Mandaragiri

Mandaragiri is situated 10 Km from Tumkuru town, around 60 KM from Bangalore. In the recent times, Mandaragiri has gained a lot of popularity among Bangaloreans because it can be an easy half-day trip from the metro. The major attractions involve a Jain Basadi, Gomateshwara statue, Mydala lake and the trek up the Mandaragiri hill with a jain temple at the summit. 

On the 26th of Januaury, 2022, Preethi and I decided to drive to Mandaragiri. We left home at around 2:30 PM. Follow Google maps for directions. We reached there at around 4 PM. First, we explored the beautiful Jain Basadi at the base of the hill. 

The trek up the Mandaragiri hill is short and easy, but steep. With one or two short breaks, you can reach the summit within 30 minutes. The view from the summit is amazing. The temple at the peak was under construction when we went. 

Walk to the other side of the Mandaragiri hill, to reach a view point that overlooks Mydala lake. We sat there for a while enjoying some Charmuri, prepared by the villagers who had setup a stall. 

To view the sunset, we picked a good spot on the western side of mandaragiri. You can choose to walk up to the lake as well.

On our way back, we drove to Tumakuru town. We stopped at a small village on the way, to buy some fresh cow milk at the diary cooperative society. At Tumakuru, we had Masala dosa and idly at Pavithra idly hotel. 

Upon enquiry, we got to know about a mill close by. The small shop/mill is on an alley, close to the petrol bunk opposite Pavithra hotel. Here, we found fresh coconut oil, mixed millet powder and Naati (Organic) Jaggery for a price much cheaper than in Bangalore or Mangalore. The quality is supreme. 

Though this was a short trip, we enjoyed it a lot. It involved great views, good food and most importantly, discovery of an interesting shop that sells local products, for which otherwise, I used to travel to Mangalore.