Dabbaguli at Manchinbele: Offbeat rustic getaway an hour away from Bangalore

Don’t confuse this Dabbaguli with the off-roading jungle paradise by the Cauvery river on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border that also shares the same name. This Dabbaguli is also offbeat, lush and green. But, it is located on the other side of Manchinbele dam, a gorgeous dam on the Arkavathi river. It is a small agriculture focussed village located by the banks of the Arkavati river at Manchinbele reservoir. And it is my offbeat rustic getaway for a Sunday morning bicycle or motorcycle ride.



At just about an hour away from Bangalore city, Dabbaguli allows you to soak in the beauty of the fruit orchards and farm land in Bangalore rural’s countryside while enjoying the lush expanse of blue and green that make up the Manchinbele dam landscape. If you start early, Nice road will greet you with fog and once you cross Mysore road and enter the small road leading towards Dodda Alada Mara, beautiful nurseries and farmland greet you at every turn. It is here that you feel that you have left the acrid air of the city behind and are breathing pure nature.

My favorite pit stop on this route is the small family run shack/restaurant at the junction of Dodda Alada Mara and Manchinbele dam crossing. The thatte idli with spicy chutney and piping hot chitra anna is the perfect way to kick start your relaxed Sunday getaway. With a full stomach, you can head forward towards Manchinbele dam. If you feel like it, you can walk to the top of the view point and soak in the views. If you wish to head straight to Dabbaguli, cross Manchinbele and a few kilometers ahead, you will see a right turn for Dabbaguli village. After 6 kms of curvy roads, you will finally reach the village of Dabbaguli where pretty little traditional brick homes and the fresh smell of cow dung greet you.



As you keep going forward, you will lose the tarred roads and come upon unpaved roads. If you keep going down the road, you will pretty soon see the shining waters of the Arkavathi and the lush green expanse surrounding it. The surprising thing that you will notice here are huge stage like setups next to the riverside. These are incomplete shooting locations of Kannada film movies. You can park your vehicle here and go for a walk by the riverside. Fruit orchards, flowering trees and large houses will catch your attention. If you happen to reach there at 9 AM or so, you might also find some boats and boatmen ready to take you for a ride on the Manchinbele reservoir.



To me, Dabbaguli is the place to unwind and relax. The sounds of nature, clean air and rustic environment are ideal to super charge your batteries. A walk by the reservoir side and in the village in the early morning sun is nothing short of surreal. And if you wish to catch up on some of your Sunday beauty sleep which becomes very appealing especially after a lip smacking breakfast, then the trees by the reservoir side with the gentle breeze make for that dream bed.

You can do a lot at Dabbaguli if you choose to or you could opt to do nothing. Either ways, your Sunday morning will be full of nature and pleasantness and at only a hour from Bangalore, we couldn’t have asked for a more offbeat rural getaway. Go visit Dabbaguli on your next Sunday day trip from Bangalore and let me know how it goes.



Activities to indulge in at Dabbaguli:

1) Walking in the village

2) Boating on the Arkavathi river

3) Simply chill and enjoy the rustic environment

4) Walk or cycle by the banks of the Manchinbele reservoir

5) Take selfies at the couple of incomplete film shooting locations by the waterside



How to reach there:

Dabbaguli should be between 30 and 50 kms from Bangalore depending on where you are based in the city.

The route would be: Nice road Mysore road exit –> Take right at Raja Rajareshwari college of engineering–> Cross railway track –> Cross Dodda alada mara (Big Banyan Tree) –> Take left at junction towards Manchinbele –> After crossing Manchinbele dam, continue straight till you come to a right where a sign board guides you to Dabbaguli.

Once you reach Dabbaguli, you will have to negate some unpaved roads to reach the banks of the Manchinbele dam reservoir.



Where to eat:

There are a few small shacks near Manchinbele dam in case you wish to have a snack or a hot beverage.

If you don’t mind delicious food served in a simple rustic environment, try the small shop run by a husband and wife at the corner of Dodda Alada Mara and Manchinbele junction. It is here that you take a left if you are coming from the Dodda Alada Mara direction. This shop serves excellent local breakfast like thatte idli, chitra anna and bajji.

If you wish to eat at a nicer place with good toilets and ample parking space, you should try the many restaurants on Mysore road.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Manchinbele Dam: Perfect Sunday morning getaway near Bangalore

2) Savandurga: Monolith hill, temple and rustic day trip

3) Dodda Alada Mara: Bangalore’s 400 year old Banyan wonder

4) Shri Shantmurthy Shanishwara Temple: Offbeat temple with stunning Savandurga and other rock views and an adventure hotspot

5) The various nurseries of Dodda Alada Mara area

6) Channapatna: The city of toys

7) Ramanagara: The rocks where the movie Sholay was shot

Continue Reading...

Manchinbele Dam: Perfect Sunday Morning Getaway close to Bangalore

At only 40 kms from Bangalore, you will get to enjoy a lip smacking rustic breakfast, gorgeous countryside, stunning monolith views and a panoramic dam landscape. Add to it a 400 year old Banyan tree and tons of nurseries enroute and you have a great Sunday plan ready. Perfect for bicyclists and motorcyclists, Manchinbele dam is that laidback Sunday morning ride destination.



