Bangalore : Excursions
Bannerghatta: (21 km from bangalore on tekal road): numerous wild animals oam freely in this densely forested hilly area -an ideal picnic spot for wildlife lovers.
The bannerghatta national park has a ion and tiger safari and a crocodile and snake farm. Regular conducted tours are or-;arused by the park authorities in motor vehi¬cles and more interestingly, on elephant back.
Whitefield: (16 km on airport road): a Popular retreat for indian and foreign tour-sts who flock to visit the ashram set up by mosopher-educationist, sri satya sai baba.
Nrityagram dance village: hessa-raghatta. (30 km from city) india’s only village for classical dances.
Conducted tours with explanation of india’s philosophy, culture, lecture /dem¬onstrations in dance, vegetarian lunch. Minimum group of 4 persons. Closed on mondays. Only village for women want¬ing to learn classical dancing and tradition¬al martial arts.
On sundays 200 children from neig¬hbouring villages are given free dance les¬sons which is a treat for visitors.
Contact: clipper holidays
Casual tour: entry with a brochure costing per person.
Nandi hills: (60 km on bellary road): this hill station is a paradise located 4,850 feet above sea level. There is a fairly extensive plateau with gardens, lawns, tourist bungalows and hotels with wind surfing facilities. Accommodation available at hotel mayura pine top (kstdc). For horti¬culture department cottages contact: resident manager, lai bagh.
Hessaraghatta: (26.5 km from bangalore on tumkur road): here is an artifical lake covering 1,124 acres, and a boat club. The indo-danish dairy project and government horticultural and dairy farms are interesting places to visit.
Dodda alada mara: (28 km on mysore road): also called ramohalli. A banyan tree, 400 years old and spreading over 3 acres, probably the largest in karnataka, is a botanical wonder.
Muthyala paduvu-pearl valley: (45 km on anekhal road): a beautiful picnic spot. A waterfall gushes down 90 metres in a cascade of pearly drops. The shiva temple located nearby is worth a visit.
Mekedatu: (98 km on kanakapura road): mekedatu in kannada means ‘goat’s leap’. It is so called because at this point, the mighty cauvery river squeezes itself through a rocky channel across which a goat could leap.
At the confluence of the cauvery and the arkavathi is sangameshwara temple. It is a beautiful picnic spot where one can fish or laze around.
Janpada loka: sprawling across 15 acres here is a complex devoted to the preservation of folk culture. There is an art.
