Assess your Leadership skills ..

Hope you find this useful to know where you lack ..

http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/uzzi/ftp/skills.html

ge..

India SC ruling denying gay rights ..

The Indian Supreme Court ruling on criminalising homosexual activity in the country has been warmly welcomed by sensible political parties and citizens groups of the country. It  is actually a victory of sense and simple intelligence over simple pleasure. In the name of enjoyment and nothing else, the gay community is trying hard to make homosexuality legal in the country.

Humans have been created in evolution (or by God) as man and woman. From our basic biological and sexual organs itself, it is clear that nature wanted man and woman to be together. Only a man and woman union can bring another progeny into planet earth. A union of man and man or woman and woman cannot bring progeny into this world. That basic union is by the very nature criminal and illegal.

Irrespective of some litterateurs and intelligensia gunning for its decriminalisation, the LGBT community is a gang of humans trying to legalise unnatural emotions and bringing selfish thoughts and actions into the mainstream. This has to be resisted by all sensible thinking persons in the country, Even if it means that a meagre 10% of society will not find sexual contentment, humanity as a whole cannot allow this 10% to contaminate the other 90% of peaceloving, natural law abiding citizens.

Gay parents cannot bring up straight children - this is the simplest and most plausible reason for not permitting homosexuality in society.

It is very much against nature, period.

george.

Why people immigrate or futility of immigration ..

Why do people immigrate ? This thought has always been at the back of my head for a long time. Or for that matter, people with good educational qualifications, first try to migrate to a foreign country or try to get a job in an MNC first. Why does it happen so ? Is India such a hopeless country ? Or have the immigrants lost the balance in their head to ditch their own rich motherland ?

Is living in India so bad or is working with Indian corporates or organisation inferior to working with foreign MNCs ?

I am not saying that xenophilia is wrong nor is xenophobia justified .. coming from a very rich culture which had a profound impact on the world for time immemorial, except for the past three hundred years, it would sound strange to go to a foreign land in search of opportunities, opportunities of a good job otherwise denied in India due to high competition and high intellect ..

 People immigrate between countries for opportunities. For opportunities which are denied to them for being born to a particular set of parents, economic background  religious background and so on. Opportunities in a new land without prejudices he feels has been denied to him back home. It gives him/her chances to improve one's perceived sense of self worth and search for better standard of living, better paid jobs and a higher quality of life in terms of health and enjoyment.

When people migrate wanting to make a different impact on their lives, foregoing all that is their own in their own country, does it bode well for the individual, his future generations to leave his or her motherland and settle in another ?

India has been doing well throughout the whole of history. But we have not flaunted our well being, intellect or wealth for political purposes, to conquer, dominate or subjugate countries. Our political leaders have framed such a constitution for our country that we will never ever try to go aggressive , but only act to preserve our freedom.

In another twenty years, India will once again get to lead the world in all senses, unshackling itself from the bondages of poor development imposed on it by invading cultures. Following our principles of Sanatana Dharma, we will never ever want to rule other cultures, conquer countries, flaunt our wealth or denigrate other cultures, races, religions and civilizations.

India will keep up to the high standards of cultural, spiritual, intellectual excellence it has enjoyed over centuries, at the same time respecting the rights of other countries and civilizations to pursue theirs..

For a person in space or from a different planet, it does not matter whether we are whites or blacks, from India, China or US, tall or short etc.. We are humans.. Let us go beyond all such claustrophobic prejudices and work for a better world.

george..

Reverse Innovation - Innovation from developing to the developed world ..

When I first took this topic for discussion in the class in Alliance university, Bangalore never did I think so many ideas would crop up from the students and I would learn so much.They say the Indian consumer is the most exacting customer in the world, if the operator does not cater to him, the Indian customer ignores him , as simple as that. That is why MNCs are rethinking their strategies to develop items for the developing countries and then move those ideas and products to the developed world.

I found this high value TED talk video on reverse or frugal innovation by Prof. Vijay Govindrajan of Tuck School of Business, NY interesting.. 

Tata Nano is a great example ..

India Knowledge at Wharton in interview mode with Prof Govindarajan 

Click here for Prof. Vijay's TED talk ..

I have been engaging classes in lean Operations and the aspect of frugal innovation of reverse innovation is really great while discussing about Aravind Hospital, Madurai and Narayana Hospitals Bangalore in my Lean Operations classes ..

Prof Vijay's paper in HBR of Oct 2009 with Jeff Immelt, CEO of GE, " How GE is disrupting itself", talks of how GE has taken the lead in this Reverse Innovation.

By developing medical equipments like the "low cost and high value" desktop ECG for $15,000 and the ultrasound scanner for Chinese market, introducing the same products to western markets and finding novel uses for the same.

The "Reverse Innovation playbook" by Prof. Vijay highlighting the case (HBR April 2012) of Harman Automobile Infotainment division coming up with Saras, a reverse innovated product for the carmakers of the world makes good reading..Prof. Vijay's book title "Create far from home - win everywhere" is self explanatory ..

GE Triveni power turbines from 30 MW to 100 MW ..

Thank you Vijay for this. Even though this TED talk is for the US audience, it is very informative and will make people in the developing world think of innovation and how to take the frontiers of human endeavour and living forward.

An example of Tata Swach, the ultra low cost water purifier which does not need electricity , costs Rs 999 and is very portable.. ..

