Popularly referred to as “BR Hills” is a scenic hill station located in the Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka known as Biligirirangana Hills. It is located in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, and in close proximity to the border of Tamil Nadu. This beautiful hill station is renowned for a “rich and diverse flora and fauna”. In addition, it is also renowned for a popular temple and a wildlife sanctuary.
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How to reach Biligirirangana Hills
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Biligirirangana Hills Map
- By train
The nearest railway station to BR hills is located in Mysore at a distance of 80 km. The Mysore Railway Station is well connected to major cities and towns in the country. Taxi services from Mysore to BR hills are available.
- By road
If you intend to travel via road to BR Hills, it would be ideal to start from Mysore using the Kollegal Road/Mysore-Trichy Road and SH7. This route consists of Chikkalli, Sosale, TirumakudaluNarasipura, Moogooru, Yeragamballi, Gumballi, and finally BR Hills.
- By air
The closest airport to BR Hills is located in Bangalore at a distance of 230 km. The Bangalore Airport is well connected to major cities in the country such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata etc.
Climate and best time to visit BR Hills
The summer months which begin in March and ends in May can be described as “hot yet pleasant” with the temperature ranging from a maximum of 38 degree Celsius to a minimum of 20 degree Celsius. An average rainfall of approximately 300 cm is recorded during the monsoons which begins in June and ends in September. The winters which arrive in November and depart in February are extremely “cool and pleasant” with temperatures ranging from maximum of 16 degree Celsius to a minimum of 9 degree Celsius. So the ideal time to visit this scenic hill station is from October to February.
Places To Visit Around BR Hills
There are a number of places located in and around BR Hills that are worth visiting. They are as follows
- BRT Wildlife Sanctuary
The BRT or better known as BiligiriRanganathaSwamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary is located in this hill station and is renowned for its exotic flora and fauna. This sanctuary includes wildlife such as wild elephants, gaurs, chital, sambhar, barking deer, four-horned antelope, tigers, leopards, wild dogs, lesser cats, sloth bears, giant flying squirrel etc. In addition, a large avian population consisting of about 254 types of birds can also be witnessed in this sanctuary.
- BiligiriRangaswamy Temple
The BiligiriRangaswamy Temple is a popular Hindu shrine devoted to Lord Ranganatha located in this region. A festival known as “Ratha” is celebrated with great aplomb at this temple. In addition, an annual festival celebrated at this temple in honour of Lord Ranganatha is extremely popular, and attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over the country.
- DoddaSampige Mara
DoddaSampige Mara, when translated literally, means “The big Champak Tree” is a more than 2000 years old tree possessing a height of 34 meters and width of 20 meters. In addition, this tree is considered to be holy and is worshipped by the local tribes.
- Adventure activities
This hill station comprises of a beautiful landscape that provides for activities such as fishing, river rafting, and trekking.
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