Devarayanadurga - Exploring rocks and hills

After exploring Namadha Chilume,we headed towards Devarayanadurga, which is less than a kilometer. Devarayanadurga is a small hill station in Tumkur. The huge rocky hills are surrounded by forest. The place is amidst nature and gives you great views of the town. The hills are at an altitude of 3940 feet. The road includes few moderate sharp curves. At the base of the hill is the Bhoganarasimha temple and on the top of the hill is the Yoganarasimha temple. The Yoganarasimha temple on the top of the hill is installed by lord Brahma and the Bhoganarasimha is installed by Durvasa rushigalu.

[caption id="attachment_1758" align="alignnone" width="5184"] The motorable road to the hilltop[/caption]

Sooner we reached the foothill. Take the left turn to visit Bhoganarasimha temple or continue straight along the hills to reach Yoganarasimha temple. There are steps foothill to reach the top. Also,there is a motorable path to reach the top, which we preferred. The roads are in good condition and a pleasure to bike riders.

[caption id="attachment_1771" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Entrance of Devarayanadurga temple[/caption]

Once we reached the hill top, lots of monkeys welcomed us. Please refrain carrying bags except water to escape from monkey hassles. The aroma of Eucalyptus / Nilgiri trees freshened up our cells. The first view of Devarayanadurga appeared to be a fort. Devarayanadurga got its name from Mysore king Chikkadevaraja Wodeyar who built a fort here with seven entry points. The hill temples were patronized by the successive rulers of Wodeyar dynasty. Many inscriptions and historical remains dating back to the Hoysala and Vijayanagar periods have been found in and around Devarayanadurga.

[caption id="attachment_1747" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Well constructed steps[/caption]

Well constructed 435 steps approx take you the top. Climbing up is really fun, as the view gets better as we go higher. The place gets cooler and cooler under the huge rocks.

[caption id="attachment_1767" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Breathtaking views of the town[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1756" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Maruthi carved out of the rocks[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1748" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Maruthi idol at the entrance of the temple[/caption]

The temple timing is 10am to 5pm every day and abhisheka at 11am. Devotees in thousands are known to visit Devarayanadurga during the annual car festival of the Bhoganarasimha temple held in Phalguna masa (Feb-March). The week-long annual jathre-and-temple festivities remain an ancient tradition.

[caption id="attachment_1761" align="alignnone" width="5184"] The ancient temple Gopura[/caption]

The ancient temple houses garuda sthamba, the goddess Lakshmi and the main deity Yoganarasimha. When we entered the temple, they applied the naama / tilak to our forehead. The temple is believed to have a history of 750 years. The garbagriha is carved out from a huge rock and houses the main deity. Also, we found the 17 sculptures of Alwars and rishis. Photography is strictly prohibited.

[caption id="attachment_1763" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Kalyani[/caption]

Outside the temple, a small Kalyani is found. We sat nearby and relaxed for a while.

[caption id="attachment_1762" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Kumbhi betta[/caption]

Opposite to the temple is the Kumbhi betta. Previously, one was allowed to climb the top of this hill and explore scenic views. Right now, this is prohibited. It was a memorable experience of climbing the steps and exploring this ancient temple.

[caption id="attachment_1752" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Tree grown out of rocks ??[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1754" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Monkey chillaxing with Fanta[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1768" align="alignnone" width="5184"] Lot of food stalls found as we climb the stairs[/caption]

We could spot the traveller guest house on the opposite hill, which looked awesome. We thought we would explore it. When we reached there, we found nothing, but a building of traveller guest house with police station. As we descended from the hill, we headed towards a small place, yet peaceful Vidyashankara temple. Follow to my next post Tumkur has several places for rock climbing and trekking. It's a hub of history and ancient temples. There are lots of researchers heading to Tumkur to explore its true history. Exploring Tumkur has been a new experience to me. This can be a good day trip away from the city. Keep travelling ! :)