This is a list of great reverse innovation examples, mainly all of these are from India ..Maggi noodles from Nestle, Tacobell from KFC, Denizen jeans from Levi's, Renault Logan from Rebault and Mahindra, Etios/Liva from Toyota are all great examples .. When Tata docomo, the mobile phone operator came with the 1/2 paisa per second plan for mobile tariffs across the country, all other players followed suit and now the metric for mobile operators have moved from Average revenue per user to Gross / net profits / revenue.

With a vast market of almos a billion users ( 3.5 times the US market and about 15 times the markets of Germany, UK, France etc..,)  the possibilities to innovate again and bring value to customers is huge ( at the same time giving fair profits to the operators).

This is Prof. Vijay's idea of a $300 house.. 75 million people in this world do not have a roof above their head when they go to sleep every night. Won't this be a great opportunity for countries to experiment with ?

Here is Prof. Govindarajan's blog on Reverse innovation

george..

The great Indian democratic debate on AAP Minister Somnath Bharti ..

It is always great to see an over enthusiastic TV crew and an even more enthusiastic public come out in support and against AAP party on TV these days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASGYbN6NCTU  watch this video for a clear understanding ..

When the AAP minister, (IIT Delhi Post Grad) Somnath Bharti on the request of his constituency members from Malviya Nagar went to see for himself the activities of possible drug peddling and human sex trafficking taking place there, (which the police had always overlooked) and asked the police to raid the place, the police never acted. Nobody raises a hue and cry for this incident of refusal of the Police which is the main reason for this controversy and continues to be bane for the people of Malviya Nagar. It is a different thing that the incident has actually been a blessing for Indian democracy.

Why did the police officers not act on the request of the concerned MLA of the constitutency and Law Minister of Delhi is a question which we need to ask the police.? Had the police been a little more vigilant and heeded to the request of the people, would the needless post controversy have erupted ? Why are political parties making a hue and cry regarding the post crisis developments when timely action of the police at the right time would have brought it much applause ?

One thing we need to understand is that the Minister Somnath Bharti's outbursts or actions were not for his personal/selfish interests. It was for the people of his constituency.

The other good thing in the Indian democracy is that such deep dissection and analysis of pre and post incident developments will happen only in really "advanced mature and great democracies" like India. ( need not be materially advanced or democracies in crutches..) . The great learning from such incidents and discussions led by the media on TV and all discussion forums across the country of 1200 million in every nook and corner of the country is actually the strength of the democracy in India. I am doubtful whether other countries even after centuries will reach this matured state of political development.

Such advanced democratic exercises involving so many people rarely do happen in any other part of the world. And these discussions help to make the foundations of our democracy, strong, safe and sound.

My request to all political parties and media, Indian and foreign, making a hue and cry against Somnath is to request them to continue this noise for the sake of strengthening Indian democracy. AAP will definitely benefit from this initial ragging exercise by the senior political parties and make it more stronger. It will emerge more mature, responsible and careful in its future conduct.

The other offshoot of the the emergence of AAP, is that of 1) reducing the opulence and waste by ministers by way of unnecessary security and protection to add status (and not necessarily to cover the perceived security threat) and 2) reduction of power tariffs across the country by important states on fear of being caught red handed siding and scheming with the wrong-doers. These actions reaffirm that all is not lost yet . These actions will only make the Indian democracy stronger in the coming years.

This is also a lesson for the other democracies in crutches and self-proclaimed defenders of democracy of the world, to never be worried of initial hiccups and not take actions in haste. As long as the final objectives are pure and chaste, things have to automatically fall in place,. strengthening the hands of a strong democracy, upholding the values of honesty and sincerity, helping improve the transparency of the democratic process.

george..

Unnecessary blowing up of case against Somnath Bharti, AAP Law Minister of Delhi..

What confuses me regarding the case against Bharti, an IIT Delhi Science graduate being hounded by vested interests for his patriotic remarks against some vested interests is whether these people who are raising the objections are raising any serious ones ?  I need to ask these interests, whether they stand for the unity and integrity of the country, whether they stand for the security of women folk in the country or for settling petty personal scores in politics and scoring some brownie points.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASGYbN6NCTU watch this video.. Politicians of all political parties are missing the woods for the trees !! How sad ..

Here are a group of local dwellers and residents of the area after getting fed up with immoral activities happening with the blessings of some higher ups, try to raise their voice against immoral activities happening around Malaviya Nagar in New Delhi. They go and complain to their elected MLA, Mr Somnath Bharti who also is also the Law Minister. The Minister and the public together ask the Police to conduct a raid, which the police refuse.

Why blow up this case, missing the woods for the trees ? Why are politicians across affiliations not addressing the issue of drug and human trafficking and worried only about the case of over zealousness exhibited by their Minister to help them out ? The common man gets a strong feeling whether the police and the political leaders of the two mainstream parties are hand in glove with the immoral activities happening in the area.

Is controlling immoral activities happening unquestioned in a part of New Delhi or questioning a Minister for some enraged conversation he may have entered into pursuant to finding hints of immoral activity at the place, which is more important for the country ? We should understand that this issue was raised by the Delhi Law Minister not for his personal gain or selfish interests. It was on the request of the people in his constituency that the Minister went to see what is happening and took umbrage at the events.

