HAL Museum, Bangalore

The Heritage Centre & Aerospace Museum at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited(HAL), Bangalore or HAL museum is a one of a kind museum with spectacular display of airplanes, helicopters along with scale model of planes and airplane motors which makes it a must visit place in Bangalore.

There is a display of scale models and photo exhibition arranged chronologically showing HAL's history. The whole area is maintained very well covered with beautiful green trees and colourful flowers. No wonder HAL always participates in Lalbaug garden horticulture show every year and is top contender.

On the first floor there is a small outlet where you can buy scale models of airplanes and other such toys. I remember buying a scale model of Boeing 747. The scale models are a bit expensive though and taking kids to the outlet could lead to bankruptcy! There is also a flight simulator at nominal price but that is a bit kiddish. More of computer simulation used to play with joystick, can be fun enough for kids. Good place to spend 2-3 hours if your are an enthusiast as taking look at all the aircrafts first hand is very exciting and also the photo exhibition is wonderfully arranged chronologically showing HAL's progress.

Here is a glimpse of the place:

Map:
Have marked the museum which is on Old Airport Road, Bengaluru.


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Tikona Fort Pune

For the past couple of months we were planning an outing and the gang was supposed to come from Mumbai to Pune for a booze party then next day go for a trek to Rajgadh. As planned things were going as usual but the booze party lasted quite sometime and the scheduled plan to wake up early at 5 a.m. and start for Rajgadh never materialised. By the time we woke up it was 10 a.m.

The gang comprised of Nimesh, Nishil, Ninad, Dhaval, Jignesh and myself. Leaving for Rajgadh at that hour was not a good idea so we quickly changed the plans and decided to go to Tikona fort. I was still feeling the whisky running through my veins and the bright sunny day was not much inviting for a trek. However, we decided to move on and started from our place at 11.00 a.m. By the time we refuelled and bought foodstuff to carry , it was already 12 noon.

I decided to take the Hinjewadi route via Godambewadi upto Paud and drive North-west to the fort. This became the first mistake of this trip. The road conditions were very bad all the way upto Paud. The roads are very narrow and make overtaking a difficult task. If you are unlucky to get stuck behind a tractor or truck, getting off the road to overtake is the only option. Not that the road is in good shape, but your vehicle will take more beating doing so.

After painfully making my way through the bad roads we finally reached the Javan junction. From here there is a slight uphill drive and on this road you can clearly see the fort to your right. We kept on moving ahead to find the road leading to the fort. The road goes all the way such that you end up almost making a semicircle around the fort after which a right turn indicating Tikona fort arrives.

Here onwards is a kutchha road and it's better to drive cautiously. After driving for few minutes I was wondering if we are on the right track. The place is quite remote and there was no one around to ask for route. After driving along this dust road, we reach the base of the fort where we could see a few cars parked and most of the people were on their way back.

Hill opposite to Tikona

After parking and having eating few goodies, we started our trek. It was clear that there was no lunch today when I also realised that I was wearing my local floater sandals, hangover!. The trek looked pretty decent but the afternoon heat was draining us off.

Fort visible on top

Parking area 

After trekking for few minutes we reached a point from where the parking area was visible. This place will all green during monsoon and if using proper trekking gear and safety would be a nice trek. While trekking my sandals were not very helpful and I was finding it difficult to maintain proper grip so I decided to stay back. Dhaval who was already tired as usual was more than happy to see me return back to the half way point.

Slippery road to the top

The rest of the guys carried on all the way to the top. After waiting for few minutes at the midway point, Dhaval and myself returned back to the car and waited for the guys to return. Tikona still remains on my list and next time proper shoes would be  a point to remember.


Best time to visit: Nov to Feb

Duration:
Half to One day trip

Things to carry:

• Food
• Water
• Basic first aid
• Torch
• Lighter

The place quite remote and it's better to carry essential medicines along.

Route Map:
Decided to take the route via Hinjewadi. Looked a shorter route, but the road conditions is just too bad to drive on. On the way back took the Paud road to make the drive a bit better.


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Best Route:
This is probably the best route based on travel time and road conditions. If you are staying in the heart of city, you can take the Paud road route.


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Chintamani Ashtavinayak Temple, Theur

The fifth of the eight Ashtavinayak

About:

Abhijeet was a great and powerful king who had everything in life except a son who would be the heir to his throne. The king and his wife at the suggestion of Rishi Vaishyampayane carried great penance and were finally rewarded with son who they named Gana. He later came to be known as Ganaraja.

The son was bright brave and gifted but was also very aggressive. Ganaraja was once invited to visit the ashram of Sage Kapil. The sage was a good host and with the help of the Chintamani Ratna (a precious stone) he was able to serve the best of food to Ganaraj. Impressed by the ratna, Ganaraj wanted it for himself, but when Kapilmuni refused to part with the ratna, he forcibly took it away from him.

