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The magnificence of yore

Last Updated 17 May 2017, 14:38 IST
Leaving behind our mechanical life, hectic office schedule and the crazy city traffic, we thought of going out for some sightseeing and trekking on one of the weekends.

My wife Ananya suggested that we explore Chitradurga, a land of rich culture and heritage, and a realm ruled by royal dynasties like the Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Vijayanagara kings.

How did we go?

We started driving towards Chitradurga early morning on Saturday, taking the Bangalore-Pune highway. The drive on NH4 was nice and refreshing. We stopped for breakfast enroute and reached Chitradurga in about four hours.

As soon as we reached, we drove directly to the fort located around three to four km from the highway and just one km from the main city of Chitradurga.

We carried enough drinking water and snacks with us. We parked our car near the fort entrance where you have to pay an entry fee. There are guides available at the entrance. However, as Ananya had explored the place earlier, she volunteered to guide.

What did we do?

As we started walking inside the fort, we noticed that it is made of really big and heavy stones. It is built in such a way that these gateways were only accessible after several 90 degree turns, to slow down invaders’ attacks.

We walked down along the stone pathway and saw temples inside the fort premises, historically connected to the legend Bhimasena of Mahabharatha. A special mention must be made here of the legendary ‘Onake Obavva’. We walked down further and saw ‘Obavvana Kindi’, which is where the brave woman singlehandedly fought hundreds of soldiers of Hyder Ali.

We spent a couple of hours in all these places, clicking photos along the way, resting in between and refreshing ourselves. If you are interested in trekking, the best way to climb the rocks is barefoot. Some rocks take you to the top and are tricky to climb, especially the ‘kudure hejje’ (horse’s footprints). As we climbed up, it was a little windy and cloudy and it started drizzling. The views from the top are truly scenic.

The Chandravalli caves add to the uniqueness of Chitradurga and are located around three to four km from the fort. We were amazed to see inscriptions underground and in the tunnels.

In the evening, we did some shopping in the local markets and took rest. The next day, we visited the local temples and also covered Vani Vilas Sagar Dam on our way back. We returned to Bengaluru with good memories of our beautiful weekend getaway.



(The author can be contacted at askviknet@yahoo.com)
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(Published 17 May 2017, 14:38 IST)

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