[gadadhar]

We are planning for an early morning ride to Murugan Idli, Krishnaigiri and was exploring places around to spend the day after breakfast and came across this thread

We might be one or two families and drive will be a Fortuner 4X4, we are happy to exit on Bannerghata or Kanakpura road on the way back. Interest will be forest, temples and other offbeat locations

Will look forward for suggestions

[ampere]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

We are planning for an early morning ride to Murugan Idli, Krishnaigiri and was exploring places around to spend the day after breakfast and came across this thread

The Denkanikottai/Thalli sections are way-off from Krishnagiri. If you are heading towards Krishnagiri then probably its more like coming towards Rayakottai/Palacode. You can look at Panchapalli dam as one place to visit.

[chaitanyakrish]

What are the food options in this route? Please suggest.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by chaitanyakrish

What are the food options in this route? Please suggest.

Interiors around Thalli/Denkanikottai I don't think there is any but for small darshini in these towns.

Or there may one or two low end resorts which may serve food to order. But I have no idea. For instance there is one close to Denkanikottai while going from Hosur.

[adisan]

There are a few very nice temples in Denkanikottai, one with its history dating back to the times when the Pandavas were in exile.

A simple Internet search provides the information. Need to be mindful that the temples remain closed for several hours in the afternoon, unlike what might be listed on some websites. Had to return without darshan because of this.

[xantia]

Lovely travelogue - thanks for the write up, details and pictures. There are similar loops, hilly ones, between Delhi and Gurgaon. These are wonderful to experience in the late afternoons, when the sunlight is golden (I was going to say “when it mellows down” but that happens only in winters in Delhi!).

It is surprising how there are wonderful smooth roads in the hinterland, they look very old and even the pothole repairs are well aligned. Some of the backroads in Bihar, Jharkand, Uttarakhand, etc.

Look forward to many more from you.

[jkrishnakj]

Originally Posted by gadadhar

We are planning for an early morning ride to Murugan Idli, Krishnaigiri and was exploring places around to spend the day after breakfast and came across this thread

We might be one or two families and drive will be a Fortuner 4X4, we are happy to exit on Bannerghata or Kanakpura road on the way back. Interest will be forest, temples and other offbeat locations

Will look forward for suggestions

Drive till B’Ghatta forest entrance and take the small roads towards Kanakpura road from there, cutting across through the forest. You can reach Muninagara Dam through this route and spend few minutes there. The road from BNP connecting Kanakpura road is full of twists and turns, good roads. Some humps on and off.

If you don’t prefer the Muninagara lane, you can visit a Krishna temple at Kanakpura road. This is beyond Somanahalli. Small, yet very beautiful Guruvayur Krishna temple.

[gadadhar]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Drive till B’Ghatta forest entrance and take the small roads towards Kanakpura road from there, cutting across through the forest. You can reach Muninagara Dam through this route and spend few minutes there. The road from BNP connecting Kanakpura road is full of twists and turns, good roads. Some humps on and off.

If you don’t prefer the Muninagara lane, you can visit a Krishna temple at Kanakpura road. This is beyond Somanahalli. Small, yet very beautiful Guruvayur Krishna temple.

Thanks, have used this road numerous times between Kanakpura and Bannargahata to get a forest road feel in Bangalore. There is a small untarred deviation midway that leads to Anajanapura and JP Nagar 9th phase (where I live). You will find a small lake on this road that is accessible by foot, bit of offroading can take the vehicle next to the lake bed

Few weeks back, I tried an offroad track from the road that leads to Anjanapura, it was heading towards the peak of a small hill. We were stopped by a by a guy on a two wheeler, he claimed to be a forest official and instructed us to turn back since it is a forest road with no public access.

There is also a Jane temple made with white marbles on the K'pura - B'ghata road where you can spend some time. There is an inner road that leads to one of the gates of Jungle Lodges B'ghata.

You should be referring to Nettigere Guruvayurappan temple, it is a very serene place and follow similar rituals and architecture of Kerala temples.

I have missed the dam completely while exploring this area and will lookout for Muninagara dam next time.

[xantia]

Lovely travelogue - thanks for the write up, details and pictures. There are similar loops, hilly ones, between Delhi and Gurgaon. These are wonderful to experience in the late afternoons, when the sunlight is golden (I was going to say “when it mellows down” but that happens only in winters in Delhi!).

It is surprising how there are wonderful smooth roads in the hinterland, they look very old and even the pothole repairs are well aligned. Some of the backroads in Bihar, Jharkand, Uttarakhand, etc.

Look forward to many more from you.

[kiki_13]

3 states, 3 bikes, one of the trio - a ride to Mallappa Konda

In the social media era, where many places are thronged by people trying to capture the moment on their phones, it is challenging to find places that are still not spoilt by social media. Situated at the tri-state border of KA-TN-AP, Mallapa Konda was relatively free of them. There are multiple route options to reach the place. (North Bangalore) Sarjapur – Beregai – Kuppam route. Hosur-Shoolagiri – Krishnagiri route. A not so early start at 7am from Electronic City, we chose the latter to deviate before Krishnagiri and enjoy the interior roads of TN. Any left turn after Shoolagiri leading towards Kuppam will take you to Mallappa Konda.

The popular stop at Shoolagiri - Krishna Inn - for breakfast surprised us with less than a dozen bikers. The place doesn't seem to be the most loved destination for breakfast-rides. Sundays are no longer lazy and laid back. Many of them are up and about travelling to places for pleasure. The traffic was thick for a Sunday morning ride. The route is peaceful after deviating from the highway. Winding through the single carriage way, appreciating the picturesque fields and rural life, a short crossing of a reserve forest takes you to Andhra state.



The temple, Shiva Lingam and the flag alongside it will be visible from various locations along the way. Dedicated to Shiva (one of the trio reference in the title), this temple of Malleswara Swami is a favourite for folks of all 3 states. The road is mostly in good condition. The road connectivity to the temple atop is recently established. A chit-chat with a friendly local from the nearby town of Kuppam, recollecting the stories of hiking to this place in their childhood days was fascinating. The concrete road snakes through the hill, made up of red-sandstone, with several hairpins for the curve-craving buffs.



The temple was crowded with devotees eager to be part of a ritual celebrating the recent renovation of the temple. There are good vantage points to soak in the spectacular view of the landscape. While the temple is in Andhra state, the rear portion and approach road is part of Karnataka state, and the Tamil Nadu border is very close. It is saddening to see the plastic bottles and garbage thrown all over the place and another corner burning the plastic waste.



Ardent believers of “Two’s a company three is a crowd”, it was after a very long time a third motorcycle joined in for the ride. Our friend’s Bonneville Street Twin, Kiki (KTM Duke 200) and FZ-S. This route has enough twisties to satiate the craving of cornering connoisseurs. Just out of Electronic City and take the interior road on either side of the highway after Hosur, and it is a treat to corner on these fantastic tamarind tree-lined roads. Having done Ecity-Attibele all the way to Krishnagiri without getting on the highway, it was a delight to explore this new route. I am excited and looking forward to start exploring more routes in this part of Tamil Nadu.


top view of the temple