More Than Just A View: Get Set To Cycle, Trek And Climb At Nandi Hills On Weekends

Nandi Hills is now an eco-tourism destination. Get ready for a host of activities as a build up to an eventual Nandi Hills Utsav — a festival to organised by the Karnataka Department of Tourism.

All of you who went to Nandi Hills to admire that beautiful view, take pictures and have picnics, thing are going to get more interesting soon! Taking the initiative, the Karnataka Department of Tourism believes that Nandi Hills is untapped and unexplored, and are thus promoting it as an eco-tourism destination. The department plans to organise the Nandi Hills Utsav, between mid-August, early September and will focus on heritage, nature, culture, adventure and religion. So essentially, you can look forward to a  mix of experiences and activities when you’re here. Hopefully it will also reinstate the hotspot to its former glory, minus the overtly PDAing couples.

The aim is to spread awareness on Nandi Hills as a more-than-meets the eye destination. As part of this event, the Utsav will include nature walks, rock climbing, marathons and cyclathons, bird watching events, heritage trails, and cultural events too. It’s really about bringing the community together to a place we all know and love.

As a precursor to this event, on July 1 and 2, no automobiles were allowed into Nandi Hills from 5am to 9am. It was a sort of test-run for cyclists, joggers and fitness enthusiasts, and was organised to promote this popular spot as a cycle-friendly zone. Now, the aim is to make this a rule on every weekend. So all you action bunnies, get you hiking shoes, cycles, skateboards or roller skates, and head off to Nandi Hills.

This article was first reported on TheHindu.com. Read it here.