Table of Contents
1. Introduction
India is a country of glorious history, culture and traditions. One may not even realize the amount of diversity and variety the country has to offer. While some may not be interested in historical pursuits, many are inquisitive about it. This second group of people, although interested, may still lack the knowledge and information. This post will be all about tracing our roots back to the golden era. The places of Hampi, Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami hold enormous historical significance that even we did not realize when we started this journey. There will be day-wise blogs for this journey, the first one being the ride from Pune to Hampi.
2. Background about Hampi
Hampi is situated in Hospet taluk of Bellary district in Karnataka. Hospet is around 12 km from Hampi and is the nearest town. Hospet is well connected by road and rail and the last mile connectivity can be done by autos and buses.
The earliest mention of Hampi dates back to the Ramayana times when it was believed to be the Kishkinda, the Monkey kingdom home to Sugriva, Bali and Hanuman.
The true glory of Hampi as a city started with the Sangama brothers Harihara and Bukka who carved a kingdom of their own between 1336-1342 AD. They founded the splendid city of Vijayanagara with Hampi as its capital. Numerous kings of Sangama, Saluva and Tuluva dynasties ruled Vijayanagara for more than two hundred years until its fall and destruction in 1565 AD.
3. Logistics
This was going to be a joint trip as both of us were interested and excited in catching up on our history. In the days leading up to the start date, we thought long and hard about our mode of transport. We mostly travel on a budget, so the toss-up was between train and motorcycle. Though the train fulfils the dual objective of comfort and budget, we wanted the flexibility of a personal vehicle, so we finally decided that this will be a bike ride.
The next problem that any biker faces is with the luggage, more so when there are two people on it. After much thinking, we decided on one tank bag and a regular backpack. Although, this was not the most optimum arrangement we had to make do with it.
4. The night before
The evening before the start, we did regular checks on the bike like topping up the fuel, tyre pressure, lubricating the chain etc.
The next challenge was with luggage. This was going to be a five to six-day trip so we were finding it hard to fit everything in the finite space available. Along with clothing, there were our camera gear and other accessories, so it was a real struggle. Another thing worth mentioning here is the fact that this was going to be a monsoon ride so the added weight of rain gear. We finally managed to do a decent job and the time was already 11 PM. The plan was to start early at 5 AM which meant we had to wake up by 4 AM so it was quite late. We quickly compared against our checklist and went to sleep satisfied.
5. The morning
As decided the previous day, we duly woke up at 4 AM and took another 15 minutes to get out of our sleepy daze. We had a quick shower, tea and a bite to get us started. By the time we were ready, it was already 5.30 AM. We hauled our luggage to our bike and secured the tank bag. The other luggage i.e., the backpack was to be carried physically as there were no other carriers on the bike. We took some pictures to get the journey started and then slowly rolled out. The time was 6.30 AM, we had 550 km and a long day ahead of us.
6. Promising start
Pune has an extremely friendly climate for most of the year, making it easier for people exposed to the elements. No wonder why there are so many biker enthusiasts from the city. This is in stark contrast to the extremities of north India.
It was quite pleasant (more towards the colder side) when we started the ride. We took the back roads and shortcuts via lush green fields and in no time, we joined the NH 65 which is the Solapur highway. We stopped briefly to check and adjust our luggage and a few customary clicks.
The sun was out by now and we then continued ahead with our journey. Solapur highway is a four-lane one with a decent enough tarmac so the going was good. After encountering mild traffic closer to the city, we hit open roads soon. We crossed Yavat which was around the 30 km mark and then we sighted a turn for Bhuleshwar temple. The temple is further 10 km away from the highway but it is a place of significance. It was supposedly built in the 13th century so it is quite old. We pledged to visit it some other day. There were fields on either side with hills at a distance. With cool weather as a company, the setting was perfect for a long ride.
7. The breakfast halt
Riding on this highway makes one feel hungry as there are zillions of dhabas lined up at very short distances. We succumbed to the temptation and stopped for our first major halt for breakfast. The time was roughly around 7.30 AM and the place was Jogeshwari Misal and Bhel at Wakhari.
We ordered a plate of misal pav and matki bhel along with two glasses full of masala tak (buttermilk). This was the staple Maharashtrian breakfast and we happily gorged away. The quantity and the taste were really good, and we are happy to recommend this place to anyone heading this way.
We would have stayed for about an hour and then moved on.
8. On to Solapur
The sun was getting more powerful, and the early morning chill was giving way to a warmer day. We crossed Bhigwan which also houses a bird sanctuary.
