Kolkata visit , Oct 10,2009.

Finally got a chance to visit home and on the way kolkata. In the mean time my Durga puja Leaves were cancelled and I had to cancel my train tickets. So I made a point to reach home on kali puja and Diwali. And hence the visit. I and Debalina boarded the Falaknuma exp from Secunderabad and reached kolkata on time. Believe me on time. I had taken my camera with me and had a desire to take some shots at different locations in Kolkata. First I started with Laketown foot bridge. Mitul and Dr.Subham, my cousins accompanied me. It was evening and I got good shots from the bridge of the road and the vehicles.

Then we moved to Citycenter shopping maal and had a nice Adda among us and later joined by Mithu and Kamalika di. I took some snaps of citycenter but was prevented by guards to take some more of them. Reason not well explained. We went for clarification from the management and we were asked why we were taking shots. On explaining they asked us to come the next day with formal letters. Daam with there process, we decided not to take any more shots over there. BTW I thought taking pictures in public places is allowed, but I am not sure about Bengal.

Next day Amritendu asked for a meeting which I agreed with pleasure, after all he is my childhood friend. We decide to meet somewhere near Victoria Memorial. Mitul and I reached the venue and didn’t waste a minute to shoot the Victoria Memorial in evening lights. Amritendu was late by an hour, and I was fed up waiting for him. After we meet and had a chat we decided to rope in Maitrayee who was working in a nearby office. We waited near the AC market and after calling her a number of times she arrived with her typical smile, u may also call it a half laugh. She is also my childhood friend and it was a double delight for me to have both of them together. We exchanged ideas and had a lot of fun chatting. Maitrayee’s friend joined us and we moved to Nandan. It was getting late and we decided to have something and disperse. Amritendu took us to a Chinese restaurant. Finishing the dimsum we dispersed to our own destinations.

It was truly a memorable evening, it made us rekindle out friendship and showed that we still have the same bond among ourselves even after so many years.

Capturing Birds through my New Lens

I haven't updated the blog for quiet a long time and I don't know why. May be that I became a bit lethargic, may be. Well I bought a new 70-300mm Tamron Lens for my Nikon camera and was waiting for an oppurtunity to use it to the fullest zoom available.So on 5th of July 2009, Sunday, I and Bazooka went to hunt birds with our lenses. Location : Manjeera dam near Sangareddy. We started after noon and on reaching Sangareddy had lunch. It took us almost an hour to reach sangareddy, but the road was awesome. While we rode through the countryside we found some cranes on a field and started our job. Villagers present at the field must have had a weird feeling about us. After almost half an hour we again started our onward journey, on our way we found a kingfisher and didn’t waste a moment to shoot it. Reaching the dam was not tough but reaching the desired location took a while and we had to trek through the rocks towards the water body. Bazooka set his camera on my stand and we patiently waited for the birds which didn’t made us wait much longer. Soon we found kingfishers and flock of harpeice.
It was happy shooting time for us. But wait, whats that at a distance. We instantly focused our lenses towards the moving object in the water. Oh ho, it’s a croc, I mean a Crocodile, and its heading towards us. Time to run focks, just RUN. We ran through the rocks passing through the tall grasses, bazooka fell and had a scratch on his left ankle but saved his 500mm lens.

From safe distance we watched the croc enter the grasses near the water. We shot a few more birds and left for Hyderabad.

Home Comming

Jan 14th 2009.

After spending almost 5 months in Hyderabad finally I got a few days leave to go HOME, and the reason was my cousin’s marriage. On a fine winter morning of Hyderabad, I and my room mate Samrat boarded a Cab and reached Samsabad airport to board a flight to Calcutta. I had been to this airport on the night of its inauguration and then almost a year after, I am taking a flight from the same. I was pleased to hear that photography was allowed inside the terminus and didn’t waste any time to take out my camera and make full use of the occasion. I took some pictures inside the newly built airport and also of an aircraft which was just taking off.

My cousins marriage was over by 18th and I was willing to visit my grandfather who lived in the small town of Katwa. Considering the fact that busses will be crowded and the freedom of roaming around will be cut short, I decided to travel on a bike.

On 21st morning I took the bike of my brother in law and rode on. The cold winter morning greeted me with chilling winds over my face and after a long time I felt the chill of the winter. It was a bit foggy and Sun was just rising from the horizon behind the palm trees. A sight which I saw after a long time. I was riding through a single lane road through the country side amidst fields green with potato crops. The thatched houses and the cattle greeted me while I passed through the villages which were just awakening from slumber. In few villages the villagers had erected check post with Bamboo so as to stop heavy vehicles and collect donations for the upcoming Saraswati Puja. I was also stopped at one of the check posts by some children.

