Nijagal Betta Trek

When boredom has set in, what could be better than a short trek to the hills? Located just a couple of kilometers from Dobbaspet, Tumkur and roughly 50 kilometers from Bangalore, Nijagal Betta is a lesser-known and relatively unexplored destination that offers an exciting beginner’s trek.  

The ruins of ancient temples and fort serves as a certain landmark, where you will be able to spot the hill from the Pune -Bangalore National Highway. 

Finding this place is kinda easy. While you can enter Dabbaspet on your google maps, once you arrive at the Bangalore -Tumkur road, there is a Kamat hotel ( the second in the same road ) and a CCD, which will serve as the landmarks. There is a small passing underneath a railway track, and that should be sufficient to get to the foothills, during the rainy season it’s bit adventure to pass this way, it is a mud road and it will be slippery. 

The road leading to the base of the hill is muddy and full of gravel. But you can enjoy the scenic beauty of paddy fields and village ambience with cows, goats and hens. A kilometre inside the village, you will reach the base of the hills. Up close, the mighty hill fort might look challenging, but when you start trekking on the haphazardly arranged stones, it will not seem like a Herculean task. 

Located around 50 kilometers away from Bengaluru, Nijagal Betta and also known as Siddara Betta is an extremely under-explored and underrated destination. While most of the similar spots around the city are always populated, Nijagal Betta is one site where you would find fewer people, and hence, more peace. 

Beginners level trekking. We can reach top with one hour. There is no shop, so take water, energy drink and snack with you, humble request don’t throw waste around, no one is maintaining, monkeys are there, so take care of your belongings. 

So, what’s special here? 

Well, as we mentioned earlier, the lack of human beings here could be a big plus. Hence, we suggest you pick the trek members accordingly, keeping in mind the mild safety concerns. 

 
Next up, Nijagal Betta is right for beginners and moderate trekkers, and when it is rain, bit difficult to complete the trek, and the full-on trek-freaks might not enjoy it completely. Nevertheless, with an extremely beautiful sunset and sunrise point at the top, Nijagal Betta is a good option for everyone. 

The pay off for the 30-minute trek will be a Temple and a Dargah, both located at the top. On the way, you could enjoy the carvings on the rocks, and also take a good look at the fort ruins. A ruined temple in the middle of the fort is also a fine ‘photoshoot’ spot. 

 
There are plenty of monkeys to keep you company, and unfortunately, the place has been ill-maintained, something that could hinder your experience. Well, that’s the only minus, and hence, Nijagal Betta can still be enjoyable if you can hold your breath for a couple of seconds. 

 
This hill represents the religious unity as there is a Hanuman temple and Dargha where locals visit and worship regularly.  

The most attractive spots on the hills include the old structure of the Veerabhadra temple, which is in complete ruins, the makan (dargah) for Muslims to worship at right opposite the temple, the huge ponds, and mighty rocks which stand together with the support of each other, forming cosy caves. 

A small part of the temple area is occupied by the inner sanctum with the Shikara (Gopura) intact. The remaining portion has intricate carved walls and pillars. Get inside the broken sanctum sanctorum, look up and flash a torch above your head. You will see a fine carving which is not dusty and makes it look like the temple went into ruin only recently. 

The hill has three-layered fort walls, built for safety reasons. Legend has it that this place was visited by Hyder Ali and the Maratha Kingdom fought wars against them. The first layer of walls is closer to the temple. A steep climb will take you inside the second round of fort walls where you can see the broken watchtowers and a storeroom kind of structure. If you have also visited Chitradurga Fort, you will easily connect the two styles of architecture. The view from the watchtowers is splendid – on one side you can see the Bangalore-Tumkur Highway and on the other, a view of Siddaganga Hills. The latter offers a peaceful view and a spot to take a short power nap. The rocky formation, which forms a cave-like structure can be used as a resting spot to stay over in the night. 

Reaching the peak at midnight, you will be able to spot some small ponds and the view of city lights and cool breeze welcome you get relaxed and pass some time around. 

When you are almost ready to say, “Yay, I have done it,” the site offers more surprises. You will see another ruined temple with carved walls and pillars, which is supposed to be known as Narasimha’s temple. The walls of the temples are covered with thick creepers. The inner walls of this ruined structure are cool and remain as a resting spot. 

Nijagal Betta is situated in Nijagal Village on Bangalore-Tumkur road, around 70 km from Bengaluru. It can be reached by train and road. If you go by train, get down at Dobbaspet and you can see the mighty hill right next to you. If you’re riding or driving, make an early morning visit to this place, take the Bangalore- Tumkur Highway, reach Dobbaspet and take a left turn from the road and you can see the hill from the road itself.