Ramadevara Betta, Ramnagara

Kitne Aadmi the? Teen Sarkar. Aur Bikes? Do Sarkar. Phir bhi Ramgad mein ghus aaye?


Ok you guessed it right. That’s the after-effects of a short trip to Gabbar Singh's Ramgarh. Having missed out on an earlier trip to Kunti Betta, I was keen to venture-out of Bangalore. My itchy feet refused to relent until I was revving on Mysore Road on a chilly Bangalore Saturday morning.

With a single pit stop at Bidadi for a sumptuous breakfast of Thatte Idly and Wada we reached Ramnagara in a little over an hour. The 60 km ride to Ramnagara was a breeze, thanks to Mysore Road. The first thing we planned to do before entering the temple was to go birding in the Vulture Sanctuary. Unfortunately, we could see neither a vulture nor a sanctuary. Irritatingly enough, there's a private property coming up in the vicinity of the sanctuary. I hope the vultures make a meal out of this property owner. After meandering in the foothills of "Sholay Hills" we headed towards the temple - Ramadevara Betta. As the name suggests the temple is dedicated to Lord Rama who stayed here for a short period during his Vanavasa. This hill has a lot of mythological significance according to the priest of the Hanuman temple with whom we struck a conversation.

He tells us that one day Kakasura - son of Ravanna - intentionally disturbs the peace of Sita Devi and even attacks her causing her to bleed. A livid Rama sets out to kill Kakasura for his foolhardiness. Using a small blade of grass he lets go a Brahma Astra from somewhere in modern day Doddballapur. The arrow chases Kakasura all the way till the present day Ramadevara Betta, wherein Kakasura begs for forgiveness from Rama. He promises that neither he nor his clan (crows) will ever visit this area ever again. Rama is ready to oblige, but a Brahma Astra once released cannot be taken back. Hearing this Kakasura offers one of his eyes as the target for the deadly trajectory. The priest also adds that for some time now they have been observing a few crows in the vicinity. This he attributes to the advent of Kalyuga.

With our feet rejuvenated and minds refreshed with the stories of Ramayana, we climb the remaining flight of stairs to reach the Shiva temple and Rama Temple. The Rama Temple is believed to be 1000 years old and built by Chieftain Kempe Gowda. After absorbing the atmosphere here for a while, we decided to climb the remainder of the hill. The final climb is a dangerous-looking rock with a steep gradient and steps carved into the rock. Thankfully there are iron rods erected for support. As long as you don’t look back, it should be a smooth climb. But the panoramic view on offer once you have scaled this rock is simply magnificent. The green cover in the monsoons is quite a contrast from the dusty red of Sholay during the summer. The breeze is strong enough to prevent you from any acts of bravery like standing close to the edge of the cliff.

The dark clouds in the distance constantly reminded us about an impending blast of showers which prompted us to bade goodbye to Gabbar's Ramgad. On the ride back as we were approaching pornsite err... Bidadi Nityananda Ashram… I had a sudden and strong urge to relieve myself - for no apparent reason. Not wanting to go against the laws of nature, I complied. And that was my moment of finding Inner Peace. :D

Getting-there: 60 kms from Bangalore. Take the right deviation on Mysore Road after Ghousia College. Follow the road for 2 kms.

Must-Do: Go the top of the hill for a panoramic view
Must-Don't: Littering and anti-social activities.

My Rating: 5/10