I passed through the mustard fields full of yellow flowers, it reminded me of the scenes that are often shot in Indian commercial cinema. Its just I was passing through some of them rather than sitting in the theater and watching any movie. Every passing vehicles blew a storm of dust on my face, but I liked it because it was the dust of my mother land rather than the pollution of the cities. I had to stop at few villages to confirm from the villagers the route that I was traveling was correct.

Enroute to my grandfathers place I stopped by my native village and had my breakfast. I haven’t visited our house for more than 2 years, and I enjoyed every moment of my stay over there. I prayed in our mandir and then started my onward journey.

After meeting my grandfather after almost 2 years I felt how much I miss them. I lost my grandmother just a couple of weeks back and it was my misfortune that I couldn't see her for the last time. Grandpa is alone now and i wished I could have stayed back. I admire him a lot and I wish that I get some of his qualities, if not all, so that I can consider myself a human being worth living in this world. I doubt whether me or any of my cousins can ever reach the human level that he had reached. He will always be someone whom I will respect and look at even when he has traveled to some other world.

I bid goodbye to my aunt and rode back home. On my way I touched Burdwan University Golap Baag Campus, where I had studied for a brief period. I loved the campus for its greenery and its trees. The sun was setting and after I met one of my cousins who was studying Masters in the university, I rode back home.

Ride to Hampi

Hampi, the capital city of Vijaynagar kingdom, once a prosperous state and now in ruins was my next target for travel. Hampi is almost 400Km from Hyderabad and after searching the internet I got a fair idea of the places to see and expected time to cover them. So what’s more, one fine evening I called up other riders and decided to visit the place.

After convincing my TL to let me go half an hour before the schedule on the D-Day, we made our plans for the ride. We decided to ride to Mehboobnagar on 5th September evening and stay for the night at some Lodge and next day starting early morning we would ride to Hampi. As decided we (Govind, Srinivas Brothers and myself) met at Mehdipatnam at 6.30PM on 5th September and set off. We were joined by Raghu near Samsabad airport.

Mishap at Shadnagar: We reached Shadnagar, about 50Km from Hyderabad within an Hour. While crossing shadnagar a man in early twenties while trying to cross the road, came in front of Raghu’s bike. Raghu tried to save him and in the process his bike skid and he fell off. Though he wasn’t injured (just a few bruises) his bike bore the brunt of the fall. The foot rest came off and it was not possible to ride without it. We found a mechanic shop and after more than an hour of HARD work we got it fixed, though not permanently. Fixing the bike we moved on. We stopped before reaching Jadcherla, at a dhaba to have our Dinner.

Finding a lodge in Mehboobnagar was not a difficult one and we rested our backs in a decent lodge. Sleep has already crawled in our eyes and while Govind tried hard to fix his new music system and chat over his mobile, I surrendered to deep slumber.

Waking up early morning at 4.30 AM was never easy to me, but the excitement of reaching Hampi woke me up as soon as the alarm rang. We were ready by 5.30 AM on the morning of 6th September, and riding at a good pace towards our next destination which was Raichur (Karnataka state).

Sun was just rising from the horizon and the fresh light washed off all tiredness and gave us the zeal to ride on. The fresh energy imparted by the gentle sunlight was clearly visible from our faces. We were passing through sunflower fields and all the flowers were facing the rising sun and the gentle light made them look as if we were passing through some land described in fairy tales. We got spellbound by the scenic beauty of the rising sun and thousands of sun like sunflowers who smiled at us as we rode on.

Unlike Hyderabad the road through this part of Karnataka passes through lush green fields which reminded of the agricultural fields of Bengal. So similar yet so far. The morning sun gave a wonderful view of the surrounding and we reached Raichur within 2 hrs.

Breakfast at Raichur (Karnataka): We reached Raichur at 8:00AM and found all shops shut. It seemed to us that something was wrong as there was very less traffic and less people on road. We found a south Indian restaurant and had our Breakfast. No petrol bunks were open except one, and its needless to say that there was a long queue in front of it. So we decided to fill our ‘heavier halves’ in some other petrol bunk outside the city. After refueling we carried on our journey.