In my opinion any right thinking individual, having any sort of patriotism for the country, irrespective of party affiliations, would firstly applaud the Minister for boldly taking up this action than gunning for his resignation and blood. The fact is that he is against the establishment with good intentions, to cleanse up the system and not work for its downfall. Working against the establishment is harming some of the vested interests who would love to maintain the status quo, continue with the confusion and troubled consciences and fish in muddied waters.

People who are raising voice against Somnath, should introspect and see whether any of Somnaths' actions were against the states interests of were in his selfish interests ? If so, only then should they shout against the Minister. Else they should let the incident take its normal course, allow Police to raid the site where immoral activities were for sure taking place and book the culprits.

That way the police can reclaim some of its lost respect and reputation among the people of New Delhi.

ge..

Playing the Beer Distribution Game ..

Prof. Siddharth Sengupta and myself played the Beer Distribution game in the class last week with students of the Operations stream in Alliance University. (click here for the shared doc)

There were three supply chains of 17 students each in the Operations stream of about 50 students.

Each supply chain had two retailers taking orders from the customers. The retailers were placing orders with a wholesaler, the single wholesaler was placing orders with the single Distributor and the Distributor was placing orders with the single manufacturer.

Supply Chain A                            Supply Chain B                   Supply Chain C Mean of orders placed SD Total Cost Mean SD Total Cost Mean SD Total Cost Customer 4 1.5 4 1.5 4 1.5 Retailer 1 4.2 1.9 680 3.8 2.44 920 5.2 1.93 1220 Retailer 2 3.8 2.1 1020 4.1 2.38 1140 3.8 2.3 1040 Wholesaler 6.9 3.9 720 8 5.6 800 6.8 6.2 1980 Distributor 8.3 6.6 1060 8 6.75 1170 8.5 7.94 1730 Manufacturer 7.5 8.9 1050 8.5 9.7 2000 8.4 16.3 810 4530 6030 6780

The Supply Chain C had the largest total cost, then supply chain B and least was for supply chain A. In all the cases, we found that the Mean of the orders placed by the entities were higher for supply chain C than for the other supply chains. Likewise the standard deviation of the orders placed by the supply chain C was higher than the other supply chains. This was clear indication that the bullwhip effect, which is nothing but the amplification of the variance of orders placed by downstream entity on an upstream entity as we go upstream in the supply chain is very pronounced for all the three supply chains. If we were comparing the relative values of the mean of the orders placed and the values of std dev. (variance) of the orders placed, we find for that these values are higher for supply chain C, than for supply chains B and A. This also goes to prove that the higher the variability in the orders placed, higher are the costs.  This is because due to higher variance ( or SD) there are either higher numbers of items in stock, leading to high holding costs and to higher numbers of items short, leading to high shortage costs. This goes to prove that Bullwhip Effect not only plays havoc with your inventory stock, it also increases your costs, affecting the bottomline of the organisation. The reasons for these costs are as under ( Lee et al, '97) 1. Demand forecast updating : the rational thinking on the part of the players - thinking that the orders will either increase or decrease, the upstream entities either placed large numbers of items as orders or less numbers of items, forced them to place larger or lesser orders.

2. Rationing and shortage gaming : the single wholesaler was supplying to two retailers, naturally there was rationing and the retailers placed larger orders to avoid being shortsupplied.

3. Impact of leadtimes of replenishment : the replenishment happening after passage of a fixed period of time and the pipeline inventory thence was forgotten by the entities while placing orders, leading to higher inventory on order and delivery.

4. The negative impact felt by the backorders forced entities to order more than what was actually needed.

5. Order batching and price fluctuations did not happen in this instance and hence its effect on the bullwhip phenomenon has been ruled out.

Another cause which we wanted to highlight was the impact of leadtimes. It has been seen earlier while playing other versions of the game, higher leadtime of replenishment also results in higher costs of the supply chain.

The delay in getting the replenishment stocks due to high leadtimes, leads to panic among the ordering entities, who place larger orders , unmindful that stocks are in the pipeline. Finally when stocks arrive, there is a glut and this causes excess holding costs.

It was so good to see the Bullwhip Effect in action because of the rational thinking of the players of the game ( the students themselves). This is indeed great learning for the students..

You can read my writeup on the Beergame ..

Ref :

The bullwhip effect in supply chains- Hau L Lee; V Padmanabhan; Seungjin Whang, MIT Sloan Management Review; Spring 1997

ge..

Praise for the orderliness at sabarimala ..

My colleague and Professor in OLS, Prof Ramadoss, former CHRO in Titan Industries and Sr. VP in Tata Sons recently had been to Sabarimala for pilgrimage. He is a veteran Ayyappa devotee of forty years !! ( Sabarimala is one of the most famous pilgrim centres of Hindus from all around the world. Situated in the hills of Idukki dist in Kerala about 70 kms from Chengannur, by the banks of river Pampa, it is said to be the abode of Lord Ayyappa)

It was really great to hear from a thorough HR professional that Sabarimala is the most orderly and disciplined pilgrimage centre in the country. Prof Ramaoss has been visiting Sabarimala during the Makaravilakku time for the past 40 years.

Tirupati Balaji temple is where people can pay, black or white, and make their way to the Balaji. If there is a VIP visitor, depending on how much he can pay, he gets priority, top priority or emergency priority. Everything is measured on the weight of bank notes you carry with you. The devotees who otherwise take 4-5 hours for darshan or view of deity, if there is a VIP visitor, it may take upto 9-10 hours for the same. The Tirupati temple is not bothered about the hardship it causes to the devotees.

