Kolar is a good day trip from Bangalore. Its about 2hr drive from KR Puram bridge. Since Kolar is very dry and hot place, it is best avoided in summer. The drive to Kolar is also pretty dry and no interesting places on the way. Kolar is know for Gold Mines (KGM), however the mines are closed and visitors are not allowed. Kolar is also know for historical temples and make a good day trip. Not many visitors are seen here - probably because of no publicity.
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| Someshwara Temple |
We decided to go for a day trip during my parent's visits to Bangalore. We started on a Sunday after breakfast and in no time reached KR Puram bridge. I guess Sunday morning is the only time when Bangalore traffic is tolerable.
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| Pushkarni |
We reached Kolar by 11am and went straight to Kolaramma temple. The temple is very clean, pretty old and very well maintained. We were the only tourists - I guess :) From here we went to Someshwara temple. This is huge and well kept. The pushkarni and kalyana mantap were worth seeing.
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| Entrance to Antargange |
From here we went to Antare Gange. We did not visit the caves though, which is a full day activity in itself. We just opted to climb to the top. There are about 150-200 steps and would take 2 hours to return. The climb is well shaded with trees. However with kids and elderly parents, we took multiple breaks and hence took a longer time. The views are great and good excerise. Nothing exceptionally great though.
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| Kotilingeshwara Temple |
We were pretty tired and hungry by the time we returned. Next step was to find a spot to have lunch. Recommended to carry packed lunch. There aren't any good places to eat. We found a nice shade under a tree in a field along side the road. This is one good thing in small towns/villages. You can just stop and have a lunch amongst the green fields under a tree and nobody will question you. You can chat up with the farmers and they are eager to share their experiences and life stories.
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| Fields |
We rested for some time after lunch and started our drive back to Bangalore. On the way we stopped at Koti Lingeshwar Temple. This temple is known for one crore lingas. The feeling one gets here is more of visiting a musuem of Lingas. One can see different sizes and varieties, donated by different people. All in all worth a visit. Avani hills was one of the other places which was worth visiting. However since my parents were tired, we skipped it and headed straight back to Bangalore.