The state highway that links Raichur and Gangavati (our next destination) was a good one except the speed breakers. There were speed breakers (a set of 6) before and after each locality that we passed through which reduced our speed considerably. Once near Saktinagar I almost fell of my bike due to the speed breakers. As we approached Saktinagar the cooling towers and chimneys of the power plant could be seen from a long distance. They stood amidst lush green fields bellowing smoke and water vapor, a man made structure amidst the greenery. I realized that development has its cost and amidst such greenery it was really unwanted.

Govind was riding hard and Raghu and I were riding together. Since Raghu’s bike was not going beyond 80Km/Hr, we had to limit ourselves to that speed. Gangavati is almost 135 Kms from Raichur and we rode with patience to reach there. Finally at 11.30 AM we reached outskirts of Gangavati.


A bumpy ride to Hampi : From Gangavati to Hampi there are two routes, one through Hospet and another goes directly to Hampi. We, the WANDERER’S took the road LESS TRAVELLED. And believe me that road didn’t give us any pleasure to ride. It seems that there was a road not long ago but only remainders of it could be actually found. It was full of potholes filled with rain water and it was really difficult to negotiate the potholes. After riding almost 45 minutes through that horrible stretch we finally came across a stretch which could be called a ROAD. While crossing the hills we got a wonderful view of the valley and the banana plantations surrounded by coconut trees. The rocky hills had beautiful cactus on them. We did halt to take snaps.

While entering Hampi I felt as if I was entering History. Wherever I looked I saw relics of beautiful stone carved mandir’s, gateways and other structures. Long ago people used these roads and came in horses and elephants and now we were entering in our bikes. I felt that the gates and structures were welcoming us, and as if they already knew us and we were not new to them either. I haven’t visited such a beautiful ancient city earlier and it was totally new experience for me. History beckoned us and we roared with our bikes as we entered.

Hampi was a large city, well built and must have been inhabited by thousands of people. It must have taken generations to build it. But it took a day to destroy it. What a destruction drive it must have been and what barbaric acts were enacted to destroy such a beautifully built civilization. The Bahamani sultans did something which history can’t ever forgive. The more we saw the more we felt about the destruction of such a beautiful city.

We boarded a small lodge and after getting refreshed we had our lunch in a small hotel. The hoarding of the hotel boasts of being recommended in Lonely Planet but we found just the opposite. The food quality was not upto the mark. After we filled up our appetite we were up to discovering the place. And in front of us there was a huge gopuram (entry gate of a mandir).

Discovering Hampi : The gopuram in front of me was of Virupaksha temple, built in Dravidian style. It is one of the few temples at Hampi, where the deity is still worshipped. It is said that Virupaksha temple was saved from the destruction of Muslim rulers thanks to a divine intervention. It was a large temple complex and an elephant was seen inside munching on leaves. It consisted of three towers and a central Mandir (temple) where the deity (Virupaksheshwara or Pampapathi) is still worshipped. There are many rooms and passageways surrounding the main temple. One of the main attractions of the temple is the inverted image of the main Gopuram in the western wall of the temple through a small hole behind the sanctum. European’s claim to have invented the Pin Hole Camera but what about the Inverted image that was deliberately built by the people of Vijaynagar kingdom centuries before any such inventions by the Europeans. They must have knowledge about the inversion of images and hence portrayed such a thing in a magnificent creation – The Virupaksha Mandir. I had to pay Rs. 50/- to take pictures inside the temple but the entry fee was only Rs. 2/-. We didn’t take any guide for this temple.



We rode up to the Hemakutam hill and there we decided to take a guide with us. The guide charged us Rs. 500/- for 4 hrs, which we thought was more than enough. Our next stop was Lakshmi Narasimha temple. We found a beautiful statue of ‘Ugra Narasimha’ (violent Narasimha). The statue was partially damaged during the pillage that happened after the fall of Vijayanagar Empire. Even the partially damaged statue is exquisite with Lord Narashima in Yogic pose with snakes protecting him. Just opposite of the statue was a Badavi Linga temple, which houses 12 feet tall Shiva Linga made of blackstone. The speciality of this temple is that the shiva linga is surrounded by water which was brought through channels of stone which is still intact and the water never dries up even during summer months.

We stopped at a Shiva temple nearby which was unearthed a few decades ago but the structure was still strong enough to hold its own weight. Inside the temple there was no deity since it was destroyed in the onslaught that followed the fall of Vijaynagar Kingdom. Only Nandi bull could be found confirming that it was a shiva temple.