But this does not happen at Sabarimala. At Pamba, whether you are rich or poor, healthy , unhealthy, peon or officer, officer or Chairman, it makes no difference. You have to make your way silently and patiently through the queues to have a darshan or view of swami Ayyappa. Nop VIP culture at all.

Vavar palli ..

Prof Ramadoss says Balaji at Tirupati is the rich man's God, while Sabarimala Ayyappan is the poor man's God. You may be the President of the country or a roadside beggar visiting Sabarimala, once you are in the queue, it rarely matters who you are , All are same.

Even though every pilgrim may get just a second or two to see the deity Lord Ayyappan at the Sanniddhaanam, the trip is very rewarding. Encountering the harsh walking through the rough and muddle of the pampa roads on way to Sabarimala, the pilgrimage is one of bearing all hardships and difficulties in life.

A month prior to the pilgrimage all devotees planning to visit the shrine, are compulsorily on a vrath, or fast, not indulging in non-veg food or sexual desires. The pilgrims coming to the place in groups are led by a group leader. The unwritten rule of this group is that nobody coming for the pilgrimage should entertain any negative thinking in his / her mind (women above 50 years are permitted) nor complain of any difficulty or discomfort. Nobody is forcing them to come. So nobody is encouraged to complain about the hygiene, the traffic, food, water, cleanliness, rush, the discomfort, the millions of devotees and the resulting melee, whatever it be. This inculcates a habit of preparing oneself for any difficulties in life, and to weather all discomfort seeking divine help and presence.

It is the only religious place where you can clearly see communal harmony in action. While all across the country, religions are trying to communalise all actions, at Sabarimala, all pilgrims visiting the shrine of Lord Ayyappa also has to visit the Mosque of Vavar, who blesses the pilgrims a safe journey till the shrine. Prof Ramadoss also believes a christian church near the Vavar mosque would have made the concept of communal harmony very much complete.

Previously the river Pampa used to be contaminated by e-coli bacteria but these days police is taking great care to see that the pilgrims get enough place to refresh themselves. Online registering for time to visit the sanctum sanctorum of the temple through the Internet has been a great success. I was told that almost 70% of the people book their darshan time this way.

Were it not for the discipline, hard work and planning of the Kerala Police, this great pilgrimage to Sabarimala would never be such a great success over the years. These policemen may be from any religion, inside the temple premises they do not wear footwear and work wholeheartedly for the success of this annual pilgrimage.

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.
Swami Sivananda
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pilgrimage.html#S8rcYDc3OegX6VGt.9

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.
Swami Sivananda
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pilgrimage.html#S8rcYDc3OegX6VGt.99

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.
Swami Sivananda
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pilgrimage.html#S8rcYDc3OegX6VGt.99

Life is a pilgrimage. The wise man does not rest by the roadside inns. He marches direct to the illimitable domain of eternal bliss, his ultimate destination.
Swami Sivananda
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/pilgrimage.html#S8rcYDc3OegX6VGt.99

(credit and thanks to the respective organisations for permission to use the pictures and to Prof Ramadoss for his valuable, secular inputs.)

ge..

Referencing - the Harvard system ..

While writing bibliographies for reports, dissertations etc, I found this link to be very useful for students in preparing a decent bibliography, citations etc.. This Harvard referencing style is used in different countries and reputed journals across the world. It was the same referencing I used at IIT Bombay for my thesis work.. The list is alphabetically sorted on the second name of the first author, name of publication etc.. ( eg. sorted on names C, J, T, U in the example )

sample syntax : first author surname, surname, second author full name, title of reference (journal article name, text book name ..), details of reference (journal name, publishers name, edition number, year of publishing ....

For example -

Carlson, A & Pope, BM 2009, ‘The “Big Deal”: A survey of how libraries are responding and what the alternatives are’, The Serials Librarian, vol. 57, no. 4, pp. 380-398. Available from: Taylor & Francis Online. [28 September 2015].

Johnson, P 2009, Fundamentals of collection development and management, 2nd edn, ALA Editions, Chicago.

Thompson, K, Wilder, R & Button, L 2000, ‘Impact of bundled databases on serials acquisitions in academic libraries’, The Serials Librarian, vol. 38, no. 3-4, pp. 213-218. Available from: Taylor & Francis Online. [28 September 2015].

University of Western Australia Library 2015, Collection management principles and policies. Available from:
          http://www.library.uwa.edu.au/information-resources/collections/management. [14 October 2015].

Click here for the link ..

ge..

How should a good Ph.D. Thesis Supervisor be ..?

Over the years I have always wondered how a good PhD Thesis supervisor should be.

Should he be passionate, should he be knowledgeable, should  he display apathy with his students or should he be a tough task master to his students ?

I can across this response from a doctoral student from The Times Higher Education site.

Very reasonable and enlightening. Loved reading it and perfectly matches with a lot of supervisors I know.

ge..

Out of Eden walk - Paul Salopek, 7 years and 33,000 kms..

Salopek's 7 year journey route and its historical significance .. pic courtesy NG

Pulitzer prize winning journalist Paul Salopek is on a 7 year long walk covering 33,000 kms tracing the route taken by our ancestors 60,000 years back in spreading out throughout the world.

Starting from Ethiopia (Jan '13) thru mideast ('14), Dharamsala, India ('15), China ('16), taking a boat and crossing over to Alaska ('17), along western coast of north america ('18),thru west coast of S America ('19) till Cape Horn (Jan '20).

