0 SRS Betta

Rajesh, Girish and I had been here the same day we visited Thenginkalbetta.

A natural spring atop the hill ...I wonder how water accumulates this high up the hill.

This is the second spring ...in the cave like formation of rocks on the top.

We had a good time here and then back down we had a solid breakfast of idli and kadle-bele vade and proceeded to Thenginkalbetta.

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Detail: SRS Betta

0 Encounter Cobra

Gulli and I, on the way back to Bangalore from Nandi Hills, saw a temple sitting on a small rocky hill to our left. We turned off the road and took the dirt-track, rode about a kilometer and parked the bike at the base of the hill just in front of the steps leading up to the temple.

We started going up the steps talking noisily looking at the surroundings. May be 50 or 60 steps up, just 3 - 4 steps ahead of us, I saw a Cobra slithering up the steps!! When I told Gulli about the Cobra his first reaction was to go towards it. “Hey Sidda what a lovely creature! This is the first time I'm seeing a real snake.” For a moment it looked as though he was going to catch it, I caught the back of his shirt and stopped him from getting closer to the snake. Suddenly I noticed a dog next to us. It went past us sniffing at the Cobra. We realized the steps were flanked by low walls on both sides, which means no chance of snake escaping until it reached the summit. I took the left one and Gulli on the right wall. We watched the snake crawl up all the way... it slowed as it went up every step... the stone-steps surface was too smooth for it to grip. When it took the last of the step I took a picture. Till the moment I had completely forgotten my Yashica.


It must be 6' long.


Once the snake was on flat surface it picked up speed and it took off the moment it reached mud... disappeared into the bushes. Snake gone. We got off the wall.

The temple door was closed and locked, did namaskara to the Gods inside. We realized the dog had disappeared!! We went around the temple looking for it but It was no where to be seen. It had vanished!!!

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Detail: Encounter Cobra

0 Navalur Gudda

I'd seen this hill from Dharwad - Hubli road several times. And wanted to come here. Mom told me that she had visited long back with her grandfather. I kept postponing the visit untill one Februsry Sunday. It was bright and warm.

I drove through the narrow streets of Navalur, a dusty village. On the other side of the village, I had drive my Omni through dirt track, Jeep would've been better for such terrain.


That's Basavanna temple. I went to the temple and to my surprise I saw a dozen Muslim women and kids. The poojari was a HIndu. By the looks of the temple, it's half way through it's so called 'renovation'. I wish people would leave the temple structure as it is and pray sincerely instead.




The white patches are 'kana' place where grains are separated from the husk.



That's a small cave behind the temple.


This pond, for the cattle grazing on these hills (I wonder what they get to eat) is like an oasis in the middle of a desert. Not just for the animals but also the dhanakayo boys too. I mean the cowboys... cowherds.


I have no plans of visiting this place again.

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Detail: Navalur Gudda

0 Narasimhaswamibetta

I just took off one Sunday exploring the Ramnagar hills...




If you feel like going there, just follow the directions. The entire area is full of hills. The other hills I visited in the surrounding area are Ramdevara betta, Kungal Betta and Thenginkal Betta.

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Detail: Narasimhaswamibetta