Devarayandurga

This popular hill-fort is about 65 kms from B'lore and takes roughly 2 hrs. to reach. We took the Tumkur highway (via NICE road) and turning right under the Dobbaspet flyover reached our destination with all the accompanying thrill and excitement. To our dismay, we discovered it was more of a hill-station and pilgrimage with hundreds thronging the temples that dot its landscape.

 There were actually two temples - one at the base which we didn't bother to explore and the other towards the top of  the hill , the temple of YogaNarasimha. However, we drove a good 1 or 2 kms uphill,  parked our car in the lot and reached the temple climbing a maze of steps with plenty of simians to give us company. It's fun watching them groom each other, munching on whatever little they could lay their hands on and indulging in their usual antics, being careful not to get too close to them. Just beside the temple was a dried-up 'kund' lying in a state of disrepair, but interesting enough to draw our attention.

  All anxious to reach the summit, we gave the temple a miss (though only for the time being) and hurried towards the top only to meet an eyesore - an ugly water-tank standing tall and almost blocking our way up. As if this wasn't enough, we found the area littered with human excreta left by those desperate ones seeking cozy little spots to relieve themselves, oblivious of the sanctity of the place and convenience of others. Disgusted but ignoring this rather jarring sight, we moved on and reached a huge flattened rock big enough for a stroll with a small bastion at its tip.

 

 Hanging around for a while, we started once again for our last leg of the trek to the summit. Passing underneath hanging-rocks, emerging out into a clearing and then clumsily climbing a group of rocks, we were finally at the top. A bit exhausted by now, we refreshed ourselves with the cool breeze blowing hard and almost non-stop. A small 'mantapa' stood right at the edge of the cliff, with a small bell hanging from its roof, which gave a vantage-view of the surrounding hills and valleys and had us clicking pics most of the time. 

 When finished, we made our way down to the temple (we had skipped) for a brief visit and 'darshan'. Now content that we didn't miss a thing, we headed back home to B'lore.