Compressing 60,000 years of human migratory endeavour into 7 years to learn the different evolutions of language, culture, religions, races, human traits and the like .. updates at this site..

Here is the video ..

www.outofedenwalk.com
 
A journey transcending all barriers of race, caste, region, religion, culture and even civilizations .. A jouney through time.

A journey that belongs to all of us .. Our forefathers did it at least 30- 40 thousand years back.  Because they did it neatly and safely, we are where we are on planet earth today. Their travels and travails across deserts, mountains, oceans, rivers, snow and streams have brought us to where we are today.

To better appreciate how our forefathers overcame all challenges of the untamed nature and the  unpredictable environment we should understand this path.

Paul Salopeck is doing this journey for each of us on planet earth, to better understand our lineage, our heritage and our great cultures, how they have evolved and transformed over the centuries, how we have become what we are today, trying to understand all human endeavours across dimensions of time and space. We get to know of some of the earliest civilizations and cultures, how our ancestors braved the seas and conquered the mountains.

Trying to put an end to the identity crisis we face today of cultures, colour of skin, of faith and religion and of our ancestry. This travel also explains man's constant endeavour to explore and conquer, to grow and develop, to live and let live, to die and be remembered, to leave legacies and footsteps on the sands of time.

With the knowledge, Paul is able to collect and collate in the course of these seven years of travel across the continents, we will be able to better appreciate that we all share common ancestors, be able to understand where and how our human traits of skin colour, hair texture, eyes etc changed to suit local climate and environments.

It has been the constant endeavour of National Geographic Society in Washinton to fund such expeditions to better understand human interactions with the environment and the earth around us, to better appreciate our common characteristics and our uniqueness as a group, as a culture and as a  race.

George.. (picture courtesy National Geographic Society)

Delhi agra visit 2013 april ..

Chinnu running to become second fastest runner in school..

Bishop cotton girls school bangalore 2013 ..

Trekking sites around Bangalore .. (facebook.com)

Trekking is the new fad amongst the young crowd in Bangalore. Its not only the IT or BPO professional who spend their weekend trekking seeking to be closer to nature and explore the untapped locations, but now we see a lot of college crowd also de-stressing themselves by going to trekking trips. Trekking is also considered a good team building activity and many of the corporate stress on having trekking activity for building the cohesion in their teams.

Short treks during the weekends is quite popular. Recently night treks is also gaining momentum. Which ever it is trekking is a good team exercise and keeps one to be close to nature. So go ahead and plan your next trekking tour. Here is a guide to all the trekking destinations close to Bangalore.

1. Antargange: Roughly 75 kms away ,very close to Kolar. Great for trekking & cave exploration. The volcanic rock formations, exciting caves and numerous fresh water springs attracted innumerable adventure enthusiasts.

Activities: Rock Climbing, Rappelling, High rope traverse, Cave Exploration, Sunset Trekking, Mountain trekking & Camping.

Food: Nearby city of Kolar has good restaurants for your starving tummy

Travel Mode:  Reach Kolar by train or Bus then take auto rickshaw to reach the foothills of Antargange.

Route: Bangalore – Kolar – Antaragange

2. Rangaswamy Betta: Also called Bilikal Betta lies in Kanakapura Taluk of Bangalore Rural District. Its around 70 odd kms  from Bangalore. There is a temple dedicated to Lord Rangaswamy at the peak and it takes 90-120 minutes to reach the top.

Food: Hotels are available at Harohalli which is 15kms away.

Travel Mode:  Reach Harohalli by KSRTC bus or other private travels. From there few KSRTC buses are available to Koonala Dodd from where the trek route statrs.

Route: Bangalore – Kanakapura Road – Harohalli – Dodda Maralawadi – Koonala Doddi  – Rangaswamy Betta.

3. Ramanagaram: 50 kms from Bangalore and featured in the famous  Sholay film Ramanagaram is a well known camping sites. Located in a valley surrounded by numerous monoliths, there are lots of hilllocks to be trekked at Ramnagaram.

Activities: Trekking, Rock climbing, rappelling and camping

Food: Good hotels are present in Ramanagaram

Travel Mode: Ramanagaram is well connected both by rail and road from Bangalore.

Route: Bangalore – Bidadi- Ramanagaram.

Trek Length: Two to three hours.

4. Nijagalbetta betta/ Siddarbetta: Located at 55kms from bangalore on Tumkur highway is this interesting hillock of ruined temples, forts, caves and striking rock formations. After Dobbaspet are a set of two petrol bunks on your right. Nijagal Betta is right opposite these bunks. There are many unexplored archeological ruins near Nijagalbetta.

Activities: Trekking.

Food: Hotels at Nelamangala and Dobbaspet

Travel Mode: KSRTC or private buses are available to Dobbaspet; Hire local transport to the foot of the hill.

Route: Bangalore – Tumkur Road – Dobbaspet

5. Muttati: Just 100 kms away from Bangalore and on the banks of the river Cauvery. One can also opt for the trek from "Bhimeshwari to Sangama" along the river Cauvery.  The river offers both adventure and scenic beauty for nature lovers. On this stretch one can find the Cauvery Fishing and Nature Camp, Galibore and Doddamakali. However it is dangerous to swim in the waters at Muthathi.

