A "night-out" at the Sholay hills, Ramnagaram!

There are many-a-places around Bangalore which nature-lovers and history-enthusiasts like me would love to visit on a free day at hand. In this post i bring to you my experiences from one such place, Ramnagaram aka the Sholay Hills.

Probably the spot from where Gabbar kept an eye on Ramgadh 

Ramnagaram is known to most people as the Ramgadh of the evergreen blockbuster of Hindi Cinema, Sholay! Yes, this is the place where Basanthi was wooed by Viru, where Jay stole glimpses of the widowed Radha, where Gabbar Singh screeched “Arey o Samba! Kitne aadmi the!”Although at a distance of just 50 kms from the city, the villages around these hills are sparsely populated and hold good their rural feel and splendour unlike most places around Bangalore. The barren, rocky hills of Ramnagaram still seem to echo of Gabbar Singh’s grunts and screeches.

Our outing was an overnight one complete with tents and a camp-fire. With torch lights by our side and muddy sleeping bags to keep us warm, we lay down in our tents. Camping overnight in the fields, under the stars, for me, was a never-before experience. The only thing visible in the dark was the faint light of a far-away lantern probably hung outside a villager's home. Away from the hustle of the city, in the eerie-silence of the fields, it was a dreamy night under the tent, like a page out of Enid Blyton’s mystery plot in the moon-lit English moorlands. Well now, this was an experience straight out of my travel-wishlist!

Sri Ramanjaneya carved on a rock

In the morning we trekked up the highest of the hills, past the Ramagiri temple from which the town gets its name. Quite a tortuous path it was for a non-trekker like me, with narrow steps carved out of rock as we neared the peak. The sprawling view from the top though, like from most hill-tops, was one worth the trek. All around were rocky hills and boulders, dotted with green shrubs, quite a treat to the eyes!

Back from the trek, at our camping site we had some nice, steaming hot South-Indian style idli-vada breakfast waiting for us. We ended the outing with some Rock climbing and Rappelling activities. It was a wonderful trip, the best part of it being the night-stay in the tent and waking up to a foggy morning in the fields. Looking to have more such trips in the lap of nature! Looking to share more such travel-experiences that did strike a chord with my otherwise not-so-easily-excited-heart!

TRAVEL TRIVIA:

Tidbit! Ramnagaram is home to Asia's second largest (silk)cocoon market 

Best Time to Travel: Round the year
Location: Bangalore-Mysore (Karnataka) State Highway 17; 

• Distance from Bangalore - 49 kms  (approx. 1 hr by road)
• Distance from Mysore - 94 kms (approx. 2 hrs by road)