Devarayana Durga Half Day Trek

Devarayana Durga (Rating: Easy, Duration: 1/2 Day)

Devarayana durga is a small hamlet surrounded by small hills and a number of famous temples. The hills were used as watch towers and there are some remnants of the walls used as fortifications in the past.

One of the approach road to the temple is under construction and you should avoid taking a sedan type of car. There are blockades on the road. If you see those please look for a different route.

Search for Devrayana durga fort on Google to get the exact location of the trail.

Narshimha swamy Temple in the Town

There are stairs using which you could walk to the top of the hill. Alternatively you could drive your vehicle as well to the foothill of the temple. The place has a lot of monkeys so be careful.

Stairs to the hill top and the temple

Rose like flower used at the Temple

The top most man made structure to which we could not find a path

The views from the top of the temple are beautiful.

Tallest hill top

Temple pond

Main Temple

Nature at it work

Neighboring hills

Weekend Getaway : Bangalore: Makali Durga Trek

View the Map of South America under the water body below :)

Difficulty: This one is slightly harder than the Nandi One and the Ramnagar betta treks.

Trivia: This is a Vijayanagar era fort as was used for training the soldiers. Post fall of Vijayanagar empire this was part of the Bijapur sultanate when it was captured by Shahji Maharaj (father of Shivaji Maharaj). The hill derives its name from the name of a feudral lord names Makaliraya who controlled it. 

Legend has it that Rishi Markandeya  performed penance at this place.

How to reach: The trek location is well connected by road and the Makalidurga railway station is very close to the trek. It is approx 60km from Bangalore and the road head is SH9. There is an entry fee of 250/- per head and NO NIGHT trekking is allowed anymore. You can pay for this online. If you forget to pay in advance you can do it at the venue. The network connectivity was good.

Season: Avoid during the rains as the ground and the rock can be a bit slippery. The best time should be between September to February. Also try to reach by 0600 to avoid the sun. You should start from Bangalore latest by 0430 hrs.

Plan: Carry water bottles and food (if you are planning to hang around on the top). There are no food shops at the top or nearby. Only a tender coconut vendor is there at the bottom but he too comes in at around 0900 am (only on Sat and Sun). There are Rhesus monkey troupes in the area so be careful. Normally they are busy with themselves.

The Trail:

Follow the directions from google. The road from SH9 to the base camp is dusty (kutcha road). Right before the railway tracks you might notice vehicles parked. You can park your vehicle there. Expect some local villagers trying to ask for a parking fee. Cross over the train tracks.

You may notice some forest rangers on the other side who will check for the entry tickets. Book online in case your forgot, they were cool about it. Follow the direction. It is straight ahead and then right. You will notice painted arrows which will lead you to the top. There are colored ribbons as well on the tree to mark the trail. 

As you come closer to the summit of the hill you will notice the first watch tower of the fort to your left.  

The small fort at the top is in ruins now. However you can see the 3-4 watch towers. Take a left from the stone with a marking as below (Durg stands for fort). There are 3 watch towers in succession.

You can also view the lake below which resembles the map of South America.

The is a  natural rain water reservoir used for drinking water supply especially during a siege.

And then there is temple.

There is a Shiv ling and a Nandi statue inside as well.

Luxembourg

The city has a number of historical, religious and artistic attractions. A lot of these can be covered on foot. In fact you should seriously consider covering them on foot if you have sometime and do not mind walking.

Grand Duke Jean Museum of Modern Art

Fortress Museum

Weekend Getaway from Hyderabad: Medak

Medak is an adjoining district to Hyderabad and has two major attractions: the Medak fort and the Medak church. 

Medak Fort: You could spend an hour if you are in Medak. There is not much of the fort left other than 3 gates and a cannon but it provides a good view of the entire Medak town. You may play the cannon hunt with friends as well as the location of the cannon is not marked and you will need to find it. As of Nov 5 2017 it was there. I will not take away the fun by revealing the location :). 

There is no entry fee and you can take up your vehicle right up to the Haritha hotel which is a state tourism hotel chain. There are not many rooms so it is advisable to check on availability if you are planning to stay.

The view may be more interesting during the sun rise or sun set I guess.

You could also stay at the heritage hotel "Haritha Hotel" . The Mubarak Mahal which was the residential structure on the fort premise has been converted into a hotel and a restaurant. 

It can be a good place to unwind for a couple of days especially given its location and given that not many visit the place. Could give the sense of being the King of the Fort :) !!

Medak Fort

Back side of Mubarak Mahal

Elephant Gate

Elephant Carvings

Water reservoir in the fort

Medak Town

Mosque and Police Check Post at the Top of the Fort

Cannon in the fort

Cannon in the fort: Treasure Hunt Opportunity :)

Medak Cathedral: The cathedral is quite large and built has a Gothic architecture. There is some beautiful stained glass work in the church. Take a walk around the church building to get a close view of the work from the three sides as the church may be crowded on Sundays.

There is ample parking space around the church. A good time to visit Medak would be in the winter months however between October to February as you do not need t face scorching Telangana heat.

Back View

Entrance to right of Spire

Right view of the Cathedral

Temple: On the way between Hyderabad and Medak you have this temple which has a river flowing in its backdrop. The temple is quite popular among the locals.

Medak City

Weekend Getaway from Hyderabad: Bidar

Bidar city is about 150km from Hyderabad and is a 2.5 to 3 hrs drive from Hyderabad. The highway to Bidar for most part is excellent and also has excellent driving conditions. The town offers something for everyone. It has historical monuments and religious sites. We rented a car from ZoomCar.

For the History Buff:

- Bahmani Tombs

As you come close the the Bidar city you start noticing the Bahmani tombs appearing on horizon to your right. This place is known as Ashtoor. This is the resting place of the Bahmani Sultans who ruled much of south India north of the Tungabhadra river between 1347 to 1527. Bidar was the capital of the Sultanate.

Most of the tombs are closed but the grandest and one is open and has intricate painting work done on the walls. The place is not crowded in general and you can hang around, have lunch (assuming you carried it with you, there are not shops around) and rest.

One of the tomb was struck down by a thunderbolt and gives a very good sense on complexity of the architecture of the dome which has partially survived for over 600 years now.

- Bidar Fort
As you join back the ring road post your visit to the tombs you should turn right. After covering some distance you will notice the walls of the Bidar fort on your left. Look for the left turn which will take you to the fort entrance. There is ample parking space before the fort complex and the entrance is free.

Bidar Fort

The Sacred Sites: 

- Gurudwara Nanak Jhira (Spring) Saheb is located in the town.