Nandi Hills, India
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View of Nandi hills from Nandi town at the base. |
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The foundation stone of the waterworks at Nandi Hills. |
Nandidrug or
Nandidurg is a hill fortress of southern
India, in the
Kolar district of
Karnataka state. It is 4851 ft. above sea level. Nandidrug hill, known commonly as
Nandi Hills, is the source of the
Penner and
Ponnaiyar rivers. Nandi Hills gets its name from an ancient Nandi temple situated on this hill. This temple has a thousand year old sculpture of
Nandi. An ancient lord
Shiva and
Parvati temple also adorns this hill.
Nandidurg was traditionally held impregnable, and its storming by
Lord Cornwallis in
1791 was one of the most notable incidents of the first war against
Tipu Sultan of
Mysore. It was formerly a favorite resort for
British Raj officials during the hot season.
Francis Cunningham built the summer residence here for Sir
Mark Cubbon.
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The foundation of the road to Nandi Hills. |
The hills are now a popular tourist spot during summer. The state horticulture department maintains a garden for the tourists. The pressure of tourists on the environment here is great with a considerable problem of litter, noise and physical disturbance.
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Northern view from Nandi Hills |
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The steps leading from the fort entrance to the summit are surrounded by vegetation that forms ideal habitat for various species of wintering thrushes and warblers. |
The vegetation of the hills is typical of high hills. Inside the fort at the summit, many of the large trees are planted exotics such as
Eucalyptus and the undergrowth consists of
Coffea arabica along with some native species. The forest acts as a substrate for cloud condensation and every morning the trees are covered in water. This allows for many moist forest species of plants and animals. The hills are very rich in birdlife making it a very popular location for birdwatchers and bird photographers. The evergreen forest patch on top of the hill being a favoured wintering location for many migrant species of warblers, flycatchers and thrushes. The forest patch is also home for a relict population of the
Nilgiri Woodpigeon. A breeding pair of Shaheen Falcon, the resident race of the
Peregrine Falcon is also often seen at the Nandi Hills. The
Malabar Whistling Thrush,
Uropeltid snakes and
Pill millipedes which are otherwise known only from the
Western Ghats ranges are also found here.
The hill slopes are the home of the
Yellow-throated Bulbul, a species endemic to the hills of peninsular India.
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In the early mornings, cloud condensation brings in water, increasing the growth of mosses and lichens. Here a millipede feeds on the detritus on the tree. |
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The siege of Nandi fort by Lord Cornwallis*
The birds of Nandi hills