The Royal Enclosure : Our next stop was the Royal Enclosure, which contains the Lotus Mahal (palace), elephant stables, and Zenana enclosure. The Zenana enclosure or the queens’ quarters is an eclectic blend of Hindu and Islamic architectural styles, surrounded on all sides by tall watchtowers – most of them in a state of ruin. This enclosure housed 2 of the queens and was guarded by Eunuch guards since no male except the king was allowed inside. The elegant Lotus Mahal appears suspended, like a floating palace on a full moon night. This structure contains earthen pipes that were used to flow water inside the walls of the palace so as to keep it cool during summer months. The earthen pipes are still intact. The elephant stables are close by, a majestic row of 11 domed stalls, with arched connecting doorways. These stables were to house ceremonial elephants, only 11 among 6000 that the king had. One of the palaces here has been converted into a museum which displays an impressive collection of royal artifacts.

The enormous platform known as Mahanavami Dibba in royal enclosure served as a platform for kings, consorts and royal officers from where they could view festivities. It had a seven storied wooden palace of the king and a golden throne. The building was burnt following the fall of the kingdom by the Muslim rulers. About 30 feet above ground level, the Mahanavami Dibba is decorated with intricately carved horses, soldiers, a couple of foreign looking dignitaries, and a scene showing girls frolicking in water all depicting the daily life during those days. The vintage view of the Tungabhadra as it silently winds its way through the rocky cliffs is enchanting.


Another must-see monument here is the stepped tank, into which water was fed by a series of stone channels which still exist, an example of expert engineering techniques developed several centuries ago.

We found some of the stone plates which were used by soldiers to eat food. The guide informed that there was a mile long structure which had series of stone plates with water flowing in channels in front of them which were used by the army to feed its soldiers.

We were then guided to the king’s swimming pool which was 70 meters in length and had considerable depth. Stone channels were used to feed water in the pool and a lifeguard tower also existed.

A little distance away is the grand Hazara Rama Temple, originally built by Vijayanagar kings for private worship. The temple which stands within a walled enclosure exudes an air of elegant serenity. It is equally radiant in the day as its rock sculptures glisten in the rays of the morning sun. The relief sculptures on the walls and temples depict scenes from the epic Ramayana. The temple had 4 black granite stone pillar’s, the stone was brought from Warangal had beautiful carvings on them.

Nearby was the queen’s bath. It is an enclosed building with a pool of fresh water inside it. Water was brought through stone channels in the pool.

Our next stop was to Hampi’s famous Vittala temple. En route were monuments far removed from the tourist circuit – Purandara Mantapa on the banks of river Tungabhadra; and the King’s Balance where it is believed that the Vijayanagar princes weighed gold and silver ornaments received as tribute from subordinate kingdoms. We also discovered an ancient bridge over the Tungabhadra River.



The Vittala temple is perhaps the finest example of Vijayanagar architecture. Originally constructed by king Devaraya, it was further embellished during Krishnadevaraya’s reign. The temple comprises an impressive rajagopura, a sabha mantapa (congregation hall), narasimha mantapa, kalyana mantapa (wedding hall), utsava mantapa (function hall) and several small Devi shrines in the passageways. The pillars hewn out of single granite blocks with carved friezes, produce musical notes when tapped gently, prompting the mantapa to be christened the Hall of Musical Pillars. It is said that kings 2nd wife who was a dancer used to dance in that mandir and musicians armed with sticks used to pad the pillars to bring out the desired music. Every pillar contained a statue playing a musical instrument depicting the sound to be produced when the pillar is stuck with a stick. Our guide gave us a small demonstration by tapping the pillar by his thumb. It amazed me a lot, since these solid stone structures could produce different sounds, was beyond my imagination. I was rendered speechless by such precision and workmanship of the artisans of that era, certainly with all modern technology we can’t recreate them.



Stone Chariot at Vittala Temple :Perhaps the most breathtaking structure in Hampi is the amazing Stone Chariot installed inside the Vitthala temple. This life-sized 22 feet tall chariot carved out of stone is testimony to the skills of the stone carvers of the Vijayanagar era. The intricately carved monolithic stone wheels rotate on an axle with an awe inspiring precision and detailing of sculptures. The wheels are now sealed to protect them.

In front of the Vitthala temple was a large Bazar primarily for selling horses. It was 900mts long and horses from different countries like Arab nations were sold in these market. It was an international trading center. We also came across another market call Pan Supari Bazar which was a trading center for ornaments and Beatle leaves and pan masalas.

