BR Hills – Rustic Jungle Lodgings
BR Hills is located in state of Karnataka at an altitude of 3375 feet between the Cauvery and Kapila Rivers in the Chamarajnagar District.
Known for its extensive forest area that covers an area of 525 sq km, BR Hills or Biligiri Rangaswamy Hills is situated on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border in southern India. Officially this reserve is known as the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary or BRT Wildlife Sanctuary.
BR Hills, though a protected reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, was the land of the famous Poacher king, Veerappan and his aides. Forming an important link between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, the forests in BR Hills continue into Tamil Nadu and are called Sathyamangalam Wildlife Sanctuary there.
BR Hills was declared a Tiger Reserve in December 2010.
BR Hills is also famous for the Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Rangaswamy. This temple is visited by pilgrims daily who have to climb the 150 odd steps to reach the temple found at the top of a hill. A 2000 year old Champak tree called ‘Dodda Sampige Mara’, revered by the locals as the abode of Lord Rangaswamy, is an added attraction.
BR Hills is a treasure trove of varied wild life. Apart from the dhole, sloth Bear, wild boar, bison, elephants and spotted deer, the BR Hills is an excellent place to sight leopards. Most of the sightings are found around the numerous water holes maintained by the forest department.
Other than the animals, numerous avians and reptiles are found in BR Hills.
Jeeps and canters are arranged by the forest department, in the mornings and the evenings, to enter the forest. Accompanied by an expert guide, treks can also be organised into the BR Hill Sanctuary.
The forest department can also arrange for adventure activities like rock climbing and river crossing. You can also try fishing, angling, river rafting and coracle boat rides at the Cauvery River.
There are not many accommodation options other than the Jungle lodge property present on the fringes of the forest. If booked in advance you can stay at the forest rest house which has just the basic amenities.
The best time to visit BR Hills is between September and April, when there are more animal sightings.
BR Hills is well connected by road, air and rail. State owned buses from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and private bus operators have buses running from the major neighbouring cities like Bangalore, Mysore, Erode and Coimbatore to the BR Hills. The nearest railway station to BR Hills the Chamarajnagar Railway Station. There are daily trains that connect Chamarajnagar with Mysore. The nearest airports to BR Hills are Bangalore and Coimbatore airports.
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