Activities: Trekking, Camping, Rafting (Seasonal), Rappelling, Obstacle River Crossing, Coracle ride

Food: Hotels are available at Kanakapura. Beverages & water available at Muttati

Travel Mode: From Bangalore KSRTC and private buses are available to Sathanur. From Sathanur private buses are available to Muthathi, but not very frequent. The best method is to drive down by your own vehicle.

Route: Bangalore – Kanakapura (55 km) – Sathanur (35) – Muttati (10)

6. Savanadurga: It is a hill barely 60kms away from bangalore,close to Magadi town. It is the biggest monolith in Asia. It is actually made up of two giant hills – Karigudda and Biligudda, separated by a deep valley. As they are named Karigudda (Black hill) is full of vegetation whereas Biligudda (White hill) is completely barren.

Activities: Trekking, Camping

Food: No hotel available here. Advised to carry your own food.

Travel Mode: Take KSRTC or private buses to reach the Ramanagaram road junction before Magadi town. Take Bus toward Ramanagaram and alight at Nayaknapalya. Autos available from Nayaknapalya to Savanadurga. Better to take your vehicle.

Route : Bangalore – Magadi – Naykanapalya – Savanadurga.

7. Huthridurga/ Doddabetta: loated15 kms ahead of Magadi, its an abandoned fort with magnificent ramparts.  It is situated off the Kunigal-Magadi state highway.

Activities: Trekking, Camping

Food: No hotel available here. Advised to carry your own food.

Travel Mode: Take KSRTC or private buses to reach the Magadi Few private vehicle available to  Santhe Halli . However its better to take your vehicle.

Route : Bangalore – Magadi – Kunigal Road- Santhe Halli – Doddabetta.

8. Huliyurdurga: It is located in the Kunigal taluk of Tumkur at 80 kms from Banglore. It an be reached on Tumkur road of Magadi road. However its loser on Madagi road. The hills has a unique inverted cup shape. One can spot the ruins of granaries, durbar halls built by the then Magadi chief Kempe Gowda. It is said that this place got its name from all the tigers which used be around

Activities: Trekking

Food: No hotel available here. Advised to carry your own food. Some food options at Magadi

Travel Mode: Bus Facilities are available every 30 minutes from City Bus Stand to Huliyurudurga.  Regular buses ply from Magadi and Kunigal.

Route 1 : Bangalore – Magadi – Huliyurdurga

Route 2: Bangalore – Nelamangala – Kunigal – Huliyurdurga

9. Hemagiri Betta & Kumbi Betta: This hill is adjacent to Huliyurdurga, at a distance of hardly 2 kms is Hemagiri. Hemagiri jaatre is very famous. At Kumbi betta there is a fort built by Kempegowda, which is in ruins

Activities: Trekking

Food: No hotel available here. Advised to carry your own food. Some food options at Magadi

Travel Mode: Bus Facilities are available every 30 minutes from City Bus Stand to Huliyurudurga.  Regular buses ply from Magadi and Kunigal.

Route 1 : Bangalore – Magadi – Huliyurdurga – Hemagiri

Route 2: Bangalore – Nelamangala – Kunigal – Huliyurdurga – Hemagiri

10. Kaivara: Located 80 km from Bangalore, Kaivarais the place where Bheema is said to have killed the demon Bakasura, disguised as a Brahmin. On top of the hill is a temple dedicated to Bheema. There are various other temples including one Ambaji Durga cave temples, 7 km from Kaivara

Activities: Trekking & Camping

Food: No hotel available here. The Narayanappa Ashram serves free lunch for pilgrims in the afternoon.

Travel Mode: KSRTC buses are available alight at Kaivara cross. From there autos are available to reach Kaivara town(3 kms).

Route : Bangalore – Kaivara Cross– Kaivara

11. Shivagange: This is another hillock close to dobbaspet on Bangalore-Tumkur highway. Its known for its series of temples on the way uphill and a temple atop too. Just 60 kms from Bangalore on the national highways, this place is known for its Shiva temple and the sacred water also called Gange. The second lap of journey after the temple to the summit is very steep and is guided with steel railings.

Activities: Trekking, pilgrimage

Food: No hotel available here. Advised to carry your own food though some small hotel can be spotted at Dobaspet.

Travel Mode: Take KSRTC or private buses to reach the Dobaspet on Tumkur Highways. Cover the next 8kms to the foothill in auto.

Route : Bangalore – Nelamangala- Dabaspet – Shivagange.

12. Devarayandurga: This is another hill range in Dobaspet and just 70kms from Bangalore. It is more known for its famous Lakshmi Narashimha temple. It is surrounded by a series of hills called the DD hills. Ramadevarabetta is easily trekkable.

Activities: Trekking, Camping

Food: Snack available. Advised to carry your own food though some small hotel can be spotted at Dobaspet.

Travel Mode: Take KSRTC or private buses to reach the Dobaspet on Tumkur Highways. Cover the next few kilometers to the foothill in auto.

Route : Bangalore – Nelamangala- Dabaspet – Devarayandurga.

13. Madhugiri: This is a lovely tooth shaped hills and second largest monolith in Asia. The interesting part here is the rock dome, atop which stands a fort of Hyder Ali. There are a series of doorways leading to the top and the climb is steep & challenging.On the top is ruined Gopalakrishna temple.

Activities: Trekking, Camping

Food: Snack available. Advised to carry your own food.

Travel Mode: Take KSRTC or private buses are available to reach Madhugiri.