Sun was setting down and it was time that we returned to our hotel, I stopped by Krishna temple while others carried on. The Krishna temple complex is also a large one, beautifully carved stone temple. It was also destroyed. Inside I took a few snaps of the wonderful carvings and statues of Garuda (Vahan of Lord Vishnu). The gopuram was a magnificent one and the temple is a masterpiece of art.

Visit to Hospet :After refreshing ourselves we decided to ride to Hospet so as to see a musical fountain show near the Tungabhadra dam. The road to Hospet is smooth and it was a pleasure to ride through it. As we reached the dam site the sky became overcast and it started raining. We took shelter in a hut in front of the fountain, the show started almost immediately. There were leakages in the roof and water was trickling but it didn’t deter us from watching the full show. After the show was over we rode amidst rain and reached Hospet town. Finding a good place to have our dinner was never an easy task, it took a while but we ultimately found one.

Way back it was pitch dark and riding through gust of rain was really enjoying. The road ahead of us was visible only by our bike’s head light, Raghu dropped his bottle of water and it rolled back to him through the road. Back in hotel we all surrendered to slumber with little delay.

Ride Back Home. 7th September 08. Last night we decided that we would try to cross the Tungabhadra river and visit the places at the other side, but the rains increased the water level and boats would not ply. So we had no other option but to start our journey back home.
At 11:00 we started after having breakfast. I ate Guntapongal among other dishes in breakfast. Guntapongal is made of idli mix but is fried instead of steaming them. It was served hot and I really enjoyed it.
We reached Gangavati by 11:45 and had our lunch in Shaktinagar at a dhaba before we reached Raichur at 2.15 PM. We reached Jadcherla at 5.30 PM and after having tea we took the Highway back to Hyderabad.

A survival story: Sun was setting and it was getting dark. Govind’s bike’s tail light got fused and it was difficult to spot him. I could clearly see clouds in the horizon with occasional lightening. I feared a thunderstorm. We were riding among good amount of traffic and we were slowing down as the highway only had 2 out of 4 lanes operational and we had to change lanes after few kms. Overtaking the long vehicle’s was proving to be a challenging task keeping in mind our safety. Riding a few kms my fears were proved to be true. A thunder storm was waiting for us. It started raining cats & dogs. I was the lead rider and hardly could I see anything in front of me. I was blinded by the force of rain drops falling over my eyes in considerable speed. I blindly followed the tail light of a vehicle in front of me. Lightening lit the other wise dark surrounding but still I couldn’t figure out anything on the road. It required nerves of steel to carry on. Govind, Raghu and Srinivas trailed me. We were riding just to survive and praying that the rain stops as quickly as possible. Riding for almost 1 Hr in the incessant rain we finally reached the outskirts of Hyderabad where Raghu and Srinivas bid us good bye and Govind and myself carried on our journey towards our home. We thanked the almighty for saving us. It was a terrifying as well as enjoying experience for me. It took out the best riders in us and showed that we also do have nerves of steel.

This trip marked a satisfaction and achieving a long awaited desire to visit Hampi. I always wanted to visit Hampi since I read about it during my school days. I thank my fellow riders who gave me company and filled my journey with joy. The ride also proved beyond doubt the toughness of our vehicles and the passion we have to ride them. It also proved that finding an opportunity to travel to different places, though not easy but having one gives the freedom of getting out of this mundane life which I always do wait for.

My New Camera

One of my dreams was to own a digital SLR camera, and I still can't believe that I have really bought one. This is a NIKON D60 digital SLR camera having resolution of 10.2MP. I bought this on August 23rd 2008 from a shop in Esplanade, Kolkata. It did burn a hole in my pocket but considering my passion for photography I am willing to bear the burden of paying the EMI on the credit card. I was accompanied by Ranjit and Mithu ( both very close friends of mine ) when I bought the camera, and the first shots with it was taken on the same day in Esplanade.

Bodhisattva Visits Bidar

In front of a gate of Bidar Forte

It was almost more than a month since I went on any ride; the last ride was the Srisailum ride. So it was expected that I would try to go somewhere. A few weeks back I tried to go for a ride to Bidar but was unsuccessful since none of the riders turned up. After a lot of planning finally I was able to make this trip. Thanks to Raghu and Riyaz who responded positively for the trip.

Bidar is about 136 Km from Hyderabad in the state of Karnataka. It has some of the magnificent historical structures like Forte, mosque, madrasa, tombs of historical importance, a famous Gurudwara and mandir in addition to the picturesque landscape. So reading about it in internet caught my interest to visit the place as early as possible.

