January 8, 2024

Hiking in History

Still feeling like I’m dreaming after an eventful night out at the Bohemian restaurant, we hopped on another early morning bus to start the day. For this trip, we escaped the city and headed for Nandi Hills in the northern region of Bangalore. On our way, we made a pit stop at Nandi Upachar for breakfast and devoured the most delicious dosas to our hearts content. Then we ran back to the bus and made our way to Bhoga Nandishwara Temple, a complex that originated from the 9th century and has endured many dynasties with each adding their personal touch to it over thousands of years. Our guide, Bhargavi, led us through the temple while teaching us its significance and history along the way. The temple was made completely out of sandstone and granite slabs stacked on columns to support its structure with carvings of intricate Hindu designs in every stone. In one part of the temple, we were greeted by a monk who blessed us all with success and happiness. As we made our way through the temple, we were led to a beautiful temple tank that felt very Zen.

After our time at the temple, we got back on the bus and drove to the trail head of Nandi Hills where we had our first encounter with “friendly” monkeys who kept us on our feet. Along our hike, we stopped at the first look out at Tipu’s Drop which got its name during Tipu Sultan’s reign who punished convicts by pushing them off the cliff. We eventually made our way to the top where we found ourselves in another beautiful temple, the Yoga Nandeeshwara Temple. Again, we were greeted and blessed by a monk who sent us on our way to continue our journey. Finally, we reached the look out and observed the rural region of Bangalore consisting mostly of small villages and farmland. During our hike, Bhargavi taught us more of the history of Bangalore and its development as well as how occupants continually adapt to adversity.

After learning about Bangalore’s history and development, it helps put into perspective why things are the way they are and inspires me to witness how well people are able to cope. With the constant pressure to survive, it’s no wonder why these resilient people of Bangalore are so innovative and why this is a perfect place to be a part of this entrepreneurial movement.

By Matt