Route : Bangalore – Nelamangala – Dobaspet – Koratagere – Madhugiri

14. Kuntibetta: Located 100 km from Bengaluru, Kuntibetta near Mysore and very close to Padavpura.    The place is rich in history & heritage. It is said the Pandavas ended their exile of 14 years in Pandavapura and hence the name. It is believed that Bheema slayed Bhakasura, the demon at this place. Kuntibetta has two hills and the one of them is also called Bhimanabetta.

Activities: Trekking, Camping

Food: No hotel available here. You can grab some food at hotels in Mandhya.

Travel Mode: Pandavapura is well connected by road and railways. You could get private buses from Mandhya to reach Pandavapura. From here take an auto to reach foothill

Route: Bangalore – Mandhya- Pandavapura – Kuntibetta .

15. Makkalidurga: It is 45kms away from Bangalore after Dodda Ballapur. Makkalidurga, also known as Gunjur Hill, is situated at Makalidurga village, 12 km from Ghati Subramanya. The Makali fort stands atop a huge granite hillock, huddled up amidst the chains of mountains. There is a temple of lord Shiva in the fort.

Activities: Trekking, Rappelling & bird watching

Food: No hotel available here. You can grab some food, tea and snack at Doddabalapur.

Travel Mode: Doddabalapur is well connected by road from Bangalore. From here take an auto to reach foothill

Route: Bangalore – Doddabalapur – Makkalidurga.

16. Jalamangala(Narayangiri) is about 75 km from Bangalore, is an idyllic weekend getaway near Ramnagaram, Jalamangala is known for its massive rocky hill known as Narayanagiri.The hill is adventurous as it has more to offer than the one we have spoken till now. It has temple fort, ponds, caves to explore and rest and a lush green shrubby forest nurturing wild animals & dangerous reptiles. To add more the climb is also very steep with step like carved to help the trekker uphill. The railing along these steps motivate the tired trekkers to take few more steps and land on the table top plateau.

Activities: Trekking & Camping

Food: Good hotels at Ramnagaram. Either stop to fill your craving tummies or pack some from Ramnagaram

Travel Mode: Ramnagaram on Mysore highway is well connected by road and railway from Bangalore. From here take an auto/private buses to reach Jalamangala.

Route: Bangalore – Ramnagaram- Jalamangala.

17. Kabbaladurga/Kabbalu Hills: is a hillock  70 kms away from Bangalore. The peak is home to the temple of Goddess Kabbalamma and had derived its name from the temple. Also one can see the ruins of a fort at the peak. It is green, rocky and serene. The view from the top is absolutely breath-taking, with the shadow of the clouds making patterns on the surface of the Earth. Perfect for new trekkers and climbing enthusiasts.

Activities: Trekking & Camping

Food: Some hotels at Ramnagar or Kanakapura depending on the route you wish to take.

Travel Mode: From Bangalore KSRTC and private buses are available to Sathanur.

Route1: Bangalore – Ramnagar – Channapatna(31)– Sathanur  – Kabbalu Hills(2).

Route 2: Banglaore – Kanakapura(20) – Sathanur – Kabbalu Hills(2).

18. Skandagiri/ Kalavara Betta:  It is an ancient mountain fortress located approximately 70 km from Bangalore close to Chikkaballapura. Skandagiri is one of the hill in the Nandi Hill ranges and has the forts of Tipu Sulthan. Tippu used the fort as a military base in his fierce fight against the British. Skandagiri is a teaser. Just as you reach the fort wall content that you have topped the hill, you see another ring of fort. There are six such series of stonewalls protecting an abandoned ancient temple on the hilltop

Activities: Trekking & Camping

Food: Advised to carry your own food. Some food options are available at Chickballapur.

Travel Mode: Chikbalapura is well conneted by road from Bangalore. Foothill is 3km away from Chickballapur

Route: Bangalore – Devenahalli- Chikbalapura – Kalawara village(3).

19. Mekedatu/ Karighatta: It is situated at a distance of 98 km from Bangalore and located on Mysore Road near Srirangapatna. The trek is amazing and involves a walk beside the Kaveri river to explore the lush green tropical forests, small hillocks, caves and cascading rivers. Sangama to Mekedatu is a popular route for trekking here.

Activities: Trekking

Food: Srirangapatna & Mandhya have some hotel.

Travel Mode: Srirangapatna is well connected by road from Bangalore. From here hire a auto to reach Mekedatu..

Route: Bangalore – Srirangapatna- Chikbalapura – Mekedatu.

20. Channagiri : At 56 Kms from Bengaluru, it is one of the five hills of the Nandi Hill ranges. The Nandi hills range has views across the plains and ideal for hiking. Channagiri hill is densely covered with shrubs.

Activities: Trekking & Camping

Food: Some hotels at Doddabalapur.

Travel Mode: Doddabalapur is well connected by road from Bangalore. From here there are a few buses to reach Sadhu Math village.

Route: Bangalore – Doddabalapur – Sadhu Math Village.

21. Jaramadagu Waterfalls: The breathtaking waterfalls that leaves the onlookers spell-bound is located in the forest area which is about 14 kms away. It lies amidst the five mountains of Nandhi hills range- Nandagiri, Skandagiri, Brahmagiri, Divyagiri and Vishnugiri. Jaramadagu water falls at the height of 90 feet. It is 80 kms from Bangalore

Activities: Trekking

Food: Advised to carry your own food

Travel Mode: Chikbalapura is well connected by road from Bangalore. From here there are a few buses to reach Sadhu Math village.

