Hampi – the name entails India’s past glory and the grandeur with which our own land once bloomed. This was the sole reason for me to take up the ride to this city of yore, to witness the splendid architecture and its magnanimity with my own eyes.
Day 1:
I set off a bit early on my Machismo, so that I would reach Hospet by early afternoon. But Murphy’s basic law had its way quite early in the ride. I left home at 6:30PM. I was barely 10kms from home, the accelerator cable snapped. Though I had a spare cable, I did not have the appropriate paraphernalia to fix it. My search for a mechanic bore fruit quite early, as I found a guy just opening his shop. But as he was not a Bullet mech, he was not even able to fix an accel cable. I somehow conjured it up to a position where I could just pull along until I found a Bullet mech. I found one on Dr.Rajkumar road but had to wait, as his shop was not yet open. About an hour later the guy turned up and fixed the cable in matter of seconds.
Had my breakfast close to the mech’s place. The earliest time I could leave B’lore was about 9am. I hit the NH4 by 9:30 in the morning. NH4 is the best road a rider could ask for. There was no stopping once you hit the highway. Though the incomplete portions of the highway slows you down, your tempo to ride on remains at high gear.
It was about 12PM when I was on the outskirts of Chitradurga, where I planned for a stop for lunch. But I decided against the stop, as I wanted to reach Hospet as early as possible. Though I took a few rest-stops on the way, I did not stop for lunch. I then decided that I would feed myself only after reaching Hospet.
I was on the outskirts of Hospet when I viewed the sea-like expanse of the Tungabhadra reservoir. I really confounded it to a sea at the first sight. What a vista that was!!! I reached the Hospet town at around 3.30PM. I checked into a hotel next the city bus stand. The Hotel was pretty cozy and quite cheap too.
Next on the itinerary was a visit to the Tungabhadra dam. The musical fountain was a good entertainment and with kids dancing around, it was more than amusing. The dam also has a well-maintained aquarium and a green park. The view of the park at night when all the lights are lit is simply awesome. I returned to Hospet and had my dinner and decided to retire for the day a bit early, so that I could start my Hampi sojourn early in the morning.
Day 2:
My best efforts to get up at 5AM were futile as I could only get up only at 6. My ablutions were completed in a hurry. It was time to hit the road to Hampi.
HAMPI, the seat of the famous VIJAYANAGARA Empire was the capital of the empire under Krishnadevaraya, the Emperor.
Saint Vidyaranya established the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336 A.D, with the help of his disciples Hakka and Bukka. The empire later became renowned for re-establishment of Indian culture, its support for music, art and literature. With the prime purpose of caring for the people and their welfare, this empire stretched across Karnataka, Andhra and Maharashtra and became a by-word for golden rule.
Hampi is just about 15 Kms from Hospet. I reached Hampi by 7.30AM. I decided to hire a guide, without whom I thought I would not be able to interpret Hampi’s history and architecture. After some negotiation on the rates, I hired a guide for a complete day. The plan was to start at the Virupaksha temple and end it at the Matunga hill.
Virupaksha temple to start with was no less a wonder than Hampi itself and so is each and every place in Hampi. The pinhole camera contraption at the temple is a wonder in the true sense. As planned we visited the following places in order – Bazaar street, Sasuvekaalu Ganapathi, Kadalekalu Ganapathi, Jain temples on the Hemakoota hill, Ugranarasimha statue, Hazaara Rama temple, underground Shiva temple, Lotus Mahal, Gaja Shaale and Horse stables. Next it was time for lunch. We resumed our ride around Hampi after a sumptuous lunch at a Hotel in a nearby village called Kamalapura. Then it was Malyavanta Raghunathaswamy temple, Bhimana dwara, Vijaya vittala temple, Stone chariot, King’s balance, Panduranga mantapa, Vishnu temple and sole bazaar via the main bazaar street.
The last stop for the day as planned was the Matunga hill. I decided to spend some time on the hill by myself. I paid the guide and traced my path to the top of the hill. On the top I had the company of tourists from different countries. The view of the sunset from the top of the Matunga hill in itself makes the ride to Hampi fruitful. With a heavy heart I decided to leave Hampi for Hospet. It was around 9pm when I reached Hospet.
My next day’s ride was to ride to Hubli and reach Sirsi and visit places along the way. So I had to start early in the morning.
Day 3:
I checked out of the Hotel and hit the road by 6.30. Quite early by my standards. The road to Hubli from Hospet was good but to my surprise the traffic on this road, NH 63, was quite heavy. Numerous small and big truckers fill up the traffic on the highway. It is the vast expanse of sunflower fields that catch your attention and reduces monotony. I did take a few stops to photograph the sunflower fields.
Hubli, the cultural capital of Karnataka, was one city I was always in wonder of. After breakfast at the Kamat hotel, I spent some time around the city. The Kittur Chenamma circle at the centre of the city is a superb monument, which makes your visit to Hubli worthwhile.
It was time to hit the highway to Sirsi through Yellapura. I reached Yellapura at around 1 in the afternoon. As there was sufficient time to reach Sirsi, I decided to visit few places around Yellapura. My first stop was at the Kavude Kere. Next on the list were Magod falls and Jenukallu Gudda. The roads here are in itself an experience. But at times it really cracks your nerves. There are places where you are alone for kilometers together. But with nature around you always, you never seem to tire.