We reached the Y junction at Indapur and took a short break. It was getting warm, and the initial euphoria of the ride started fading.
Soon after we crossed Indapur, we caught a glimpse of the Ujani dam and the backwaters.
We moved ahead after the break and it was getting properly hot. Another issue was the firmness of the seat on our bike. Our bike (Yamaha FZ25) is a streetfighter and becomes uncomfortable for longer rides due to its setup. To give our body a break, we halted at a place called Aran for tea. So far, we had done roughly 180 km and still had a long way to go.
We moved ahead after this much-needed break towards Solapur. After a place called Kegaon, there is a loop which connects to NH 52 towards Vijayapura, so we took that turn. So far, we had done 240 km and the time was 12.30 PM.
9. The road to Vijayapura and Lunch break
We left the busy Solapur highway and moved to NH 52. The roads hence were in great condition with very less traffic. We stopped for a fuel break just before exiting Maharashtra.
After riding for a while, we crossed the Bheema river to enter Karnataka. The distance done so far was 285 km and still had roughly the same distance left. So, one can say that this was the halfway point on this ride. As our ride was towards the latter half of August, there were still clouds on the horizon, but the rains evaded us.
After riding ahead for 75 odd kilometres, we reached the city of Vijayapura where we caught a glimpse of the world-famous Gol Gumbaz which has the second-largest dome in the world. We didn’t venture into the city as we were short on time.
It was already past our lunchtime and we were starting to feel tired. We were desperately searching for a place to eat and somehow, we were unable to find one. We observed that as soon as we entered Karnataka via this route, there were virtually no roadside eateries which were in extreme contrast to what we saw in Maharashtra. So, a general tip here is that if you are heading this way, better to catch up on your meals before entering Karnataka.
We rode for some more time and finally saw one Dhaba, Namadev Dhaba. The time was 3.30 PM, the place was Mangoli and we had covered 370 km so far.
We had tandoori roti, paneer sabzi and dal. The food was just about average, and the overall hygiene of the place was not up to the mark. If you are heading this way, look elsewhere for food.
10. The final push to Hampi
The halt for lunch break was under an hour and now the most difficult part of the ride, the final 200 km. Believe us, the final kilometres are the most painful and seem never-ending but still needs to be done. After the Dhaba, we moved on to NH 50 which crosses through Hungund and Ilkal on the way to Hospet. En route, we sighted the Almatti dam that is built over the river Krishna. Also, once you cross Vijayapura, numerous windmills dot the landscape, making it look very pretty. The clouds on the horizon and the windmills swaying alongside make for a perfect setting.
It was dusk when we reached the outskirts of Hospet and we first saw the boulders which form the landscape of Hampi.
We reached Hospet under darkness purely relying on the maps for navigation. Hospet is a major city and very well connected. We still managed to get lost briefly (maps are not very reliable) and got back on track with some help from locals. Hampi is still 12 km away from Hospet. We took a small halt in Hospet just to catch a breath and give our backs a break. We covered the rest of the distance from Hospet to Hampi under the cover of total darkness but we could sense the beauty around us as we rode through. The weather was very pleasant and we finally entered Hampi and headed straight to the Virupaksha temple area. This is the main centre where there are guest houses and a market.
11. Hunt for guest house and end of day 1
As soon as we reached the parking area of the temple, we were surrounded by the locals who run various guest houses. We accompanied one of them into the bylanes of Hampi who led us to a guest house. The guest house did not have a vacant room and the owner insisted that we wait for a few minutes till the incumbent vacates it. We would have waited patiently for 15-20 minutes and there were no signs of the vacant room being made available. Still, we were too tired and decided to wait around. The patience ultimately ran out and we scouted for other alternatives.
We found Archana Guest House nearby and decided to move into it. The rent was extremely reasonable, though the room was slightly underwhelming. This was going to be our abode for the next couple of days. We quickly unpacked, freshened up and headed up to the restaurant area for dinner.
The dining area was on the rooftop which had a banana plantation in the front and the Tungabhadra River out in front. Though the river was not visible in the dark, the sounds were relaxing. We ordered a couple of masala dosas along with buttermilk. We were so famished and tired that we had to order another dosa and share it. The taste was amazing, and we were extremely satisfied to end our long day on this note. If you are in Hampi, be sure to taste the masala dosa of Archana Guest House. The owner was a nice guy who guided us as to how we should best utilize our time over the next two days.
With our souls tired yet satisfied, we called it a day.
We hope you enjoyed reading our day 1 experience. Day 2 coming up….
You can also watch the video on our YouTube channel.
