Ramanagara Sholay Hills

The weathered granite hills around Ramanagara, part of the same rocky outcrop belt that includes Ramadevara Betta, are geologically among the oldest exposed rock formations in peninsular India, sculpted by millennia of erosion into the dramatic boulder-strewn ridges visible from the Bengaluru–Mysuru highway.

Their lasting popular fame, though, comes from cinema: Ramesh Sippy’s 1975 blockbuster “Sholay” was shot extensively in these hills, standing in for the fictional bandit stronghold of Ramgarh, and the terrain has been informally known as the “Sholay Hills” ever since — a rare case of a Bollywood film location becoming a lasting regional landmark in its own right. The hills are also a nesting site for long-billed vultures, adding an ecological dimension to their fame.

Getting there: Ramanagara town is about 50 km from Bengaluru on NH275; the hills are visible from the highway and the post office sits in the town below.