After feeling dumped with modem week and fully exhausted by machinery works, we decided to relax some time in our countryside, but not too far from the city, and to adjust with in a day. And it was "Achallu betta", that we decided and can be spotted just after 15 Kms from Kanakapura! Achalu is the village name and betta in kannada means 'hill'!
One aspect you would like here is the beauty and amazing landscape all along the way and you will astonish at the gift of our peaceful country side.
Having decided on the place, we five people on three bikes geared up for the trip and the time we crossed
out the city was 7.30 AM. Though the monsoon has started raining more and more every day at this time, it was clear and warm weather to start with.
After picking our fifth man on the Mysore road, we decided to take off the city through NICE express highway. It was awesome to have just few min ride on this road, so as to connect on Kanakapura road, but whole ride was overwhelming us with an orchard full of coconut trees.
We could reach the foothill of our target in another half an hour, following a little breakfast at our ever-visiting hotel in Kanakapura, around 9 AM. We could park our bikes at the free of cost in front of farmer house and started the trek with the navigation by electric poles, wired to the top of hillock!
With my little fictious workout on gathering informations about this place, it would take 2 hours atleast to climb up and we too realized it, with our hearts pumping at the peak. It was calm, clean breeze that we could get while we sat in middle of the trek under a tree.
Path is very straight forward if you follow the electric poles since the beginning, yet we could not find proper place to start, having seen none around us to help. It took the same time as we expected and at last reached the top. Our expectation has finally brought us to amaze at the wide view on green farms, tiled houses, small ponds, etc. There is a small Nandi at the top facing the village.
Also, a Muneeswara temple and small pond are there. People around here seems to celebrate Sankaranthi on this hillock, but nothing else this place seems to have specially in the history of it. We could spend nice team under a tree discussing about our friends, life, college stories, etc and etc ... I could really enjoy the fun-filled bike trip, but the climax of the trip was on rain-filled way, back to home.
Useful Informations
Location of hillock: On the way to Mekadattu.
Distance: 80 Kms from Bangalore, 15 Kms from Kanakapura.
Nearby Town: Kanakapura
Season: Anytime! Rainy season is not to good for the trek!
Facilities: Pack enough water and food atleast from the town.
As this place is with in 50 Kms from Bangalore, we decided not to throttle more to exhaust on recently laid, winding roads that connects to this dam, but enjoy the nature. It was cloudy and windy weather to start with, during the pre-monsoon morning!
Just before the dam, the road forks into two, one to the dam and other running across the catchment land. Water at the catchment side was less enough to park our bikes at the shore. It was absolutely beckoning when the water was rippling and reflecting at Savandurga! At first sight, the warm water tempts us for the swimming, but it is highly dangerous as the depth is not defined clearly.
So what are you waiting for? Gear up to this magnificent Manchanabelle soon
