Started Our One day trip to Belur Halebid from Bangalore

In the year 2016, on 2nd October, we went on a one day trip to Belur Halebid from Bangalore.

This was a one day trip from Bangalore by Train. You could use the same guide for the places to visit from Bangalore to Belur.

We reached Arsikere Railway junction from Bangalore in the early morning.

And We knew nothing about this place, no clue of the places to eat our breakfast.

After eating some home bought biscuits to go with cup of tea in a local bakery, we hired an auto to reach the Arasikere Ishwara temple.

From there, after about an hour of Bus journey we have reached yet another less popular temple – situated in a vast area, called Lord Lakshmi Narasimha temple.

After visiting those 2 less popular places, we were on a straight route to Halebidu and Belur.

The distance between Halebid and Belur is about 17kms, and there are bus and taxi options to travel between these two destinations.

We returned back by train to Bangalore around midnight.

Arasikere and Javagal should be in your bucket list if you are planning any one day trip from Bangalore or from Mysore.

And it is a must see places – one of the Hoysala places to visit from Bangalore to Belur.

Arasikere – The Less known Place to Visit One day trip from Bangalore

hoysala temples in Karnataka — Oranmental Star Mandap at the entrance facing main Sanctum

A very beautiful Hoysala architecture in Arsikere, dedicated to Lord Shiva, called Ishwara temple. It also has two other shiva linga sanctums, called Kattameshwara and Chandramouleshwara respectively.

There was no one in the temple premises except for us and the priest. He said that as a ritual he keeps an open temple every morning and evening.

We have time leisurely looking around the architecture, and our talks were around how our ancestors would have celebrated the occasions here.

We clicked pics to our heart’s content before we left the temple to the Arsikere bus station.

Javagal – Lord lakshmi Narasimha temple

bangalore to hassan road trip — Remains of Lakshmi narasimha temple

Yet another beautiful Hoysala architecture in Javangal in Hassan district of Karnataka.

This Lord Vishnu temple is situated in a vast area in the middle of the village (guess later people have built the houses surrounding the temple).

We went inside opening the gate, there was no sign of the priest or any devotees.

We have waited in the pillar mandap for sometime after exploring the temple and clicking pics – but no one turned out.

Happy to have visited this place, we left for the javagal bus station to catch a bus to Halebidu.

Temple of Belur and Halebidu : Our Final Destination

Our final destination was the temple of Belur and Halebid.

First we reached the Halebidu (or Halebeedu), a small town in Hassan district. It is one of the popular tourists places in Karnataka.

By the time we reached by bus to Halebidu from Javagal, our mobile battery almost ran out and so was our energy.

We entered a local eatery situated close to the Halebidu temple with rumbling stomach. But only to find they serve tomato bath (tomato flavoured rice) with a dal vada. Something to feed our crying bellies, we had each one plate of rice and vada combo.

Meanwhile we charged our phones, and relaxed ourselves from the never ending travel from Bangalore.

It was a non stop travel since the time we left early from our home.

After a well deserved rest, we went to the very famous Halebidu temple – a Lord Shiva temple called Hoysaleshwara temple.

karnataka famous temples — **the famous Halebidu temple** – the outer wall

hoysala architecture in karnataka — **the famous Halebidu temple** – the outer wall

The temple campus very much resembled Somanathapura Temple in Mysore. We had to walk about 200 – 300 meters between the well paved decorated grass compound.

There stands a majestic Hoysala architecture – one of a kind in India, a signature style by the Hoysala empire only seen in Karnataka state.

The two huge bulls guarding the two respective Shivalinga is a major attraction here.

Hoysala architecture — Outer walls of Halebidu temple

Just like the first Arasikere Lord Shiva temple, this temple also has two other Shivalinga sanctum. Except it is majestic, artistic and beautiful bull statues.

Unlike the first two (unpopular temples), this temple was hugely crowded and we were not able to click even one selfie in isolation.

After spending a relatively long time here, we headed to the final destination – Belur, the last places to visit from Bangalore to Belur train trip.

Places to Visit in Belur

There are many sightseeing places to visit in Belur, including the Yagachi dam and river rafting – our only intention was to visit the famous Chennakesava temple.

The Hoysala architecture temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the second Lord Vishnu temple in our one day trip from Bangalore.

famous temples in karnataka — Shri Chennakeshava temple belur -travelduo images

Just like the Javagal temple, this temple compound has a decorative Gopuram – only much better than Javagal.

Again this temple was also too crowded, majority of them are the school students who came on an excursion.

One of a kind Hoysala architecture, situated in a vast area and covered by never ending pillar mandap is sight to the eyes.

We never got enough of this temple even though we have visited 3 of its kinds in the same day.

Clicked enough pics and captured lots of memories before we headed to the bus station. Where we had our last meal, before boarding the train to Bangalore.

Sum- up

Hope you are impressed with our list of places to visit from Bangalore to Belur in one day. Since the first two places are less popular, they don’t appear in the travel websites. If you are going by road, distance from Bangalore to Belur is just 222 kms. You could very well visit all the places I have listed in this travel story. Hope you enjoyed it.