I reached Sirsi by 4PM. But I was in no mood to rest. After lunch, my enquiries ended in me deciding to visit Banavasi about 25kms from Sirsi. And what an experience it turned out to be. On the way I picked a good samaritan who was resident of Banavasi. From then on he was my guide to Banavasi and the famous Madhukeshwara Temple of the Kadambas. I was treated to coffee at his home. After the visit to the awe-inspiring temple, I was taken to an art gallery next to the temple. The art gallery is owned and maintained by a person who makes the wax sculptures on his own. Some of the sculptures were of his own servant and his grandfather. One of his creations was a wax model of a dog, which I really mistook it to be a real one at the first sight. Hope we will have a wax museum as famous as the Tussaud’s one day, provided we encourage and nurture such local talents. This experience really made me think of such numerous unknown talents across India, who can really make it big on the national and International stage provided they get proper aid from our governments.
I returned to Sirsi with a sense of accomplishment. It was the right time to visit the famous Durga temple in the city.
The day ended on a wrong note, as I had to pay a fine to the local police for entering a one way from the wrong end. Well it was like feeding two stomachs that night, as I too was quite hungry.
Day 4:
My destination for the day was Mangalore. It is a ride of about 300Kms. I was lucky to find a petrol bunk open early in the morning at Sirsi. The ride down the Sirsi ghats to Kumta was a chilly one. It was freezing cold and even the jacket and gloves didn’t help much.
After a good breakfast at Kamat yatrinivas at Kumta, it was time to cover some distance on the NH 17. As planned I reached Murudeshwar in the late morning. I spent some time at the temple and the huge Lord Shiva statue. The rough shores of Murudeshwar is a fine sight for a nature lover. The ride along the Marvante beach is an experience of a lifetime. As usual such fine nature makes a perfect background for my Bullet. It was time to shoot her is all possible angles with the Arabian Sea as the backdrop.
Udupi was the next stop on the way. My idea to visit the temple took a hit when I witnessed the never-ending queue waiting to get into the temple. I gave my salutations to the Lord Krishna from outside and decided to fill by belly. The Kediyoor hotel in the city is my automatic choice for cuisine in Udupi. After a sumptuous lunch I hit the highway to Mangalore. On the way was the lighthouse at Kaapu. A place for many film shootings, this place is worth a visit.
Udupi Krishna Bhavan on K S Rao road was a good option to lodge for the day in Mangalore. As I had decided earlier, after checking into the hotel I freshened up and rode to the Someshwar Uchchil beach on the way to Kerala. The Someshwara temple was under construction and so I decided to spend the evening on the shores of the Uchchil beach. After witnessing the ever-beautiful sunset, I decided to return to Mangalore and try some special icecreams at the Ideals. I dinner for the night were a variety of icecreams which the steward at Ideals was more than happy to serve.
After returning to the Hotel it was time to decide on the destination for the next day. As my leaves were over, I had to decide whether to return to Bangalore or continue my ride. After a lot of deliberations, I decided to extend my leave by a day and care for any consequences only after I return to duty. I finally decided to ride to Coorg the next day.
Day 5:
I left Mangalore early, as my route to Coorg was not decided. The map showed a shorter route via Kerala to Talakaveri. But the local police told me that the route was not feasible and was infact longer than the normal route and with worse roads. But as I made out later the normal route was no better in regards to the condition of the road. As I neared Sulya, the crash-guard literally got cut at one point. But I had to ride on until I found a suitable place to get the piece soldered.
The ride from Mangalore to Madikeri, is a filled with views of some of the best scenic spots on the Western Ghats. But due to the bad condition of the roads, the distance of around 150Kms takes almost close to 5hrs. About 3kms from Madikeri is the deviation to the birthplace of river Kaveri, Talakaveri. On the way to Talakaveri is Bagamandala. This is the place of confluence of three rivers, the Cauvery, the Kanika and the Sujyothi. The temple here is revered highly by the devotees. The distance of 30kms from here to Talakaveri is worthy ride as you get to witness the mighty mountains of the Brahmagiri Sanctuary and the roads are also quite good. Talakaveri has lot to offer to a tourtist. The temple is situated in a place, which surrounded by beautiful green mountains of the Western Ghats. One can witness the beautiful sceneries all-around from the top of the peak here. 360 degrees of pure greenery.
I reached Madikeri by 4pm and checked into the Woodlands hotel near the KSRTC bus stand. After some rest, it was time for lunch. Raja seat is just about 2kms from the main market area in Madikeri. One can witness one of the best sunset views from here. Time spent in solitude here is not only worthwhile but also makes you one with nature. I ended my day after visiting the Omkareshwara Temple in Madikeri.
Day 6:
This was my last day of the ride. But more than just returning to Bangalore, I wanted to make the best use of this last day’s ride. I had chalked out to visit a number of places on the way to Bangalore. I checked out at 7AM from the Hotel and took the road to Mysore.
I reached Ilavala on the way to Mysore. Here I had to take a deviation towards Balamuri. Balamuri is famous for the waterfalls and the Ganesha temple. The coracle ride here was a good experience. As the name suggests, the river Kaveri turns towards the right direction here. Yedamuri is at a distance of just 2Kms from Balamuri. Water spots are anybody’s favorite to spend time. Hoards of college students from nearby Mysore were having a gala time here.
I continued my journey back to Bangalore via Srirangapatna. I had lunch on one of the numerous roadside dhabas. Coconut water on the way was a welcome refresh drink.
Reached my home at around 3.30 in the afternoon. Reminiscences of my ride was running on in my mind. 1500 Kms in 6 days seemed like a vague idea now. What was more important was what I gained from the ride.
I had experienced the glory of the past and the present nature’s beauty. We will surely witness the same for many more years to come, only if we take enough care to maintain this lands past glory and nature with equal vigor. Hope the false developmental strides today will not vanquish our history and present nature.
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