Explore Nandi Hills: The Perfect Weekend Getaway Near Bangalore

Nandi Hills is an ancient hill station built by the Ganga dynasty near Nandi Hills in Chikballapur, Karnataka. It is 10 km from Chickballapur town and approximately 60 km from Bengaluru. 

Tipu Sultan also used it as a summer retreat. 

In traditional belief, the hills are the origin of the Arkavath River, Ponnaiyar River, Palar River, Papagni River , and Penna River. Watching the sunrise at Nandi Hills is popular with tourists. The first ever SAARC summit hosted by India was held at Nandi Hills in 1986; during the Chola period, Nandi Hills was called Anandagiri, meaning The Hill of Happiness. It is also perhaps called Nandi Hills because the hills resemble a sleeping bull. 

The climate at the top of the hill made it of interest to horticulturists. Several species of plant were introduced into an experimental garden. Firming er's manual notes that several species of Anona were grown in this garden and also notes the peculiarity of Hypericum mysorense 

The Department of Horticulture is setting up a one-crore food court. A 30-lakh music stage, located on a three-and-a-half acre grove, will be used to conduct cultural programs. Furthermore, the Horticulture Department is developing 140 acres (0.57 km2) of land in the Nandi Hills region by creating a large-scale exotic botanical garden. A planetarium with an initial one-crore investment is also being constructed. There are also proposals to construct cable cars, at the cost of 15 to 20 crore, to protect the local environment and reduce the number of vehicles going to the hills.

The hills are affluent in birdlife, making them a popular location for birdwatchers and photographers. The evergreen forest patch on top of the mountain is a favored wintering location for many migrant warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes. 

We can see Nilgiri woodpigeon. A breeding pair of shaheen falcon and peregrine falcon is often seen at the Nandi Hills. The Malabar whistling thrush, Uropeltid snakes, and pill millipedes , known only from the Western Ghats ranges, are also found here. The hill slopes are the home of the yellow-throated bulbul, which is endemic to hills of peninsular india