This was out second venture in trying out a short bike ride from our home in Bangalore. Shivagange is around 40km from our home, and quite easily accessible through the highway.
Once you leave the highway, and start riding into the hinterland, you’ll feel that you’ve left the hustle and bustle of Bangalore far behind!
Shivagange is primarily a temple town. The hillock is shaped like a Shivaling, and a small stream flows nearby (Ganga), hence the name Shivagange.
The entrance to the town is guarded by a gopuram, giving you the feeling of entering a temple.
In recent years, Shivagange has become famous for trekking and rock climbing. To enter the main temple, you need to leave your shoes at the entrance. However, if you are trekking, you can tell the locals that you intend to go the the hill top, and keep your shoes on. There are steps built all the way for trekking.
We were short on time, so we didn’t indulge in trekking, which starts from the big Nandi statue at the base, after climbing about halfway to the main temple.
We did go up to the temple to pay our respects, and those stairs are formidable in themselves.
A word of caution: there are many monkeys around, so refrain from carrying eatables. However, carrying a water bottle would be helpful as it is a lonk trek (if you are intending to complete it).
It was an amazing experience to find such a place so close to Bangalore. We look forward to exploring Shivagange further, as well as other hidden gems around home, through our series of short bike rides
On Our Toes 
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