Antaragange Cave - Someshwara Temple
Date: 2 October 2021
Mode: Mahindra Mojo(SIMBA)
One among the best adventure place for namma bengaluru people is Antaragange Cave and it would be in bucket list of many adventure seeking people. Its on the National Highway 75 (NH 75) aka Bengaluru Tirupathi Highway which is famous in biking and cycling community of Bengaluru for weekend rides. It's close to Kolar just before entering Kolar you need to take a exit. Recommended place for fit people as the trek and there after the cave exploration is physically demanding activity. This was my impromptu ride as other plans got cancelled, but this ride become a memorable ride in my list.
Antharagange Trekking Starting Point
At this location you have ample place for car and bike parking and from here till Kashi Visvesvaraya Swamy temple you have steps to reach surrounded by tree canopy, quite a steep climb but can be done easily. The place is also know as Dakshini Kashi(South India's Kashi equivalent)
Once you reach the temple base you visit the Kashi Visvesvaraya Swamy temple and next to it there is a kalyani, in the middle of kalyani is Lord Ganesha temple and also there is a place where water stream is directed for people to utilize it, many bath here as they believe doing so will wash off their sins, same as it goes with taking a bath in the holly Ganges.
Behind the temple is where the actual hike trail starts, you need to take prior ticket online if you are in group for entering the trails, but I could see many locals entering the trail by themselves. There are few guides at this base who would object you to enter the trails without prior online ticket, but there are other ways of getting through it 😉
The trail runs through the water stream which is flowing from the top of the hill and you can hear the water gushing sounds all the way up
The trail is one of best with amazing landscape around but it will drain you out of energy till you reach the actual cave's on the hillock at the top.
Once you reach the hill top there are two caves one is dark wet cave with limited light and other is dry cave with no water source, but most part of the cave has good light source.
In the dark cave water stream runs below the trail and is most difficult with tight and narrow path ways, without a guide it's impossible for one to complete the cave exploration. You need to crawl out of this cave most of the time. Avoid taking backpack or wearing shoes while entering the cave. I had to remove the shoes in mid way and tie it to the backpack, getting out with them was another level of task. I repeat once again the routes are narrow and tight.
Can't take picture inside the cave, all you want is to come out of the cave once you enter it, but the experience of complete this exploration is another level. No camera can make justice to what your eyes can see and the experience you get here.
The other dry cave is easy when compared the dark wet one, although you need a guide to explore this place. No need to crawl in any stretch but you might need to bend down and take baby steps in most part of it.
The complete hike plus Cave exploration would take 2-3 hours so plan accordingly, get some energy bars or chocolates with you for the hike, hardly anything is available other than some fresh cucumber and water bottles sold near the cave entry point. Hike details are in the below Strava link
After completing the hike another famous place in Kolar City is Someshwara Temple which is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Beautiful temple with mesmerizing architecture and sculpture, its 14th century Vijayanagara era Dravidian style construction.
Sri Someshwara Temple
In the temple premises found this little bird, might be he took a hit and fallen down, was hardly even moving, I gave some water and put some water on his body to cool him down. Poor thing started gaining some life, so left it at a safe place with access to some water if needed
Within few meters you also get Kolaramma Temple, this temple is build by Cholas and I believe Kolar got it name by this temple. Goddess Parvathi is worshipped here. It was closed by when I reached the place.
Kolaramma Temple
Any ride to NH 75 is incomplete without a biryani at the end, I was looking for local eateries to try out local flavors. One famous place is SVS mess, it's old rustic place which serves non veg Hindu military country style food from ages. But looks like the pandemic had hit the place and its closed now so I was out of luck and starving at the same time. Decided to head back home and eat at some hotel on the highway. Kolar has significant population of Muslims too, so why not try Muslim style of biryani. Took mutton biryani at Shai Taj hotel just after Kolar on the way to Bengaluru
It was served with egg, salad, dal and mirchi ka salan, meat had a bite to it and that's how I like it too. Typical Muslim styled biryani 😋
PS: Antaragange Cave is not for small kids below 10 and for older people either. It demands high level of fitness. Also it's quite risky with pointed rocks and deep pits all around, small mistakes can lead to big problems. So be attentive and careful while hiking the place. Guides help you out during cave exploration and paying some extra tip to them is a nice gesture. You can climb the hillock and reach the cave entry point and there after join any of the guide their as well.
Well written Niranjan, keep them coming.
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