Trip to Devanahalli and Bangalore International Airport

I always find ariports little romantic – clean wide roads, view of flights take off and touch down etc. These words are in connection to my today’s visit to Bangalore International Airport on a scooty. This was my first visit to the newly built international airport near Devanahalli. The road leading to the Bangalore Internation Airport starting from Hebbal flyover is awesome. It is a 8 lane road and one can zip over 100 km/hr. However, my scooty do not allow me that thrill. In scooty Teenz, above 60 km/hr is dangerous.

Distance: 25 km

Route: Hebbal Flyover – Yehalanka – BIAL

How to reach there: BMTC Volvo AC buses, BMTC Suvarna Buses, MERU cabs, Private vehicle.

Where to eat: Food court is available, SubWay, Cafe coffee day etc

Little further from Yehalanka, you can see a two side ramps leading an overbridge. Take the left ramp and keep driving. On the ramp while you take the turn, it gives an awesome view particularly in the morning and evening. This staright road should lead to Bangalore International Airport. It looks quite neatly built and is much more spacious along with the good looks. One of my friend who recently visited Singapore commented as follows:

After BIAL I felt very good, that made a much better airport than HAL airport. But once I landed in Chingai airport, Singapore – I felt what they have done to BIAL, they could have counstructed much better.

If you can bypass the city traffic by taking the outer ring road, then it should not take more than an hour to reach Bangalore International Airport. The new BIAL has well maintained parking for 2 wheelers and 4 wheelers. For 2 wheelers, 0 – 4 hrs costs RS 20. While approaching the airport from some distance you will able to see the ATC (air traffic control) tower. The ATC tower looks interesting with good design. Once reaching the airport we parked the Vehicle. The airport still looks like under construction at the fringes. We observed a few planes taking off, among them were SpiceJet and Emirates touching down.It just feels awesome watching planes taking off and touching down. We took many pictures which I will share here.

I also noticed that airports can a place for advertising high brand or high value product. In this case KSTDC (Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation) has struck the right cord by display live replicas of Golden Charriot ( a la Place on Wheels) in front of the deparature section. Now we have almost watched the airport apart from the inside for which entry may not possible. We went to cafe Coffee Day and asked for a Cuppachinno and Vanilla milk shake. Sat on a bench nearby enjoying the evening Sun and having Vanilla milk shake.

The BMTC bus stop has been nicely built and buses are available frequently to most destinations of Bangalore city. I noticed one guy was trying to woo few passengers telling it is a government service, AC bus and costs just Rs 150 to any part of Bangalore city. Many Vajra airport service Volvo buses goes almost empty. I think it is a very nice service, please should use it to make it more viable.

Devanahalli fort and Tippu’s birth place

From the BIAL we planned to go to Devenahalli fort. To reach Devanahalli one should take the straight road under the overbridge. The leftside ramp leads to the airport.

Distance: 35 km from Bangalore and around 11 km from BIAL

How to reach there: After travelling around 9 – 10 km on Tumkur/Hyderabad highway you will see a signboard on the right hand side showing Devanahalli 1 km away. Take right turn here and keep driving untill little further you see a signboard asking you to take left turn to reach Devanahalli fort and Tippu’s birth place. From the main road to the destination is 1/2 km.

where to eat: No place to eat anywhere nearby the fort. But you get some stuffs in Devanahalli town.

Language spoken: Mainly Kannada

What to see:

Devanahalli fort: Devanahalli Fort was built by Malla Baire Gowda in 1501, an ancestor of Kempe Gowda. In 1749, one of the generals of Mysore Wodeyar king Nanjarajaiah attacked the fort. Hyder Ali was one who helped Nanjarajaiah to take over the fort and later occupy it himself from the Marathas. It was there in Indian hand untill the time of Tippu Sultan and then to the Birtish in 1971 when Lord Cornwallis occupied the fort during Anglo – Mysore war.
During Tippu Sultan’s time he named this place as Yusufabad but that did not last. Devanahalli was known by various names like Devanadoddi, Devanapura.

As always seen forts are always built at strategic locations where it can be secured and inflict heavy casualties on the enemy. But the Devanahalli fort in that connection looks little strange. It is situated on a plain field. It is said that it originally built as a mud fort and Hyder Ali and Tippu sultan renovated this to a red brink fort. One can climb the side ways and walk along the fort wall to get a good look and view outside. There are people settlement inside these days. Also, one can find few temples.

Also, you will be surprised to know that little before fort is the place where Tippu Sultan was born in 1750. Here, only a structure with four Minaret is left. Read more: http://www.tipusultan.org