Even the most appealing facilities available in cities won’t be enough to meet the yearning to be in nature, where our body-mind, and soul heals and thrives. If you are not drawn to the busy pubs and shopping malls and want to get away to another dimension altogether then Gudibande is the perfect spot. Gudibande is a city in the Chikaballapura district 90km away from Bangalore. Gudibande fort was built by yogi and the chieftain Byre Gowda in 17th Centaury. It was part of the Vijayanagar Empire, the Tuluva dynasty. There is nothing extraordinary about this place, it is a clean, calm place to enjoy a weekend.
On the way to the top there are stairs of hard-rock, make the trek easier, and also there are small stone structures with in between that can be used to rest and refresh. It is around 2km climb one way. The altitude of the place is 826m. There are rain-water harvest points and ponds built near to the Fort.
The city where the Fort is located is still untouched and raw. It felt like people in this town were not up on par with the wave of marketing and I loved that. There were no strings of shops. Streets leading to the fort are small and narrow yet clean and homey. It takes around 1 hr. to climb the stairs to the defense, climb will be easier in the mornings. Carry water and food to the top so you can enjoy a small lunch on top of the hill.
There is a small temple at the top of the hill and it was closed during my visit. The similarity of this temple with the Monkey temple in Hampi was uncanny.
Every place and travel offers a lesson and this was no different. Gudibande with its astounding simplicity encouraged silently the birth of a different version of me who was long waiting to be born. Life demands a different version in each stage and the upgrade may not be smooth always. The stillness of this place made it easy. I found this spot to be perfect to sit and contemplate. It felt supported to take certain decisions which were long pending and there was more clarity to the thoughts. I like to believe it is the magic of nature.
Even during the sunniest time of the day, you can find shelter beneath the rocks. If you can pack small biscuit packets or food it can be distributed to the old villagers who we may encounter during the climb.
The fort is located 90kms from Bangalore. Bangalore Mountaineering Club (BMC) offers a trek to this and it is good for the newbies in the city to get to know the place and make some new friends. You can find the details in the following link: https://www.bmcadventures.com/tours/gudibande-day-trek-87182
Thoughts of Freedom 