Avalabetta, a tourists' favourite

Twittering birds and colourful butterflies, gentle breeze, lush green cover — all these are what come to mind when one thinks of Avalabetta, a hill which has been attracting tourists and giving a tough competition to the Malnad region.

Chikkaballapur district has many historically significant places, temples, hills and mountains. Avalabetta is located six km away from Mandikallu hobli in Chikkaballapur taluk. A temple for Lord Lakshminarasimhaswamy (Avulakondaraya in Telugu) is situated on the hill. The hill, also referred as Avalakonda, Hasubetta and Dhenugiri, is a favourite picnic and trekking spot for several devotees and travellers.

There is a concrete road as well as steps to get to the temple. After completing the first 150 steps, one can see the temple for Lakshmidevi. The Narasimha temple is a simpler cave temple with walls on three sides and a small door on another side. Next to the temple is a wedding hall (Kalyana mantapa) while on the other side of the road, there are guest houses by the Forest department.

Problems

However, a few problems plague this serene spot. One such problem is the water crisis as the water pipes that supply water up the hill have been damaged. The devotees visiting the temple during festivities struggle for drinking water. Borewells should be dug and water tankers should be provided at major spots on the hill. Lack of toilet facilities poses severe discomfort to tourists and devotees especially, women and children. The Tourist department must build toilets near the vehicle stand for the convenience of the visitors.

Alcohol and non-vegetarian food consumed in the guest houses built by Forest department on the other side of the temple affect the temple as well as the natural and serene environment around, complained the priest Ranganath and the local residents.

Steps should be taken to control water flowing from the top of the hill inside the sanctum of the temple. A limited number of buses to the hill cause inconvenience to travellers. Buses are provided only during festivities. Hence, more buses should be deputed to the temple from Chikkaballapur. The steps on the way to the temple from vehicle stand need repairs and a covered walkway must be built by erecting poles on the either sides of the steps.

How to get here

Those who wish to travel to the hill in their own vehicle can get to Chikkaballapur from Bengaluru and travel towards Bagepalli on NH 7. Avalabetta can be reached by taking a left turn towards Mandikalli from Peresandra which is on NH 7. The hill can be reached in 51 minutes from Chikkaballapur which is 34.2 km away.

Avalabetta, the pride of the district, should be maintained well so as to retain the hill’s serene beauty. The lake around the hill, fields and greenery makes it a beautiful spot altogether. The weather is pleasant during the summer, while during the winter, the sky puts up a spectacular cloud show. The hill is an ideal destination for those who want to spend a day or two away from the chaos of the world.