Nandi Hills, India
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Nandi Hills (Anglicised forms include ''Nandidurg'' and ''Nandydoorg'') is an ancient hill
fortress A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
built by Ganga Dynasty in the Chikkaballapur district of
Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...
state. It is now a locality situated 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from
Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...
. The hills are near the town Nandi. In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the
Arkavathy river The Arkavati is an important mountain river in Karnataka, India, originating at Nandi Hills of Chikkaballapura district. It is a tributary of the Kaveri, which it joins at 34 km south of Kanakapura, Ramanagara District called Sangama i ...
, Ponnaiyar River,
Palar River Palar (Tamil: ''பாலாறு'' pālāṟu paːlaːɾu literally "milk river") is a river of southern India. It rises in the Nandi Hills in Chikkaballapura district of Karnataka state, and flows in Karnataka, in Andhra Pradesh and i ...
, Papagni River and
Penna River Penna (also known as Pinakini, Penneru, Penner, Pennar, Pennai) is a river of southern India. After originating from Nandi hills, it flows as two different streams, one in North and South directions. The Penna rises in the Nandi Hills, India, ...
. Watching the sunrise at Nandi Hills is popular with tourists. The second
SAARC The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, ...
summit was held at Nandi Hills in 1986.


Etymology

There are many stories about the origin of the name Nandi Hills. During the
Chola The Chola Empire, which is often referred to as the Imperial Cholas, was a medieval thalassocratic empire based in southern India that was ruled by the Chola dynasty, and comprised overseas dominions, protectorates and spheres of influence ...
period, Nandi Hills was called Anandagiri meaning The Hill of Happiness. It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hills resemble a sleeping bull. It is also said that the Yoga Nandeeshwara performed penance here after whom the place is named. Another theory holds that the hill gets its name from an ancient, 1300-year-old, Dravidian-style temple, and for the
Nandi (bull) Nandi (), also known as Nandikeshvara or Nandideva, is the bull ''vahana'' (mount) of the Hindu god Shiva. He is also the guardian deity of Kailash, the abode of Shiva. Almost all Shiva temples display stone images of a seated Nandi, general ...
, statue situated on this hill.


History

Nandi Hills was developed by Ganga Dynasty in 11th century. It was also used by
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
as a summer retreat. Nandidurga was traditionally held impregnable, and its storming by the army of
Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805) was a British Army officer, Whig politician and colonial administrator. In the United States and United Kingdom, he is best known as one of the leading Britis ...
on 19 October 1791 was one of the most notable incidents of the first war against
Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (, , ''Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu''; 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799) commonly referred to as Sher-e-Mysore or "Tiger of Mysore", was a ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery ...
of
Mysore Mysore ( ), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. It is the headquarters of Mysore district and Mysore division. As the traditional seat of the Wadiyar dynasty, the city functioned as the capital of the ...
. A description of the siege is given in Browne's History of Scotland and the records of the 71st Highlanders. It later became a retreat for
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
officials during the hot season. Francis Cunningham built the summer residence here for Sir Mark Cubbon. The climate at the top of the hill made it of interest to
horticulturists Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
. Several species of plant were introduced into an experimental garden. Firminger's manual notes that several species of ''Anona'' were grown at this garden and also notes the peculiarity of '' Hypericum mysorense'': Potato cultivation was introduced for the first time in the neighbourhood of Bangalore by a Colonel Cuppage and continued by the botanist Benjamin Heyne. Heyne brought seeds from St. Helena and these grew well enough that they were supplied in Madras and preferred to those obtained from Bengal. In 1860, tea plants were tried on Nandi Hills by Hugh Cleghorn.


Development

The Department of Horticulture is setting up a one-crore food court. A 30-lakh music stage, located on a three-and-a-half acre grove, will be used to conduct cultural programmes. Furthermore, the Horticulture Department is developing of land in the Nandi Hills region with the creation of a large-scale exotic botanical garden. A planetarium with an initial one-crore investment is also being constructed. A gondola lift system will connect the peak of the Nandi Hill with the nearby
Muddenahalli Muddenahalli is a village situated 7 km from Chikballapur in Chikballapur District of Karnataka State. It is the birthplace of M. Visvesvaraya, one of India's most accomplished engineers. Transportation A railway station and railway l ...
.The Hindu : Karnataka News : IIT will be established at Muddenahalli, says Moily
/ref>
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/ref> Other projects including Prestige Golfshire and QVC Nandi Hills are coming up near Nandi Hills. There are also proposals to construct cable cars, at the cost of 15 to 20 crore, to protect the local environment and reduce the number of vehicles going to the hills.


Notable places of interest

Places of interest in the area include Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple (a Hindu temple in Chikkaballapur district), Tipu's Summer Palace, Tipu Drop, and Skandagiri.


Biodiversity

The vegetation of the hills is typical of high hills. Inside the fort at the summit, many of the large trees are planted exotics such as ''
Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...
'' and the undergrowth consists of ''
Coffea arabica ''Coffea arabica'' (), also known as the Arabica coffee, is a species of flowering plant in the coffee and madder family Rubiaceae. It is believed to be the first species of coffee to have been cultivated and is the dominant cultivar, represe ...
'' along with some native species. The forest acts as a substrate for cloud condensation and every morning the trees are covered in water. This allows for many moist forest species of plants and animals. The hills are very rich in birdlife making it a popular location for birdwatchers and bird photographers. The evergreen forest patch on top of the hill being a favoured wintering location for many migrant species of warblers, flycatchers and thrushes. The forest patch is also home for a relict population of the Nilgiri woodpigeon. A breeding pair of
shaheen falcon The Shaheen falcon (''Falco peregrinus peregrinator''), also known as the Indian peregrine or black Shaheen,peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...
is also often seen at the Nandi Hills. The Malabar whistling thrush, Uropeltid snakes and
pill millipede Pill millipedes are any members of two living (and one extinct) orders of millipedes, often grouped together into a single superorder, Oniscomorpha. The name Oniscomorpha refers to the millipedes' resemblance to certain woodlice (Oniscidea), also ...
s which are otherwise known only from the Western Ghats ranges are also found here. The hill slopes are the home of the yellow-throated bulbul, a species endemic to the hills of peninsular India.


Hiking and trekking

Nandi Hills is a destination for hiking and trekking for beginners to intermediate level. Trails in the area include the staircase-based trekking path which starts near Sultanpet village. , visitors require prior District administration passes to visit Nandi hills on weekends to manage parking and reduce overcrowding on the hill station. Only 1,000 two-wheelers and 300 light motor vehicles parking is allowed on the hill station. Passes can be purchased at the Ticket counter at the base of the hill station or through KSTDC website. Earlier Nandi Hills was closed due to Covid restrictions.


References


External links


State govt's official site
* {{Wikivoyage-inline, Nandi Hills Cities and towns in Chikkaballapura district Hill stations in Karnataka Populated places in the Western Ghats Hills of Karnataka Tourist attractions in Karnataka Buildings and structures in Chikkaballapura district Forts in Karnataka Geography of Chikkaballapura district