Mandaragiri Hill | A Short Weekend Trip from Bangalore

Tired of a stressful week at work and looking for a peaceful place to chill near Bangalore? Mandaragiri Hill might just be the perfect place you need to visit. Located just about 60 kilometers from the city, this place makes for a lovely ride on the Tumkur Highway.

There is also a rather unique Jain temple located at the base of the hill. The architecture of this jain temple is inspired by the ‘Pinchi’ (whiskbroom made of peacock feathers), which looks pleasing to the eye. Behind the hill is a beautiful lake known as Mydala Kere. The calm waters along with dense forest and mighty hills make for a perfect spot to sit and enjoy your serene morning.

The cleanliness at this place has been well-maintained by the temple authority. Irrespective of this, at Three Trekkers, we highly recommend that you follow the approach of sustainable travel. This not only helps keep our environment clean, but also preserves the natural beauty for our future generations to explore.

How to Reach?

Mandaragiri Hill is located in the Tumkur District just about 60 kilometres away from Bangalore. The travel time during early mornings would be roughly 60 to 90 minutes. The route is quite simple, you need to travel on the Tumkur highway for about 50 kilometres and make a right turn into the arch at Pandithanahalli. Please follow the Google Maps link for accurate route.

When is The Right Time to Visit?

Every day is beautiful in its own way, and so is this place. I have visited Mandaragiri for both sunrise and sunsets and both of these have unique experiences of their own kind. Anytime between June to December is the perfect season as the surroundings would turn out to be lush green and offer a great view. Summers are going to be amazing too! With the clear skies offering a perfect view of both sunrise and sunset, you are definitely going to love this trip!

We highly recommend you keep a check on the estimated travel time based on traffic level and your location in Bangalore.

Places to See Around Mandaragiri Hill

The unique beauty of this place is that you get to cover a temple, a lake, and a hill at the same spot. The Jain Temple inspired by the ‘Pinchi’ is quite a unique architecture and also holds deep religious importance in Jainism. A tall, mighty statue of Gomateshwara also stands right next to the temple.

Mandaragiri Hill, also known as ‘Basadi Betta’ is an easy climb. There are about 450 steps carved on the rock and hardly takes 15 minutes to climb the hillock. While on top, you will be treated with a 360-degree view of the entire surrounding. The best thing about that is you can enjoy scenic sunset as well as the sunrise from the top of this hill.

Go around the temple at the top and you will be treated with a blissful view of Mydala Kere and hills in the background. There is an alternate route to take your vehicles directly towards the lake but sometimes restricted by the guards. Either way, this is a peaceful place where you can sit on the rocks and enjoy the pleasant morning breeze with a scenic lake view and hills in the backdrop.

Post-Ride Food Feast

No trip is complete without eating out, and so we have a couple of recommendations. If you are planning to travel in the morning, you can stop by at Kamat Upachar on your way back. The restaurant is located right across the highway and has ample parking space. Moreover, they serve a delicious breakfast to feast your taste buds.

For the nightwalkers who are returning to Bangalore after enjoying the sunset at Mandaragiri, we have a very special recommendation. Stop by at Doon Punjabi Dhaba for some delicious food. This is one of the most authentic Dhabas I have visited around Bangalore and I’m sure you are going to love it as well.

Do you have more time to explore a few other places and extend your trip to Mandaragiri? We highly recommend you check out our blog on Devarayana Durga Hills. DD Hills is located just about 20 Kilometres from Mandaragiri and will be a perfect addition to your current trip.

Tumkur highway can be quite crowded on Sunday evenings as usual, so we suggest you consider the same and plan your travel accordingly. We hope you have a safe and joyful travel experience to Mandaragiri.

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