​​
Chasing Thunder Through the Hills
​B R Hills is to Mysore what Nandi Hills is to Bangalore. Although the distance to Nandi Hills is shorter compared to B R Hills, the time taken is significantly higher due to the horrible Bangalore traffic.
The climb to the Hills is spectacular in any season; it is especially glorious during the monsoon. As per our custom, I completed the circuit entering from Nanjangud and exiting towards Chamrajnagar. Little did I know about the non-existent roads for over 8 kilometres just after the K Gudi camp. Thanks to the rain gods for not showering while I was riding on this challenging route.
Looking up the older blogs, the road conditions remain pretty much the same: The tarmac of the road is excellent until you reach a junction where the road forks with one going towards Kollegala and M.M. Hills. You continue straight from here, the road until Santhamarahalli is rough with many potholes.
My earliest memory of B R Hills is woven into the melodious song from the popular Kannada movie Sharapanjara. It not only describes the temple but is filmed atop the hills. I don't need an excuse to ride on these enticing roads of the tiger reserve. Where the Eastern and Western Ghats embrace, these hills cradle the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary—declared a tiger reserve in 2011. Biligiri, meaning "white hill" in Kannada, is a medley of cloud-kissed peaks and the quiet majesty of the forested slopes below.
A community-driven brand by the Soligas, Adavi brings to you sustainable forest produce hand-picked and harvested by the community. Collected using the indigenous base of the soligas, the lead behind enough food for birds, small animals and insects that co-exist in the forest with them. With the guidance of NGOs like Keystone Foundation—renowned for their expertise in sustainable honey harvesting and processing—the final product carries both authenticity and professional finesse.