The joy begins once you cross the Mysore road intersection and you ride through farm lands and nurseries. Pretty soon, you will come across Dodda Alada Mara or Big Banyan Tree, Bangalore’s 400 year old Banyan wonder and a few kilometers later, you get to enjoy heavenly village breakfast at a village shack. With a full belly and happy heart, lush scenery greets you along with views of Savandurga hill and other rocky outcrops as you turn left towards Manchinbele. Many pretty little villages show some signs of activity in the early hours of the morning.



As you cross these villages lazily, a spectacular panorama awaits you. All you have to do is park your vehicle at the parking spot (bicycles can go with you all the way till the view point) before you descend towards Manchinbele dam (exact details mentioned in the route map below), cross over to the other side of the road and climb for about 10 minutes. The view that opens up in front of you is the dam on the Arkavathy river that is called Manchinbele reservoir or dam. If you happen to go during the monsoons or right after, a green carpet view will greet you along with a brown rocky outcrop landscape. The large hill that you see on the far extreme is the Savandurga monolith, another popular trekking destination from Bangalore.



The early morning sun and the cool breeze at this view point will make you crave for a book and a hot cup of coffee. I would recommending carrying your coffee with you along with a bedsheet that you can spread here for a relaxed Sunday morning. A picnic basket, a book, a camera or a pair of sleepy eyes are enough company here. This Manchinbele dam viewpoint is the perfect excuse to de stress, soak in some Vitamin D, get some exercise and to enjoy the beauty of this rustic landscape just an hour away from the urban chaos of Bangalore city. You don’t need a plan to go to this destination. You can just wake up and go. That is how close it is to the city.



How to get there:

If you can, try to avoid the Mysore road stretch as there is a ton of construction and road repair work going on here.

It is best to take the NICE road, opt for the Mysore road exit, turn left and turn right just before Raja Rajeshwari college of engineering (once you cross the Decathlon store). You will cross a railway track, many nurseries on the way, Dodda Alada Mara and then about 10 kms after the railway crossing, there is a intersection where you turn left towards Manchinbele reservoir.

If you wish to see the Manchinbele viewpoint: Once you cross Chikkanahalli village and before you begin the descent to the dam, you will notice a small shop and a fairly large parking area to your left. This is where you can park your cars and motorcycles. After parking, you can cross the road and start walking up hill to the view point. Bicycles will go all the way to the view point. Motorcycles can also go provided you are comfortable taking it all the way up.

There is a camp site at the bottom of the dam if you wish to indulge in adventure sports. You would need to make prior bookings and only confirmed bookings will be allowed to cross the check post.



Where to eat:

If lip smacking food in a simple setting is your thing, then you can try this village shack that is located right at the corner of the left turn that takes you to Manchinbele reservoir from Dodda alada mara road. They dish could great thatte idli, chitra anna and vadai along with some piping hot sambar and thick spicy coconut chutney.

If you prefer a larger place with loos and parking, opt for the ones on Mysore road. You could also carry your picnic basket from home.



Other nearby tourist attractions:

1) Dodda Alada Mara: Bangalore’s 400 year old Banyan Wonder

2) Savandurga: Monolith hill, temple and rustic day trip

3) Shri Shantmurthy Shanishwara Temple: Offbeat temple with stunning Savandurga and other rock views and scope for adventure here

4) Dabbaguli: A peaceful village by the banks of the Manchinbele reservoir

5) The various nurseries of Dodda Alada Mara area

Continue Reading...

Baya Weaver Nests with Babies: Another Monsoon Magic in Mother Nature

Last Sunday, I was out on a relaxed morning motorcycle ride through the quieter and greener countryside roads of Karnataka. I was headed towards Savanadurga via the Dodda aladamara and Manchinebele dam route when I spotted this very appealing dirt track leading to the top of a nearby hill. The dirt track turned out to a dead end after a bit, but it led me to this tree by a small stream that had an active baya weaver colony with their famous well woven nests.

  

Video Note: Watch the video in 4K for best quality and for all the details. Shot on Google Pixel 2 XL Phone.

This weaver nest colony piqued the interest of the birdwatcher in me and off I went closer to them. I could see both the male (bright yellow) and female (Dull dirty yellow grey) species of this Baya Weaver bird busy fluttering in and out of their nests. But, I was kind of stupefied by the incessant tweeting and chirping of the birds and that’s when it suddenly struck me. The monsoon season is when the Baya weaver gives birth to her young ones and the chatter that I could hear near the tree were actually the little ones shouting for food or for their parent’s attention. The baya weaver birds kept going in and out of the nests. May be, they were feeding them or taking care of them.



These well engineering nests that are made of a combination of grains, clay, mud, twigs and leaves are a sight to behold and to actually see a full colony with birds fluttering in and out and the sound of the young weaver chicks is more than what I could have asked for. The birdwatcher and the nature lover in me definitely returned happy. If you like such birdwatching, keep an eye for their nests next to water sources on your next trip to rural India.

For those who wish to know, the Baya Weaver, is found all across the Indian subcontinent and their nests are found especially on thorny trees near water sources. They breed during the monsoons and it is the males who build these well engineered nests.

Continue Reading...