Savandurga Hills : A Weekend Gateway

We always attempt to find new locations to alleviate the stress that we get from our busy and hectic schedule. We try and find those places which are surrounded naturally, are peaceful, and are off from the turmoil and chaos of the town. And one such place is Savandurga Hills. it’s about 60 kms west of Bangalore city and is found near Magadi in Karnataka, India. This place is surrounded by dense forest and removed from the city’s chaos, an ideal weekend.

 ABOUT SAVANDURGA HILLS

Savandurga hills is taken into account to be one among the most important monoliths in Asia.

A monolith may be a very large stone that’s usually tall and narrow especially; a stone that’s put in position by people as a monument or for religious reasons.

The Savandurga hill is 1226 m high from the mean water level and makes a component of the Deccan plateau. hill is created from various varieties of rocks like granite, laterites, basic dykes, etc. there’s a river which is thought as Arkavathi that passes near the hills. It flows from the Thippagondanahalli Reservoir to the Manchanbele dam. Savandurga hills are formed out of two hills: Karigudda which suggests a black hill and Biligudda which suggests a white hill. the most deity named, Veerabhadraswamy Virabhadra is found at the foothills of the mountain, where a variety of worshipers came from different parts of the South Indian states to worship.

Savandurga hills is surrounded by extensive growth of flora and fauna. The tarnished forest is filled with shrubs and trees of Savanna, which is sort of dense. hill is roofed by 59 forms of trees and 119 styles of shrubs. Species like bears, Leopards, Blue rock thrushes, and Oriental honey buzzards are a number of the faunas. This place is kind of in-demand among the trekkers. This site provides a wide-ranging and pleasing view of the

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

It is said that around 2000 years ago, the Savandurga hills were home to some human community. Megalithic burial urns containing skeletons, copper coins, and terracotta pots were found positioned in the recent past. there’s a fort on the highest of the hills named Savina Durga, meaning ‘the fort of death’.

The Savandurga hill fort was inbuilt in 1543 by the Hoysala ruler Samanta Raya. it had been under the ruler Kempe Gowda until the year 1728. Later it was captured by the Raja of Mysore and therefore the next king Haider Ali. Later in 1791, a people ruler, Lord Cornvalis tried to capture Savandurga hills from Tipu Sultan, who was the ruling king at that point, within the greatest third Anglo – Mysore war, but later it had been abandoned. The rulers of that point tried to preserve the fort but they couldn’t, as not much of the fort is left because it is taken by the      

surrounding forest. there’s yet another story about the fort that was visible from Bangalore but can not be visited because there have been no steps. Savandurga hill was covered with bamboo forming a barricade.

 SAVANDURGA HILLS FOR TREKKING

Savandurga hills could be a perfect spot for the trekking lover. There are two hills for trekking, the Karigudda and also the Biligudda hills. Both the paths are complicated because they’re vertically up and rugged thanks to which it’s difficult for them to run it through. However, the Karigudda is far more difficult and less explored. Only the expert trekkers who have permits to trek can make it through. On the opposite hand, the Biligudda trail appears to be easier to climb and restrain. Beginner trekkers can make it through this trail.       

The best time to go to Savandurga for trekking is from mid – September to April and may avoid the time of year. the simplest time for trekking is before the sun rises brightly, which is, 4 am, because it takes 2 – 2.50 hours to achieve the height which suggests you’ll reach the height by 6 -6.30 am. the simplest experience one could have while climbing Savandurga hills is witnessing the sunrise.

Apart from trekking there are other adventure sports in Savandurga that may be performed –

• ZIPLINE
• ROPE COURSE 1 and a pair of
• SWIMMING
• TEAM BUILDING EXERCISES
• KAYAKING 

PLACES CAN BE VISITED DURING SAVANDURGA TREK

• MANCHANABELE DAM – It supplies water to the complete Magadi town. It makes an honest visit after the trek where you’ll see Arkavathi river.
• THIPPAGONDANAHALLI RESERVOIR – it’s located at the meeting point of rivers Arkavathi and Kumudavathi. it’s also called Chamarajanagar.
• TEMPLES – There are two temples; the Savandi Veerbhhadreshwara Swamy temple and also the Narsimha Swamy temple located at the foothills of Savandurga.
• DODDA ALADA MARA – A 400 years old East Indian fig tree which hold lots of importance among the people.

 CONCLUSION

Savandurga is a perfect weekend getaway either you can plan with your family or with your friends or maybe you can plan a solo trip for yourself where you can spend some of your time with yourself away from city’s chaos and turmoil in a peaceful place where you can  relieve your tension and stress in a place with a pleasing view, participating in various adventure sports and obviously witnessing the beautiful sunset. So what are you waiting for, pack your bag and visit Sundargana hills for a perfect escape plan from all your stress.

-by Sharvari Palve (Content writer Intern)

 28-10-2023