Goddess Durga advised Sage Kapil to seek the help of Lord Ganesh. Lord Ganesh responded to his call and battled with Ganaraj under a Kadamba tree and managed to get the ratna back for Kapilmuni. However, Kapilmuni had lost all desire to possess the Chintamani ratna and he offered it Lord Ganesh. He tied the Chintamani Ratna around Lord Ganesha's neck and so he came to be known as the Chintamani Vinayak. Since all of this occurred under a Kadamba tree, Theur was also known as Kadambanagar.

The temple entrance is North facing and the outer wooden hall was built by Shrimant Madhavrao Peshwa. The main temple is supposed to be built by Dharanidhar Maharaj Dev from the family-lineage of Shri Moraya Gosavi approximately 100 years before the wooden hall was built.

The construction of the temple is very strong and throughout it's 400 years of existence, the structure has stood the test of time. There is  a big 5 metal bell, one of the 2 bells bought from Europe in the temple premises.

There is garden dedicated to wife of Madhav Rao Peshwa who went sati after Madhav Rao's death. Due to time constraints, I did not check the garden.

Places Nearby:

• Ranjangaon Mahaganapati

Duration:

Half a day trip

How to reach:

The temple is very close to Solapur Highway and can be reached from various directions.
I had combined the visit to this temple with Ranjangaon Mahaganapati and covered Theur on my return journey from Ranjangaon. The two places can be covered comfortable in half a day.

Once you are near the temple premises, there is an allocated parking in the same lane as the temple. It took me  a few minutes to spot the parking lot as the area near the temple is flocking with visitors and flower vendors. There is a small board indicating the parking area and can be seen if watched closely.

There is a small eatery inside the temple premises offering full meal at Rs.15 sponsored by some trust. The food is decent enough for the cost. You can also buy prasad at the counter in the temple premises.

Route Map:

Have marked the temple on the map, the route is one which I took for combined trip covering Theur and Ranjangaon.


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MahaGanapati Ashtavinayak Temple, Ranjangaon

The eighth of the eight Ashtavinayaks

About:

Lord Shiva is believed to have worshipped Ganesha before fighting the demon Tripurasura here. The temple was built by Shiva where he worshipped Ganesha, and the town he set up was called Manipur which is now known as Ranjangaon.

The idol faces the east, is seated in a cross-legged position with a broad forehead, with its trunk pointing to the left. It is said that the original idol is hidden in the basement, having 10 trunks and 20 hands and is called Mahotkat, however, the temple authorities deny existence of any such idol.

Constructed so that the rays of the sun fall directly on the idol (during the Southward movement of the sun), the temple bears a distinct resemblance to the architecture reminiscent of the 9th and 10th Centuries and faces the east. Shrimant Madhavrao Peshwa used to visit this temple very often and built the stone sanctum around the idol and in 1790 A.D.


Places Nearby:

• Chintamani Ashtavinayak Temple, Theur
• Morachi Chincholi

Duration:
Half day trip

How to Reach:
The temple is adjoining the Nagar road highway as soon as you enter Ranjangaon from Pune. If you are travelling from Pune, the temple is to the right -side of the road. Ample parking space available near the temple. The temple has also undergone renovation work and new entrance door which can be seen from the main road is under construction.

The Nagar road is tolled road and will cost you Rs.57 to-fro for the trip.Road condition is good overall and there are no left and right on way to the temple.
The proximity from Pune makes it a comfortable half-day trip.

Route Map:
Have marked both Ranjangaon MahaGanapati and Theur Chintamani on the route map.

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Chikka Tirupati Near Bangalore

About:
As the name suggest , this is the miniature version of the Tirupathi Temple, 'Chikka' means small in Kannada. This temple lies very close to Sarjapur and is easily accessible from Bangalore. The roads overall are good from Sarjapur route with some bad patches. As all the temples in South India this too has beautiful gopuram and is peaceful place devoid of large crowds.

There is also this story about why this temple was built. It was built by Lord Agni to please Lord Vishnu. Agni deva was suffering from severe stomach ailment. Lord Brahma advised him to consume the herb-rich 'Khandava' forest to cure his ailment. However, Takshaka the Serpent-king and a close friend of Lord Indra , was residing there. Whenever Agni tried to consume the forest, Lord Indra’s thundershowers quickly extinguished the fire. With the help of Sri Krishna and Arjuna, Agni managed to consume 'Khandava' forest. During this, he caused injuries to Takshaka who cursed Agni that he will lose his 'teja'. 

To get rid of this curse, Lord Krishna suggested Agni deva to please Lord Vishnu who could return back Agni deva his 'teja'. Agni to achieve 'shaapa vimochana' built this temple of Lord Venkateshwara to please Lord Vishnu who returned back 'teja' to Agni Deva. The Lord here is also called Prasanna Venkateshwara for this reason.

Best time:
Throughout the year, an hours drive from Bangalore.

How to reach:
From Silk Board: 33 kms approx
Take the outer ring road to get to Sarjapur road. Continue on this road, till you reach Sarjapur. Its a pretty small town. Once you exit Sarjapur, there is a Y-Junction where you need to take a left and continue for another 10 kms and on the left hand side you should see the temple.

