Climb those small hills | Mallikarjuna Durga

This small hill is something we passed to reach an unknown place beside the main rural road on way to Hogenakkal, the famous waterfalls in Tamil Nadu near Bangalore. We did our day picnic at this unknown nowhere place, did not go to Hogenakkal (had not planned to anyway) and on return climbed up this small hill. The views were spectacular, the location and the structures on top were so well fitting the environment - connecting the sky and earth.

On way to Hogenakkal, off Hosur Road
(turn right before Tumkur)

the flat top of Mallikarjuna durga, which we climbed in the evening

(Locations to use in Google Earth are added to the end of the post) The post has 2 parts - the apparently anywhere picnic spot and the Mallikarjuna durga hill climb. The picnic spot was found when we first stopped for our packed lunch, next time it was a trip just for the spot.

The picnic spot - spotted;
makes for our whole day rest, lunch and play area

Picnic area; off the main road

Fields near the picnic-spot

Picnic area: under the trees, few rock beds and rock outcrops

The view of horizon and lowlands from the spot towards east

Having spent many hours, just relaxing, attempting some sketches that turned out bad, playing with kids, we called it a day; had another round of our tea, few Frisbee games and we started to return to Bangalore. But before  that, we had to "climb that hill". And we did!


Climb that hill - Mallikarjuna Durga


I later learn from Google Earth the name of the hill. It is marked as: Mallikarjuna Durga, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu. The picnic place is 3.2 km south from Mallikarjuna on the eastern side of the road. there is another shrine or local religious spot from there, but we missed it.

the first large rock bed
from where the climb in a monolith rock with few cut steps

the "toad rock" and view on the climb

the rock of the temple ground

sun sneaking through the clouds to give a golden spot

near the summit

rock-cut steps neat the summit

climbing up - the meeting of sky and earth

gate and remnants of the fortress wall across

the flat ground on top

remnants of the fortress on top

the main temple

subsidiary shrine

sub-shrine and  the water body 

looking back to the fields below

a small structure atop rock in the village below

View India out there in a larger map

Locations:
"Mallikarjuna Durga" lat=12.4471, lon=77.747396
"Picnic Spot" lat=12.4173735126, lon=77.7513727006