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Dodda Alada Mara, the Big Banyan Tree near Bangalore: timings and how to get there
Dodda Alada Mara, the Big Banyan Tree, is a single banyan more than 400 years old spread over about 3 acres at Kethohalli, 28 km west of Bengaluru off Mysore Road. The Bengaluru Urban district administration's page lists it as open all days from 7 am to 6 pm, but that page dates from 2018; the visit card gives 9 am to 5:30 pm. Neither source mentions an entry fee.
One banyan, four centuries old, spread across roughly three acres on more than a thousand aerial roots. It is the largest in Karnataka and among the largest in India. The original trunk succumbed to disease in the 2000s, so what stands now reads as a small forest that happens to be a single organism, and the scale takes a while to register from underneath. It is 28 km west off Mysore Road, open 9 AM to 5:30 PM. Few people make the trip, which is most of the charm. Pairs with Ramanagara or Janapada Loka.
A single tree the size of a small forest, four hundred years and a thousand roots in the making
Timings and entry fee
The district administration's page gives one line: open all days, 7 am to 6 pm. That page was last updated in 2018. The India GO guide text above says 9 am to 5:30 pm. To be safe, plan your visit inside the shorter window.
The same page names no entry fee, and India GO has no confirmed figure, so none is given here.
What you are looking at
From a distance it looks like a grove. It is one tree, Ficus benghalensis, believed to be more than 400 years old. A banyan drops roots from its branches; when they reach the ground they thicken into new trunks, and the crown keeps spreading. Here the count is 1,359 prop roots, 811 of them in the ground and 548 still hanging, and the crown runs about 250 m around.
The original main trunk and roots died around 2000, so there is no single centre to find: the tree now stands on its old aerial roots. Storms in the 2020s broke some branches. It is a designated heritage tree, maintained by Karnataka's Department of Horticulture and Tourism, and a Big Banyan Tree Committee advises on its care.
It is the largest banyan in Karnataka and among the largest in India.
How to get there
The tree is at Kethohalli (the district page says Ramohalli, the neighbouring village), off the Bengaluru–Mysore Road, 28 km from the city. Distances from the district page:
- Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic): 31 km.
- KSR Bengaluru City railway station: 32 km.
- Kempegowda International Airport: 63 km.
A taxi or your own car is the simple way. The trip pairs well with Ramanagara or the Janapada Loka folk museum further along Mysore Road.
Watch your bags
The tree is home to a large troop of monkeys. Keep food, water bottles, camera bags and anything loose closed and close to you; they will take what they can reach.
❓ FAQ
What are the timings for Dodda Alada Mara?
The district administration's page (last updated 2018) says 7 am to 6 pm daily; the India GO guide gives 9 am to 5:30 pm. Plan inside the shorter window.
Is there an entry fee for Dodda Alada Mara?
The official district page does not mention a fee, and India GO has no confirmed figure.
Where is the Dodda Alada Mara tree located?
At Kethohalli, off the Bengaluru–Mysore Road, about 28 km west of Bengaluru.
How old is the Big Banyan Tree?
It is believed to be more than 400 years old.
How far is the Big Banyan Tree from Majestic?
About 31 km from Kempegowda Bus Station, according to the district page.