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Jayamangali Blackbuck Conservation Reserve (Maidenahalli), Tumkur Dist.
Information on the Grasslands of Tumkur district
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Last updated: March 2014
WHEN TO GO:
Best time: The weather is pleasant throughout the day in the winters and monsoons. Summers are very dry with day temperatures hovering around 40 degrees centigrade. Try being at the place early in the morning or late in the evening. Best months are from early-June to early February.
HOW TO GO:
Getting there: You can drive down to Maidenahalli grasslands (Jayamangali reserve) from Bangalore city in less than 4 hours. It is about 23 km away from Madhugiri Town. By road from Yeshvantpur Railway Station in Bangalore it is about 138 km (via Tumkur, Madhugiri, Puruvara & Giregoudanahalli village).
DRIVING DIRECTIONS FROM BANGALORE CITY:
(Note: Day trips can be made from Bangalore)
Route No: 1 - via Dobbespete - Oordigere - Madhugiri - Puruvara - Giregoudanahalli village
View Route to Jayamangali / Maidenahalli from NICE Ring Road-NH4 junction deviating at Dobbespet before Tumkur in a larger map
1) Drive on Tumkur Road along NH4. About 20 km beyond first toll gate of Nelamangala, take the exit just before Dobbespete town flyover.
2) Below the underpass, turn north (take right) and ask any one for the road to Oordigere. You need to avoid National Highway 207 that leads to Doddaballapur and beyond to Devanahalli (International Airport).
Dobbespete - Koratagere road update (Mar 2014): This road is being renovated. Avoid using it till at least Aug 2014.
3) Proceed towards Koratagere town along the road beyond Oordigere village.
4) About 2 km before Koratagere town, you will join the Tumkur-Madhugiri stretch of State Highway 33. Continue driving north towards Madhugiri town beyond Koratagere.
Koratagere-Madhugiri road update (24 Aug 2013):
This single road is being expanded as State Highway 33 (Kollegal - Pavagada state highway). Be careful about a brief fifty metre section under repair just as you exit Koratagere town. Road is narrow and uneven till Madhugiri town. Don't drive fast in small/ compact cars (Alto, Eon etc).
5) As you enter Madhugiri town, keep driving north (straight) along the state highway skipping a road on the left (that leads to Madhugiri Fort). Drive through the town for a km till the road splits again into two.
6) Turn right/ drive east (ask some one for road to Hindupur town if you are confused).
7) About 1.5 km from Madhugiri town the road again splits into Hindupur road on the left (north-east) and Chikballapur/ Gowridbidanur road that goes straight (east). Drive on the Hindupur road (on which there is a board by the forest department showing the direction to Jayamangali Reserve, with an image of blackbuck).
Madhugiri - Puruvara road update (24 Aug, 2013): Road was tarred in 2006 and is NOT in the best of conditions through most of it. The 1 km stretch leading out of Madhugiri town is in a bad shape with a bridge under construction.
8) 11 km from Madhugiri town, you will reach Puruvara village. On the left side (north) along the main road is the entrance of ID Halli road where a board depicting Jayamangali blackbuck reserve can be seen.*
Puruvara-ID Halli road update (24 Aug, 2013): Road was tarred in 2006 and is in a bad shape, becoming worse each passing day. Don't drive fast in small/ compact cars.
9) Travel on the ID Halli village road for 8 km. Just after the twin villages of Badakanahalli and Gire Goudana halli, the habitat abruptly changes into open plains.
10) Half a km after Giregoudana halli village, turn right (north-east) on the unmetalled track. A board depicting a blackbuck and showing the way to the reserve is located at its beginning
ID Halli road - Jayamangali watch tower road update (24 Aug. 2013): This is just a metalled track and is basically soil and stones. Drive carefully.
11) The grasslands and blackbuck habitat begins on this track. You can stop your car and bird along this 3.6 km track till you reach the gates of the blackbuck reserve. Pass through the gates and drive for a km to park your vehicle at the water tank on ground near the forest watchers' quarter/ rest house. Take guidance from the forest watchers about the area and recent wildlife sightings.
*NOTE: From Puruvara village, Maidenahalli area can be reached from both west (via Badakanahalli and Giregowdana halli villages, describe above) or from south-east (via Kodigenahalli - Maidenahalli village crossing). The former allows better views of the area's landscape, unlike the later which mostly passes through dense Acacia nilotica (Babul or kikar in Hindi/ Urdu; jaali gida or kari jaali in Kannada) vegetation.
Route No: 2: via Tumkur - Koratgere - Madhugiri - Puruvara - Giregoudanahalli village
a) Drive on the National Highway 4 towards Tumkur City.
b) Drive for 9.8 km beyond Kyathasandra toll gate (and about 5.3 km after by-passing the exit to Tumkur City) take the exit and turn north (right) from an underpass to drive to Koratagere & Madhugiri towns.
Tumkur-Koratagere road update (24 Aug 2013): Road is being expanded and tarred. NOT in the best of conditions - particularly a couple of km before Koratagere town till Madhugiri town. Don't drive fast in small/ compact cars (Alto, Eon etc). Many speed-breakers which were at every village, were removed in 2006-07 after a court order. But be careful though, as speed breakers are known to spring overnight, to force stop public buses at each village.
IF YOU GO:
Worth seeing: Apart from the wildlife, views of the vast plains of Deccan Plateau and the Closepet (Closepete in Kannada) granite hill chain that runs from Hospet near Bellary in north to Yelandur near Chamrajanagar town in south Karnataka.
What to eat: Food is not available here. Carry your own food or eat at hotels in nearby towns of Madhugiri or Hindupur.
Where to stay: There is a basic forest rest house inside the reserve apart from a couple of cemented bases to pitch tents. Visitors can request forest department to give them permission to camp in the area.
Permission to stay:
i) Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF)
Tumkur Territorial Division,
Kunigal Road,
Tumkur - 5721 01
Telephone: + 91 (816) 2201196
ii) Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF)
Madhugiri Territorial Sub-Division,
Forest Office,
Madhugiri Town
Tumkur District
Telephone: Not working (Updated Jan 2009)
iii) Range Forest Officer (RFO)
Madhugiri Territorial Range,
Forest Office,
Madhugiri Town
Tumkur District
Telephone: Not working (Updated Jan 2009)
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Wildlife Aware Nature Club (WANC), Tumkur