ARAI Hill
The sunrise walk. A climb on the Kothrud side with the city underneath it and, in the monsoon, cloud sitting in the valleys.
- Sunrise, and the twenty minutes before it. Be at the top in the dark.
- The Kothrud side, above the ARAI campus. Come by vehicle in the dark and walk up; the climb takes longer than it looks.
- 1 walk · 7 photographs
ARAI is a hill walk rather than a street walk, and it asks for an earlier start than anything else we do. The point is to be up before the sun is, because the twenty minutes on either side of sunrise is the whole reason to be there.
In the monsoon and just after, mist collects below the ridge and burns off as the light arrives, which gives you layers you cannot get anywhere in the city.
It is a different kind of photography from the peths — landscape, distance, and a lot of waiting. Bring something longer than you would take to Mandai.
The path is straightforward but it is a climb. Allow more time than the distance suggests, particularly in the dark.
What there is to photograph
- The city from above as the light arrives
- Mist in the valleys during and after the monsoon
- Ridge lines receding into haze
- Walkers and runners on the path
- Trees against a bright sky
- What time should I reach ARAI Hill for sunrise photography?
- Be at the top before first light, which means starting the climb in the dark. The best twenty minutes are before the sun clears the horizon, and arriving as it rises means missing them.
- Is ARAI Hill a difficult climb?
- It is a straightforward path but it is a genuine climb, and it takes longer than the distance suggests — especially in the dark with a bag. Allow more time than you think you need.