Trek to Shivagange

Hi travelers,

It was an unexpected plan to visit this place. I had seen some reels and videos of this place but never expected the place to be this much crowded.

This place is about 5-6 km from Dabaspet Station, a town in the Tumkur district. The best way to get there is by taking an auto-rickshaw or taxi; these can be found easily near the bus stand of Dabaspet temple.

We started from Majestic at 9:20 am by Tumkur local train (Fare Rs 15/- only) and reached at 10:40 am. As you reach there, auto-rickshaw walas will be waiting to take a chance to invite you to ride and make some money for the day. You can find many auto-rickshaws standing outside the station which take you to the foot of the hill. (Rs 30/- pp). Prices may vary in season. We started our trek around 11:25 AM by visiting the temples which are at the entrance & it took around two and half hours to reach the top as it was heavily crowded that day. Be aware of the monkeys. They attack you if you are carrying handbags or even food items or water bottles. It is advisable not to carry handbags as one can find necessary things like food and water in the tiny shops throughout the trek. As we reached our destination, we almost lost our energy as it was a bright sunny day and was overcrowded. We waited more than 30 minutes to reach the top where there was a big Nandi statue. From there you can see a 360-degree view of the area. There is a small temple on the hill-top. After spending some time, we decided to descend the hill, but still people were trying to climb the hill. As there is no proper path or a step to reach the top, people try to push to reach the top fast. While heading back, we stopped for an hour or so at a place where we could get a good view of the region. It was around 4:30 when we completed descending the hill. Then we had just missed a train to Bangalore, which was at 4:15PM from Dabaspet Station. There is no good hotel nearby that serves lunch. So, we decided to have it in Dabaspet town. After having snacks/lunch, we boarded a KSRTC bus to Nagasandra, from where we took a metro just to avoid traffic.

The trek, I would say, is somewhere between easy to moderate and worth a visit. It was an incredible experience.

Happy travelling!!!

PS:

• Wear good sports/ hiking shoes and do not rush to the top because the way is not at all proper as expected.

• August is not really the month to visit this place unless you are OK hiking.

• No matter which month you go hydrate yourself properly throughout the day.

• Every day, hundreds of travelers add tons of garbage to the place. Be responsible and travel green.

• Be cautious of monkeys. Keep a bottle and eat in a bag (if you are carrying it).