Avathi Betta – Unexplored Hill near Bangalore

Place: Avathi betta / Avathi Hills, Sri Lakshmi Timmaraya Swamy temple 
Distance: 44 km from Bangalore
Type: Temple and optional trek
Ideal for: Family and serenity seeker
Trek Difficulty:  Very easy
Trek Length: Less than 300 meters
Trek Duration: 15 minutes
Location on Google Maps: Avati, Karnataka


I was just back from my Kumaraparvata Trek which was an amazing trek. After taking a long rest for 15 days my feet were itching for a trip again. I saw GoPro Man’s video about this unexplored place called Avathi. The climate was great so without a second thought I called off for a short bike ride.

Best of the Beast

Saturday Morning: We were on the Bangalore-Hyderabad highway early in the morning. As usual, there were a lot of bikes flying towards Nandi Hills. Even we were on the same route but our destination was different. The roads were fogged up and the climate was cool.

The roads were covered by the mist. Little scary for riding but an amazing experience

Sunrise on the way. Couldn’t capture the sunrise due to the fog.

Breakfast time: We pulled over at Udupi Swada for breakfast. Idli vada and tea in a climate like this was a bliss. Since the distance to be covered was less we had no hurries. We resumed the ride after a good break.

Idli Vada Sambar dip. Anyone?

The signboards and google maps were helpful in finding the route to Avathi betta. The last 2 km stretch was not good as the road was under construction and I had to ride over the loose rocks (hope the work is completed by now). We reached the destination at 8.45 am.

Avathi hills: As expected there were none other than us. There is Timmaraya Swamy temple which was closed. Since I had seen GoPro man’s vlog I knew there is a way to climb further and reach the peak. I rewatched the vlog to find out the route as there was none to help us out. The way at the back of the temple would lead the way to the peak. 

There is a path beside the temple which leads to the peak of the hill

The place was shining with the sunrays

A short trek of 15 minutes lead us to the summit of the hill. Since this hill is at a very low hight the panoramic views weren’t extraordinary but the view of the Nandi hills was surely amazing. A lot of times we get out of the city to enjoy peaceful time amidst nature but the tourists’ population has increased a lot in the past year that you would find even more chaos and disturbance at popular attractions. This is so true with Nandi hills, Avalabetta, Mysuru and lot of such places.

The trail which leads to the peak

Venkateshwara Naama painted on rocks throughout the tail

The peak is an open area. Sadly there is no shade to sit if the climate is hot

You can see Nandi hills range from here

Lake view from the peak

But this place was different. There was nobody apart from us so it helped me relax my mind in complete silence. The cold breeze, the green paddy fields, and lake view were enough to please my eyes. I took a power nap and started descending after spending 2 hours at the peak.

I crashed on the hill to grab my sleep but the sun rays were eager to kiss my cheek 😉

Which jump is good? Upper Mumbiker Nikhil jump or Lower Sakre cubes Dab while jumping?

When you are high on fitness giving a macho pose is a must 😉

Sri Lakshmi Timmaraya Swamy temple: It was 12 o’clock in the afternoon by the time we came back to the temple. There were a lot of devotees around the temple. That’s when I realized the previous day it was Vaikunta Ekadasi. This temple is dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara so it was not surprising to see the temple decorated with flowers. After having darshana and of course Prasadam we were about to leave that’s when I saw a signboard which was pointing to the cave temple.

Sri Lakshmi Timmaraya Swamy temple at the base

The sign at the top reminds me of Tirupati

The temple was decorated with flowers

because

It was Vaikunta Ekadashi

Shrine of Lord Venkateshwara swamy

Shrine of Goddess Lakshmi on the left

Cave Temple: It is said that the great saint Goutama maharishi meditated here in a cave formation between large boulders situated below the temple. The place was quite beautiful but the caves were filled with bats so I didn’t dare to enter inside. 

This signboard caught our attention

Beyond that signboard was this steps carved in the rocks

Which lead to this Shanku Theertha. It is around 51 ft in depth.

Further walking down we reached this cave temple. The cave was filled with bats so I didn’t dare to take a photo inside.

We came back to the parking area on the other side. It was around 2 pm we had enough time to visit Nandi hills but I wasn’t in the mood of that so we started riding back.

We took these stairs to reach the area where we parked our bike

I loved the quotes written on each step on either side

We stopped at Indian Parata company for the lunch. The place was a little crowded but the food was really good. After having pizza we started riding back to Bangalore. 

Pizza at Parata Company

Conclusion: It was a short and sweet ride which refreshed my mind without having to go through the tiredness at the end of the ride. Avathi betta is a nice unexplored place with no crowd. It is less likely that it will drag a crazy crowd ever. I would suggest you to visit this place only if you are looking for a serene place away from the crowd. 

You can combine this place with either Nandi hills or Bhoganarasimha Swamy temple.

 

My youtube link: Sakre Cubes

Recommended Trekking Places near Bangalore:
1. Savandurga Hill,  – 50 km 
2.  Shivaganga Hill – 50 km
3. Nijagal Betta, Tumkur – 52 km
4. Makalidurga, Doddaballapura – 55 km
5. Mandaragiri / Basadi Betta – 60 km
6. SRS Hills, Ramnagar – 60 km
7. Skandagiri Hills – 60 km
8. Hulukadi Betta – 65 km
9. Rayakottai – 74 km
10. Antharagange, Kolar – 75 km
11. Bilikal Rangaswami Betta 75 km
12. Avani Betta – 95 km
13. Siddara Betta – 100 km
14. Madhugiri Fort, Tumkur – 103 km