100 km from Bengaluru, Kuntibetta is near Mysore and very close to Padavpura. Kuntibetta is actually two hills and the one on the right is also called Bhimanabetta. The rocks are oddly enough- also known as the ‘French Rock’ as the French who assisted Tippu Sultan in his fight against the British, who stayed here. An interesting place to explore history! In the countryside, you get to sniff at pungent smell of the jaggery and a warm smile, some polite words and a small request will guarantee unlimited amounts of the fresh sugarcane juice more delicious than anything you’ve ever tasted. From the hilltop, the lake below shimmers in the sun, the twin humps of Chamundi hills at Mysore flirt with languorous clouds while Melkote’s peak beckons in the distance.
About 16kms north east of Mysore, on an island in the Cauvery River, stand the ruins of the capital from which Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultan ruled much of southern India during the 18th century. The British had to capture the fort twice to get rid of the ‘Tiger of Mysore’. |
