If you are looking for a break from work for one day, consider going offbeat this time. There are quite a few places around Bangalore which can give you an offbeat and a memorable experience. One of such places is Ramanagar, a small village located close to Bangalore, famous as the shooting location for the hit Bollywood movie, Sholay.
Reaching Ramanagar
This small village is located about 50 km from Bangalore. You can take a train from Bangalore to Ramanagar, which is the easiest way to reach the place. All the major trains that ply between Bangalore and Mysore stop here for a little while. However, if you are not too comfortable taking a train journey to the destination, you can always take a bus from Bangalore. Regular buses ply on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, and it takes less than 2 hours to reach Ramanagar by road.
However, if you want to have a bit more fun, than biking is the way to go. The roads between Bangalore and Mysore are in very good condition, and you will enjoy the scenery along the way.
What’s there to do in Ramanagar?
There is a lot you can do in Ramanagar. Adventure is the highlight of the place, and this small village is visited by a lot of adventure junkies who are looking for a quick day outing near Bangalore. The natural granite formations of the place are ideal for activities such as rock climbing, trekking, rappelling and a lot more.
There are quite a few hilly formations that you climb or simply trek. The most famous of the lot, however, is Ramdevara Betta, partly because it houses two temples which are visited by a lot of pilgrims every year. There are two ways you can reach the top of Ramdevara Betta. You can take the stairs if you want the easy way out. There are about 400 stairs in all that you need to climb in order to reach the top of the hill.
However, if you want your adrenaline pumping, try the trekking route here. Although the trekking route is not very difficult, it does take a little bit of effort to climb some steep rock formations. However, at the end of it, you will enjoy the trek to the top of the mountain.
The top of the hill has a small lake which has temples on either side. One of these temples is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Parvati while the other one is dedicated to Lord Rama. But it is not just the temples that await you at the top of this hill. The view you get from the top is simply scintillating. There are hills all around, and if you take the trek in the early morning hours, the mist surrounding the place makes it even more beautiful.
While Ramdevara Betta is a popular trekking route of the destination, there are others which are meant for more hardcore trekkers. Two of these are the Anna Thamma and the Rainbow Wall. The two granite formations have steep rock formations and you would need all your rock climbing skills to conquer these formations.
There is another formation, quirkily named as Gabbar ki Pasand, which you can try your hands on. However, these tough rock formations need special permission from the Forest Department. Thus, if you don’t have a proper guide with you, you could be in for some disappointment.
Apart from trekking and rock climbing, the granite formations here are ideal for zip lining from one mountain to the other as well as rappelling.
There is more to the place than adventure
While adventure is the mainstay of the destination, that’s not there is all to this destination. If you are interested in the culture of the place, you could always pay a visit to Janapada Loka, which gives you a peek into lock traditions and cultures of the place. There are beautiful handicrafts on display here and you could always buy some along the way.
There is also the Silk Market you can pay a visit to while in Ramanagar. In fact, the village is known to be one of the biggest silk markets in Asia. You could lay your hands on some exquisitely beautiful silk sarees and other stuff made out of pure silk.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit Ramanagar would be in the cooler months of September to February. The summer months are not too bad either, if you can bear the hot weather that is prevalent during that time. However, you should completely miss the monsoon months for visiting Ramanagar. Not only do the granite formations become slippery because of rain, the place is infested with all sorts of insects and leeches during that time.
Thrillophilia- Adventure Travel India is one company which organizes such adventure trips across India. Get in touch.
