Nandi Hills is a popular tourist destination for Bangaloreans. Siddharth Raja talks to Pavan Srinath about how the real history, heritage and the action is at the foot of the Nandi Hills rather than the top.

Siddharth walks listeners through the rich geological history, medieval history, the marvellous architecture of the Bhoganandishwara Temple and its surroundings, and shares glimpses of the past that have survived to this day. Siddharth and Pavan also briefly discuss challenges to heritage conservation at the edge of a growing metropolis like Bangalore.

Siddharth Raja is a corporate lawyer by weekday, and runs a Nandi Valley Walks over weekends along with his wife, Priya. Nandi Valley Walks is a successful historical walking tour company. In his free time, Siddharth pursues historical research on the Princely State of Mysore, through the biographical prism of one of its Dewans, Sir Albion Rajkumar Banerji. He was also a member of the Bangalore Tourism Advisory Committee established by the Government of Karnataka.

For more about the geology underlying the Nandi Hills and the formations underlying India, do listen to Episode 23 of BIC Talks, Glimpses of India's Deep Natural History, with Pranay Lal. For a larger history of medieval India and the Deccan, listen to Richard Eaton and Prashant Keshavmurthy on Episode 32 of BIC Talks, India and the Persianate Age.

BIC Talks is brought to you by the Bangalore International Centre. Visit the BIC website for show notes, links and more information about the guest.