Nandi Hills now open for tourists on the weekends

Tourists will need to make bookings one day prior to setting off to the ancient hill fortressPasses are required to enter Nandi Hills.

Nandi Hills, known to be one of the best and ideal weekend getaway spots, will open again for weekend tourists from Saturday, March 26. Located around 50 kilometres away from Bengaluru, it is one of the most well-known tourist spots in Karnataka.

Nandi Hills of Bengaluru

The hills are situated in the administration of the Chikkaballapur district, which has now decided to lift restrictions which were previously imposed on visitors over the weekends seeing as COVID cases have now ebbed from their January highs. Tourists were earlier barred from visiting on Saturdays and Sundays in order to control gatherings following Covid-19 restrictions.

Tourists will now need passes issued by district authorities, to be allowed entry to the Nandi Hills. Prior booking is mandatory and can be made in both offline and online modes. Bookings need to be made one day before visiting, and online tickets can be booked on the http://www.kstdc.co site till 6 p.m. everyday. however, tickets will also be available at the ticket counter.

There are some restrictions still in place, with only 1,000 two-wheelers and 300 light vehicles including cars and mini-buses to be allowed during the weekends, the Deputy Commissioner of Chikkaballapur, R Latha, is said to have told news websites.

Nandi Hills has been witness to landslides in August last year,  due to heavy rains because of which the tourist spot was closed to visitors. The vacation spot was only re-opened in December last year after the roads were re-constructed.

The government had lifted some restrictions earlier this year, but the Chikkaballapur administration decided to continue with the ban on weekend visitors because the site saw a large number of tourists gathering during weekends, making it difficult for authorities to ensure proper safety, with parking spaces also becoming tight.

The administration was reportedly working on booking slots both online and offline and monitoring vehicle entry as the key points before opening the place to the public, the Deputy Commissioner told reporters.

It is also being said that the hills were finally re-opened to the public due to pressure from tourists to frequent their favorite spot. Nandi Hills is the ideal weekend getaway due to its 50-kilometre distance from Bengaluru, making it a quick and easy trip, with its beauty and greenery adding further shine as people look to get away from the concrete jungle Bengaluru has become.

The decision came after authorities had to turn away over hundred residents of Chikballapur and Kolar, who gathered at the foot of the hills and demanded to be allowed up.