Route: Bangalore – Devenahalli- Chikbalapura – Jangmarapanhalli Village- Jarmadagu falls.

Other info from www.bangalorecaptured.com

Top 10 treks around Bangalore

An essential part of the Deccan Plateau and the IT Hub of India is the city of Bangalore. While most of Bangalore has flat lands and concrete jungles, there are places around Bangalore with rugged terrain and lush jungles. In short, there are places around Bangalore which are just ideal for adventure and a lot of fun.

Trekking is always a fun experience, whether done alone, or with your entire team. The rugged terrain and lush topology of Deccan Plateau mean there are several exciting trekking trails close to Bangalore. If you are looking for a trekking adventure close to Bangalore, there are 10 of the best treks close to the city.

1. Savandurga- This is one of the few trekking trails close to Bangalore where a night trek is possible. Savandurga, about 65 km from Bangalore, is a huge monolith comprised of two peaks- Karigudda and Billigudda. The former is a more technical peak and largely unexplored. In order to take this trek, you need special permission from the authorities. On the other hand, the latter is easier and well marked out. If you are a beginner, stick to Billigudda. It offers an adventurous experience whilst keeping it relatively safe and simple.
2. Nandi Hills- A small hill station located close to the city is Nandi Hills. The verdant greenery of the place will immediately mesmerize you with its beauty. While the place stands out for its tranquility and calm, it is also a well known destination for trekking. There are quite a few trekking trails in Nandi Hills to choose from, each moderately tough in difficult level. Most of the trekking trails are blessed with lush flora which is a nice change from the high rises and concrete of the city.
3. Jogigunde- Another little hamlet situated very close to Bangalore is Agumbe. It was in Agumbe that the famed tele-series Malgudi Days was shot. One of the highlights of Agumbe is the Jogigunde Falls. You can take a trek to these stunning waterfalls and be rewarded with a gorgeous view. The trek to the falls is a little tough, since it is a very narrow path of about 1 km that you have to tread. However, if you remain attentive enough, you should be able to traverse it without any difficulty. Just to be on the safer side, avoid this trek during the monsoon season when the trail can become wet and slippery.
4. Vanakebe Falls- It is not just Jogigunde which is the highlight of Agumbe. There is Vanakebe Falls too, situated 0.5 km from the village's bus station. Like Jogigunde, Vanakebe Falls are stunning too, and offer you an amazing view. The trek to the falls takes about an hour or so. Compared to Jogigunde, Vanakebe Falls trek is relatively simpler. However, it is always advisable to avoid trekking here during the rainy season. For one, the lush foliage can be breeding ground for leeches during the rainy months.
5. Skandagiri- If you are looking for a really quick and easy trek close to the city, consider the Skandagiri Peak. It is located merely 60 km from the city. The trek to the top of the peak and back can be done in less than four hours, which makes it an ideal one day outing near Bangalore. Skandagiri Peak has a ruined fort and the ruins of a temple as well. Historical evidence suggests that the fort once belonged to Tipu Sultan, the ruler of Mysore. The fort is in shambles and so is the temple close by, but the gorgeous views you get from the top more than make up for it.
6. Kodachadri- With a height of a little more than 3000 feet above sea level, Kodachadri peaks is one of the highest peaks of the region. It is believed that Kodachadri Summit was once the meditating ground for Guru Shankracharya. The trek to the top of the peak is relatively easy. There are a few waterfalls along the way which just add to the beauty of this trekking trail. The trek to the top and back can easily take around 6 hours, which makes it a slightly exhausting experience. However, camp for a while at the top and you will be replenished with loads of energy.
7. Anthargange- Sometimes, a quick burst of energy is all you need to find your focus and motivation. For that quick burst, head to Anthargange, about an hour's drive from Bangalore. It is a really short trekking trail, which can be done in less than an hour. However, the trail is a little rugged, which makes it strenuous and energy expending. Apart from trekking, there is cave exploration and rock climbing to be done here too. Anthargange makes for a nice destination for team outings as well as individual adventure tours.
8. Ranganatha Swamy Betta- In India, often, trekking trails and pilgrimage go hand in hand. Ranganatha Swamy Betta is another example of that. The peak has a temple dedicated to a God by the same name. It is frequented by thousands of devotees round the year. Of course, you have to trek to the top, which makes it a nice trekking destination close to Bangalore. The 4 km trek isn't really difficult, but still exciting enough.
9. Ramdevara Betta- There is nothing like rock climbing and rappelling to give those muscles a nice workout. One of the best destinations close to Bangalore for rock climbing and rappelling is Ramnagar. It is a small village with plenty of natural granite rock formations. For the best adventure experience in Ramnagar, try the trek to the top of Ramdevara Betta. It is a high enough hill which offers quite a challenge. If you are really in a mood to push it, trek to the top and then rappel down the hill.
10. Karighatta Trek- Karighatta is a nice trekking trail located in Mekedattu, a one day getaway from Bangalore. The trail is located a little more than 100 km from Bangalore. The trek is of moderate difficulty level, which means it tests you without really exhausting you. Try this trek, and if you are in the mood for some more adventure, try kayaking in River Kaveri too. Mekedattu is a nice destination for a quick adventure getaway close to Bangalore.