From Electronic City:
Take Hosa road to join Sarjapur road and continue with the same driving Directions as above

From Marathalli:
Take the Whitefield road and continue on the Bagalur road, NH 207

Route Map:
From Silk Board


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Mangal Murthi Morya Ganapati Temple

The Mangal Murthi Morya Ganapathi  also know as Birla Ganapati is a staggering 54ft tall Ganapati statue just off the NH4, Mumbai road near to the Somatane toll gate. It's a difficult to miss statue as this place is well lit up at night too. The idol is visible from the NH 4\Old  Mumbai-Pune road to the left if you are travelling towards Mumbai just as you approach the Somatane tollgate.

The majestic Ganesh Idol

How to reach:

If you are travelling from Pune, take the old Mum-Pune road(NH4) and go till the Somatane tollgate. On the left hand side you should see the beautiful Ganesh Idol on a small hillock. The entrance to the temple is right after the tollgate and if you are travelling by car, you need to pay a toll of Rs.26.

The stairs to the temple

Right after you cross the tollgate , there is a left turn almost like a V-turn. You can see a big board for Prati Shirdi which is on the same road about 1.5 kms from this junction. After you take the turn, after about 500m there is a small road climbing up to the left leading to the parking lot of the temple. There is a board with 'Mangal Murthy Morya Temple' indicating the left turn. There is ample parking space once you make your way up and they charge some nominal amount for parking. I had to pay Rs.3 for my two wheeler. Then you have to walk up the stairs to the temple. The climb is pretty easy and even elders and children will enjoy it. The place is kept very clean and secured with cctv cameras.

View from different angle

Best Time to visit:

Morning or evening, any day of the year. Morning 10 am should be a good time as the Idol is facing North-east and the light conditions would be better to take a clear shot at this time. The idol is not covered so visiting the place is monsoons might not be a good idea. I went to this place at 5 in the evening and could not get clear photos as the sun shining right behind the Idol. However, it is a good peaceful place to be with your family in the evening.

Places nearby:
The Ghorvadeshwar Cave temple is just about a km apart and can be covered on the same day.
Pratishirdi at Shirgaon is on the same road some 3-4 kms ahead.

Route Map:

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Ghorvadeshvar Cave Temple

If you are looking for a quick trek to a nearby place, why not combine it with visit to a temple. Ghorvadeshwar Cave temple is a active Shiv temple on top of a hillock just before the Somatane Toll gate if you are going towards Mumbai. A short walk up the stair will take you to these old caves. The view from the top is quite nice and on regular days the number of visitors is also not high making it an ideal evening destination. I could not make it to Shiv temple on MahaShivratri hence had planned to go to this temple on Sunday.

Temple arch

Best time to visit:

Any day of the year, preferable morning or evening to avoid afternoon heat.

How to Reach:

The Temple is very near to Pune and just about 800m before the Somatane Toll plaza on old NH4 road. There is no distinct marker for this temple but if you are traveling towards Mumbai, the temple will be on the left hand side of the road. Look out for arch and stairs when you start approaching the Somatane Toll gate. Also there is a big water tank on the right hand side which is just a few meters after the temple entrance but to the left. There is ample space for parking your vehicle and there is a small dhaba where you can have snacks. The main stairway of the temple is a few meters away from this dhaba and is uphill. I parked my bike right next to the dhaba. An old man keep a watch on the bikes and charges Rs.5. You can also park your bike right next to the stairs leading to the temple but i preferred it next to the dhaba. Cars can park right next to the dhaba as there is enough of open space.

On way to top

The water tank on the other side of road- marker

 

Going to the top:

To reach the temple you need to climb the stairs which then lead to rough terrain again joining the stairs. The initials stairs are quite good but elders might find a difficult time as the steps are quite big. Once you reach the end of these stairs there is a small flat top from where you can see the highway and the Birla Ganapati at some distance. Good place for few snaps. There are no stairs here. Climbing uphill you will eventually get to the stairs but this time the stairs are not that good. I followed the stairs whic lead me to a path, quite easy to follow and not that difficult and eventually got to the temple.

Birla Ganapati as seen from top

On the kutcha stairs, flat top seen below

Once you reach the top there is a junction and here is where there are two ways- left Vitthal Temple and right Shiv temple. Though I am not 100% sure of which deity was in the temple to the left but as far as my knowledge in mythology and gods it was Vitthal. 

Cave next to Shiv temple

Shiv temple

You can either start you way back after seeing the temple or make your way to the top. There are different routes you can take, one is right next to the temple a small narrow path. There is also a way marked with arrows right at the junction of two temples. This one is a bit difficult to climb as there is no clear path, just rocks. I made my way up this path and reached a point from where I could see the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the new stadium. The way up is however steep and families definitely need to avoid it as the descent is a bit tricky. The view from this place is awesome but the time I went, 4 p.m. was wrong and I had the sun shining at my lens, so could not get clear shots. After seeing around and getting a couple of shots I made my way down, a bit tired but happy to have visited the Shiv temple and I could not go to a Shiv Temple on Mahashivratri.

The marked path up the hill

This is how it looks like once you climb up

The Xpressway and Stadium from the Top

Places Nearby:

• Birla Ganapati
• Pratishirdi

Route Map:


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