The tallest peak in Kanakapura

Trekking and Weekend Getaways

This is one hill that even an amateur would love to climb. The forests surrounding this hill are known to harbour elephants.

There is only one temple atop the hill and only one house which belonged to the priest of the temple.

The huge overhanging boulder is the ceiling of the temple and the vast uneven expanse of the hill is the temple’s flooring. Count on elephants and pother animals wandering around the temple and you have the perfect place to “shoot” with your camera and enjoy the beauty of the rolling hills and distant lakes which you can see for miles around from the breathtaking summit.

Welcome to Bilikal Rangaswamy betta. This is in Kanakapura taluk near Bangalore and it makes for a wonderful trekking and picnic place. This is one place you will never forget-the steep climb to the top, the elephant trails, the temple standing in the shade of the mammoth boulder and the view from the top.

The Betta is part of the forest land belonging to the forest reserve which is full of shrub forest and ground level vegetation.

Elephants can be frequently spotted during summer. The vegetation  becomes green and the foliage thick when the monsoon season starts. The hill is forested and the green cover doubles after rains.  

The climb to the top will give you a bird’s view of Kanakapura. You can easily make out the outlines of BM Kaval,  Kabbala Durga and other hills surrounding Kanakapura.

The Betta is generally deserted. The only time the summit seems to fill up with people is on Saturdays and Sundays and on the occasion of the annual jatre of the Bilikal Rangaswamy.  The word Bilikal is due to the white colour of the rocks.

This is one of the highest hills in the area. Its height is 3,000 feet. Since the hill is very close to the Tamil Nadu border, your cell phone can catch signals from Tamil Nadu. Want to test. Then climb the hill.

The huge boulder at the summit forms the roof for the Rangaswamy Temple. The earth of the hill is its ceiling.

Kanakapura is just 70 kms from Bangalore. You can reach Rangaswamy Betta through Harohalli on Kanakapura road. Travel upto Harohalli  and then take the road to the left which touches Dodda Maralavadi.

Another route is from Kanakapura itself. Take the road from Kanakapura to Sudgunta via Arkavati theatre. A tar road will lead you till Sudgunta. Here, a dirt road leads to the top of the hill. You can drive a bike or even a four-wheeler right up to the top.

The Betta is just three kilometers from Dodda Maralavadi and it is on the way to Koonadoddi village.