Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

The Ranganathithu Bird Sanctuary is located about 3 kms near Srirangapatna and approximately 15kms from Mysore. It is formed by a cluster of 5 islets on river Cauvery and is breeding and nesting ground for a varied species of birds. Also, can be spotted are marsh crocodiles, Indian Mongoose and monitor lizard. Being a protected area and undisturbed, the place if heaven for migratory birds.
 

Marsh Crocodile resting along banks

I visited Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in first week of December mainly to test my new camera. Although I am not a big bird lover, the number and variety of bird that I saw int his place truly amazed me. The place is very near to Srirangapatna and when approaching Mysore from Bangalore on Mysore Bangalore Highway. Once you enter Srirangapatna, continue on the highway and just when you are to exit Srirangapatna toward Mysore, you need to take right turn and travel about 3 kms to get to the sanctuary. There is a gate indicating the sanctuary after you take the turn and travel about 1 km. Vehicles have an entry fee which are subject to change but charges are not too high.

Eurasian spoonbill

The place is ideal for a family picnic and food and other stuff is available inside. The calm vicinity of the place makes it a favourite for couples. The area near boating is well maintained with garden and picnic area. There are also bird watching towers surrounding the water. The islets make the place look like a big lake, birds and crocs are easy to spot from the towers. Shutter bugs will have a good time clicking around. 

To have a close look at the birds and crocs, the boat ride is a must. There are two options available, a common boat which charges Rs.25 per person. This boat ride will be around 45 mins and in the main waters. If you are planning to get some good shots, better take the other option of hiring a private boat as the common boat is very crowded. Hiring a separate boat is expensive around Rs.400 if I remember it right. I also promised the boatman a good tip for taking me between the islets.

Thick Knee

Cormorant

For about an hour and half the boatman patiently took me between every islets where the other boat did not venture and the place was a total bird paradise. Never in my life had I seen so many variety of birds. The boatman was very informative and told me the names of the birds too and would hold the boat still when I used to click. It was a bit difficult to click long range shots on boat but was very exciting.

White Throated Kingfisher

Black Headed Ibis

The sight of huge marsh crocodiles resting along the banks was amazing. After the boat ride I had some light food and started back for Bangalore. Enjoy looking at some of the shots I managed to click on this trip. I am also looking forward to re-visit this place with a Tripod this time and do some prior homework on names of bird before visiting.

Pied Kingfisher

White Browed Wagtail

Eurasian Spoonbill

Red Wattled Lapwing

Pied Kingfisher

Best time to Visit:
June to November

Suggested to avoid monsoons as shutter bugs won't be able to get good photographs

Timings:
9:00 am to 6:00 pm

Route Map:



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Sinhagad Fort Pune

Probably the most popular weekend destination for Puneites, Sinhagad fort to the southwest of Pune is one historical fort with numerous battles written in it's long history and is most notably known for battle to recapture Sinhagad which was fought by brave Maratha warrior Tanaji Malusare.
It's strategic location made it a coveted fort for the kings in the era.

Sinhagad fort

One can reach Sinhagad either by trekking their way up or drive all the way up to the fort parking area.
Trek during monsoons is a pleasant experience and the light showers and cool breeze add to it.

Khadakwasla lake view from trek route

The telephone towers atop Sinhagad

View on way to fort

Trek to Sinhagad via Atekar Vasti:
The trek via Atekar Vasti route is pretty decent one and newbies can reach to the top in 1.5 hrs comfortably. To reach to the base, one need to take the Paytha Road which leads to Atekar Vasti. When you approach Sinhagad, take the right at Y-Junction. The road uphill to the left is the Sinhagad Ghat road which goes all the way to the top. The road leading to Atekar Vasti is pretty narrow and once you reach the base there are a couple of parking areas. During monsoon, this road is muddy and slippery. Some local tea shops do have place to park behind the houses and might charge for it. Most of the cars are parked at the side of the road or near to a temple near the base where there is a vacant space.

Lokmanya Tilak's Bungalow

People flock this place mostly on weekends and especially during monsoon and finding good parking spot at the base is difficult. Land there early to find a  good parking spot and also to start trek early. Loads of regular trekkers will already be present and making their way up. I have been to this place twice now and have met few people who trek all the way up every Sunday. The trekking route is pretty safe and crowd is pretty decent hence families or couples should not have a problem. I could see a few group of girls trekking their way up and also numerous men in their late 50's who appeared to be regulars. Inspite of the age factor, these men were pretty fast making their way up. Overhearing conversation of these men with youngsters, it seemed that they were quite eager to encourage young trekkers.

Tanaji's Statue

There are a few short cuts on the way up but the path is a bit slippery in monsoon and better to avoid if not wearing proper shoes. Also it's better to reach the base before 6 am to start the trek to avoid daytime heat.

Drive to Sinhagad:
Apart from the trek route, one can directly drive up all the way to fort. At the Y-junction while approaching Sinhagad, take the road uphill to the left. There is a charge to take vehicle to the fort approx Rs.50 for car. Also, your vehicle might be checked for liquor as it is strictly prohibited. This route is called Sinhagad ghat road. The road was in bad shape when I drove back in Dec 2011 and I'm pretty sure it'll be the same now. The road is quite narrow and so better be safe. Also, if a big vehicle come face-to-face one need to get off the tar road to queeze in.

From the base once you pay the toll, it takes about half an hour to drive to the top. The route is very scenic. As I approached the parking area it was almost full with loads of vehicles parked with little space to move them. By the time I returned back, my vehicles was blocked as others had parked all around leaving no space and it took me about 20 mins to find the driver of the other vehicle. Also, since the parking area was full, people had parked their cars on the side of the road making matters worse. If you land up early, you might get good parking slot but at the same time you might get stuck due to other cars parked all around.

Once at the fort, it takes about 2-3 hours to see the fort. There are various points on fort like 'Kade lot'- the cliff from where prisoners were thrown off, 'Hawa point'- was truly awesome with wind literally blowing everyone away when I visited in monsoon and also the famous edge which Tanaji Malusare scaled with his monitor lizard.

The entrance to the fort has various strategically placed doors each having a name and also the stables and water storage tank. Most of the fort stands in ruins but speaks loud and clear of its strength. There are lots of small eateries on the top serving 'kanda bhajji' - onion pakoda, 'jhunka-bhakar' a maharastrian dish, home made curd and kulfi which one can enjoy. Although the cost is on a bit higher side, it is a difficult task for the locals to get the food stuff up to the fort as I have seen most of them walking all the way up carrying load to earn living. The place is kept very clean and there is also a public toilet which one can use free off cost.

There is also another trekking route via Kalyan Darwaza which is to the south which I have not been to yet.

Suggestion:
This fort is of high historic importance and interested people should read a bit beforehand to know more in order to know various points and places on the fort to have a more enjoyable experience.

Distance:
Approx 30kms from heart of Pune

Best time to visit:
June to Feb

Route map:
B: Atekar Vasti
C: Sinhagad Ghat Road


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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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