Nanjangud Temple

A 1000 year old temple you can find enroute from Mysore to Chamrajnagar. A golden sandy brown color rajagopuram welcomes you. The temple is big as any south Indian temple and has huge prakarams and stone sculptures. You will find a blend of Hoysala and Vijayanagar architecture. The Kapila river, a tributary flows silently around the temple. On the whole, a quiet town near Mysore. The temple had patronage of Mysore Wodeyars and Tipu Sultan. It is said that the sultan believed that his elephant was cured of diseases by the
grace of the presiding deity of this temple and hence he made endowments to this temple.

How to reach there ? The nearest towns are Mysore. From Mysore there are plenty of transport and the nearest airport is Bangalore.

Time to spend : 4--5 hour.

Nagarjuna Tiger Reserve

Truly the biggest tiger reserve in this country. If you like a vast and arid place of 3000 sq.kms with miles away from humans, this is a place in south India. Very vast and dry and you will wild plateaus, gorges, valley and dam sites across krishna river.

The flora is exciting. Bamboo trees, thick grass, unknown species of tree. Veru quiet and unspoilt place. Tribes do still live here. As seasons come and go, the scenery changes from decidious and evergreen. Each having its own charm. For adventurous, one can camp here with permissions from forest dept. Though, naxals do infest here and be cautious as locals are very un-cooperative for fear of naxals. Though claimed to have variety of fauna, sighting them is difficult because of vastness. The elusive tiger and king of this reserve is very much nocturnal. With luck you may hear the growl.

How to reach there ? The nearest towns are Srisailam, Markapur, Atmakur, Kurnool etc.,
Connectivity by road is the best and nearest rail station is Markapur. Airport is Hyderabad.

Time to spend : One -two days.

Where to Stay : APTourism Punami cottages at Srisailam are excellent around Rs.700/- for A/c and Rs.500 for non-AC cottages. If you like to stay in Jungles, I recommend camp gears.

Three Forest Range

Three forest range Bandipur Tiger Park, Mudumalai, Neelambur forest reserves packed jointly forms an excellent bio reserve. Any time of the year, you can spot elephant herds, packs of deer, peacocks, wild buffaloes, leopards here in dusk. A state highway passes through these forest range for 60 kms as the forests borders TN, Kerala and Karnataka.


You can take a ride into the forests with the elephant in Bandipur or Mudumalai. With luck, you may see tiger. A statistic display on the board gives details on the last tiger sighted.

Accomodation provided by TTDC and KSTDC or excellent. Though you have to go early or book in advance. You also need to book your dinner the moment you step in. I missed the cook first day and travelled to the sleepy Masinagudi town to fix my stomach

The Moyar river flows through the forest and the calm surroundings here gives you eerie feel. Overall a nice place and I feel guilty in promoting and sending urbanites to such a wonderful ecosystem.

How to reach there ?
You take the road from Bangalore to Mysore and
then proceed to Chamarajnagar. From there you proceed to Gudalur. A private vehicle is excellent to stop and enjoy the surroundings.

Time to spend :Two-Three days.
Where to Stay : TTDC at Masinagudi or KSTDC cottages in Bandipur.
Costs : Around Rs.500/- for non-AC cottages.
What to take: Tropical cottons, fully loaded cameras.