Weekend Getaway: Nandi Hills

Approximately 60 km from Bangalore, the ancient hill fortress of Nandi Hills makes for an excellent weekend getaway, or a daytrip. Actually, scratch that. Here's a tip: it's best visited on weekdays or early in the morning when it remains free of boisterous crowds. Four rivers -- Arkavathy, Penner, Palar and Ponnaiyar -- are believed to originate in the Nandi Hills complex, which includes a number of surrounding smaller hills. Many of these sources are now dry. It is a popular destination with bird-watchers, trekkers and photographers. The 4850-feet-tall hill was fortified by the 'Tiger of Mysore' Tipu Sultan to hold off British forces until it fell to Lord Cornwallis' forces in 1791. Atop the summit are several buildings including a bungalow that housed Mahatma Gandhi. The monolithic statue of the Nandi bull known locally as Nellikai Basavanna, carved in the Chola style, is 10 feet long and 6 feet tall. Enjoying the solitude that Nandi Hills offered, our photo editor Azhar Mohamed Ali captured their many moods -- wintry dawn, bejewelled dusk and in radiant moonlight.