Surprise visit to heaven - TG Halli reservoir

About the Place:

The scenic Thippagondana Halli reservoir is about 40 kms. from Bangalore. It is located in Ramanagara district at the confluence of river Arkavathy and Kumudavathy.

Route:

Bangalore- TG Halli reservoir route map

How it all lined up?

My friends at the office were planning a trip to some location like Talakad or Mekedatu. The weather in Bangalore had been bad for the past one week. It had been raining everyday. Five of us were ready to go in spite of the bad weather. Things went haywire when one of our friends pulled out of the trip due to viral fever. One by one, the remaining people started pulling out. Finally we decided to cancel the trip.

I  was browsing the net when I came across this place called TG Halli reservoir. This seemed to be an interesting location that had not been explored much. Also this location was not too far from Bangalore, so we could return soon if the weather went bad. I called my friend Prashanth to ask him if he would be interested to join me for the trip, with others very unlikely to join. He agreed to join and the plan was fixed.

The morning of the trip...

On the morning of the trip we decided to meet up at the signal below the Sumanahalli flyover at 6.00 in the morning. Both of us were on time. From there we headed down Magadi Road towards the reservoir. The roads on this route are really curvy, but of top quality. We were near the reservoir by 6.30 am. We found a gate which seemed to be leading to the reservoir. There was nobody at the entrance, so we went through it.

Caution! No Entry..

We halted at a place inside to photograph the surroundings, when we were interrupted by 2 people who came on a motorcycle. They noticed us riding past them and guessed that we had rode into the premises without the knowledge of the security guard who was supposed to be at the gate. They questioned us in this regard. We told them that there was nobody at the gate when we came. They told us that we were not supposed to be there as it was a restricted area. On telling them that we had heard a lot about the scenic beauty of the place, he said that there was an alternate route which would lead us to the more scenic side of the reservoir and it was outside the reservoir premises as well. We took his advice and decided to leave the place.

Alternate path..

We came out of the premises and rode for about another kilometer on the main road where we noticed a small path leading towards the reservoir. It was a kutcha road and very easy to miss. We followed that path for about 2 kms. which led us to the catchment area of the reservoir.

T G Halli Reservoir..

The reservoir catchment area is a secluded place. One can experience nature at the peak of it's beauty here. Standing at the banks of the catchment area, one can see a number of birds around.

There is a temple at an island which is at some distance from the banks. The temple can be accessed by means of coracles. Since this not a very popular destination, it is not crowded. It is a paradise for the nature lovers and for those who want peace.

We spent some time watching and photographing the nature around. It was around 11:00 AM when the weather darkened as the dark black clouds started forming a blanket above us. So we decided to head back to Bangalore and bring an end to the trip.

Trip summary..

Destination: TG Halli Reservoir

Distance: 40 km. approximately

Trip expenses: INR 500/- per head

Best time to visit: After monsoon (November to February)

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