Month: February 2020

Beginner Friendly Skandagiri Sunrise Trek Near Bangalore
Bangalore as the Garden City of India, was originally mainly known for its greenery and lakes. The now turned Silicon Valley of India has something to offer for all age groups in which trekking is one. As an adventure junkie I have trekked many hills near Bangalore in which Skandagiri is one. If you are in Bangalore and if you like to trek then beginner friendly Skandagiri Sunrise Trek near Bangalore is the first trek that should be on your list.

Skandagiri is one among the many short trekking spots and weekend getaways around Bangalore which is at about 70 kms from the Bangalore city. It takes half a day for the trek including the to and fro journey from Bangalore. It is fun to go with a group of friends for the sunrise trek (4 am) or the regular trek (6 – 8 am).
Altitude: 1450 feet

Sunrise at Skandagiri

How to book?

There are many sites that offer booking for Skandagiri but I preferred the Karnataka Forest Department’s exclusive site called myecotrip for booking my tickets which included the trek cost, forest entry permission and guide charges.
Weekday trek slots: 40
Weekend/Government Holidays trek slots: 150
Ticket cost: Rs.250+taxes

NOTE: Guides may or may not always accompany you when you book through myecotrip but from my experience there is no way you can get lost in Skandagiri. You will easily find the way to the peak.

There are sites like Thrillophilia which even take care of the to and fro journey from Bangalore including breakfast but at a comparatively higher cost.

Read also: Must Read Adiyogi Chikkaballapur Visitor Guide

How to reach the trek point?

I started from Marathahalli at 2 am with my friends and by the time I reached the trek start point it was 3.45 am. If you have not booked for transport on the sites that I mentioned above, then you will have to make plans on how to reach the trek start point before 4 am. I’d suggest you rent bikes and ride the whole way to the start point which is more fun.

Once you have crossed the Yerthiganahalli Toll Plaza which is just before the split to the airport, make sure to take the right turn at the split that leads to Nandi hills/Skandagiri.

NOTE: You should double check with the guards few meters before the toll plaza to take the Nandi hills route and not the airport route.

Journey to Skandagiri for the sunrise trek

Since we started early in the morning, we were able to reach Skandagiri within 2 hours from Bangalore. I wouldn’t guarantee the same during the return journey from Skandagiri to Bangalore considering Bangalore’s traffic. Once you get into the Chikkaballapura district, Google maps will take you through the town. Since it will be early in the morning few routes from the town to the trek start point might be deserted and you will definitely be needing a jacket because it will be cold.

Once you reach the start point there will be 2 forest guards who will ask you your online ticket number and the number of people registered on that ticket. Once your ticket number matches with their list you will be allowed inside the forest office premises.

Trek start point after entering the premises

What to carry?
- ID proof
- Water bottle
- Snacks
- Torch
  NOTE: You wouldn’t be finding any shops open inside the premises when you start your trek.
Torch is needed while trekking

Taking rest while trekking uphill

Early morning trek with my friends

Sunrise point at Skandagiri

It takes around 2 hours to trek 5 kms uphill. The trek difficulty level would be easy to moderate. There are many a times you will find clouds covering your feet.

Sunrise at the viewpoint

The other side from the view point after sunrise

We spent an hour at the sunrise point. Some of my friends even slept on the rocks after the sunrise because of the early morning ride to the hills.

Return Journey after the Skandagiri Sunrise Trek

We took the same route back and had our breakfast at Nandi Upachar which you will find on the way back to Bangalore on the national highway.

If you are a beginner and you are just exploring beginner friendly treks then Skandagiri should be at the top of your list.

Read also: Bangalore Travel Blog 2025 – Places to Visit in the Garden City
February 29, 2020
Puri – A trip to Konark Sun Temple
Visiting Konark Sun Temple is one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Orissa. It is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Exploring Konark with friends is even more fun than if you were to visit solo or with family(you will know why I say this when you visit or if you’ve visited:P). The trip to Konark started with the Puri-Konark marine drive, followed by yummy vegetarian food, shopping on the way to the temple, air-conditioned museum, followed by visiting the Sun Temple which I had seen only in pictures.

The Konark Sun Temple

Entry fee: Rs.35 (Indians) and Rs.500 (Foreigners)
Timings: 6am to 8pm

Story behind Konark

Konark Sun Temple is a huge chariot shaped structure, credited to king Narasinga Deva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty about 1250 CE.

Dedicated to the Hindu Sun God Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot high chariot with immense wheels and horses, which is all carved from stone. The structures that have lasted are well-known for their intricate artwork, kama (erotic) scenes and iconography.

The cause of the destruction of the Konark temple is not clear and remains a source of controversy till date. Theories range from natural damage to deliberate destruction of the temple in the course of being attacked several times by Muslim armies between the 15th and 17th centuries. This temple has served as an important landmark for sailors in the Bay of Bengal.

A side of the chariot with its erotic carvings

The Museum

The Museum was air-conditioned and very well maintained. It provided us with the facts of everything we needed to know about the Sun Temples in the world, History of Konark Sun Temple, Kalinga Architecture and much more. It had well-maintained washrooms inside. They also had a movie screening about the history of Konark which was quite interesting.
Entry fee: Rs.30
- Blueprint of Puri Jagannath Temple
- The perfect wheel at the museum
The structures displayed at the museum
Should I hire a guide? Please, do.

We hired a guide for Rs.250 to understand the facts about the temple. He was able to speak Oriya, Hindi and English. He took 1.15 hrs to explain us about the temple, by taking us to various spots around the temple.

Konark Sun Temple

Facts we got to know from our guide

It is said that the Konark Sun Temple structure was held by magnetic force. There were said to be tons of magnets in the top and bottom of the temple which held the building together.

The then existed Sun God statue was unmovable because of the magnetic force. Later, when India came under British rule, they faced issues with the magnetic force, because of their ships not being able to receive and transmit the signals. So, they had to remove the magnetic force.
Result: The building started falling one piece after the other, after which the rods were put in the temple to hold its structure.

The rods holding the temple structure.

Out of the 24 chakras (wheels) only one is left without any damage. The undamaged wheel showed us the daily routine of a queen.

The only undamaged wheel in the temple

One other wheel showed us the time depending on where our shadow falls when we kept our finger in the middle of the wheel.

A little boy had died during the construction of the temple and hence no pooja ever took place at the Konark Sun Temple.

You can notice the erotic stone carvings in this picture

There were so many sculptures showing the art of making love, like no other place I’d seen till date.

Near the broken idols of Sun God and his wives Chayya and Sandhya

If you are from India, you would have heard about the famous Kalinga war after which King Ashoka became a Buddhist and started preaching Buddhism. Will you believe me if I say that Konark came under the kingdom of Kalinga? ?

Standing near the only unbroken wheel of the chariot in the Sun Temple

To know more about my travel itinerary to places around Puri and Bhubaneshwar click here.
February 9, 2020