We started our journey at 6:30 AM on 6th July 2008. Initially it was Raghu and I with our heavier halves (our Royal Enfield’s). We started from Begumpet and rode through Ameerpet and NH9 towards B.H.E.L where Riyaz joined us with his friend. He came with a brand new RE which had done only 150 Km so it was decided that we are not going to cruise beyond 60Km/Hr.

The road was awesome and it was only because of the new baby that we restricted ourselves to 60Km/Hr. Even riding at that speed we reached Zahirabad, our last stop in the state of AP at 9:00 AM and had our breakfast. Then we moved on towards Bidar. It was just a rope in the middle of the road on a check post that marked the boundary of the two states of AP and Karnataka. We reached Bidar shortly after 10 AM. The entrance to Bidar was through a gate of ancient forte.

History of the Bidar Fort:
In the year 977 AD, the Chalukyas established their kingdom in the South and their capital was Kalyani. It was 57 Kilometer from the Bidar Fort which belonged to them. Later on however, the fort went into the hands of the Yadavas of Devagiri, and then into the hands of the Kalyanas of Warangal in 1322. But the real charm and elegance of the Bidar Fort rose to its zenith in the hands of the Muslims.

The Bidar Fort is at a height of 2,200 feet from the sea level and overlooks the Manjira River Valley. The main gateway of the Bidar Fort is the contribution of the great Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali of the Bahmani Kingdom. This was constructed in the year 1429 and afterwards further renovations were made.


Mahmud Gawan Madrasa

On entering Bidar through one of the gates of the forte (stopped by a traffic constable for entering through a wrong way) we came across a Clock tower which was a huge structure and we could not resist ourselves to stop and to take pictures. Riding a short distance we found the Mahmud Gawan Madrasa. The building is huge and has a tall minar which contained ceramic tiles in its outer walls. Constructing such a magnificent structure must have taken years to complete. The building primarily got destroyed due to a lightening strike but what remains shows the grandeur of the structure.

We moved on towards the main forte, which was a huge structure and made up of stone walls. The gate through which one needs to enter is strategically built so as to repel any enemy attack. The fort consists of a museum where different artifacts are displayed. A very long rifle is kept in the museum and I am sure one can’t find any rifle longer than that. I don’t have any idea how it was loaded or fired. Cannon balls of large size did arouse our interest and we wondered what may be the size of the cannon which would have fired such a cannon ball. It was just the beginning of our admiration. The palace and the garden associated with it is fabulous and one can see the beautiful valley under the forte. The garden contained fountains and water path which were beautifully decorated and the architecture of the palace is something that amazes everyone. Though the palace is in ruins but the shear structure shows its grandeur and workmanship that involved in building such a magnificent structure. The fountain was build by artisans from Persia. The garden is well maintained and one can spend a considerable time in it.
Riding a few hundred meters we reached the 16 pillar mosque. The pillars are non existent as they must have been destroyed long ago, but the mosque is a huge building and contained rooms and hallways whose ruins still stand tall against the tide of time. We took a few snaps inside the mosque.



Then it was time for our biggest surprise and admiration for the technology of those generations which built and secured the forte. We came across a large cylindrical structure and on its top we discovered huge cannon. The size of the cannon mesmerized us and we wondered how such an awesome gun fired, and how was it mounted at such a height. The barrel of the cannon is at least 20ft and one can easily crawl inside the barrel of the cannon. The cannon must have rained havoc on the enemies. It was mounted in such a manner in which it could be rotated at any direction. The gun mount provided a wonderful view of the valley underneath and we were spellbound by the view. While riding out of the forte we found two more large cannons and many other small ones which used to be mounted on the walls of the forte.



After we satisfied our eyes inside the forte we went to visit the famous Gurudwara Nanak Jhira Sahib. It is a beautiful gurudwara and kirtan was being sung when we reached there. We entered the gurudwara with our heads covered with handkerchief. The gurudwara carries the tale that Guru Nanak - the first guru of the Sikhs visited this place and got rid of the scarcity of drinking water in the region. Near the temple fresh crystal clear spring water appears from nowhere. Inside the gurudwara we prayed for a while. It was a good place to rest since we were feeling tired. Hunger was burning in our stomach and it was not long before we found ourselves in the 'langer' of the gurudwara. Food was good and we really gobbled up whatever was served. The langer room could house many thousands at a time. It was a nice experience since many of us did pay a visit to any gurudwara for the first time.
After the grand lunch and a short rest in gurudwara we visited the Papanaash temple, a Shiva temple a few Km from the gurudwara. While returning from the temple we came across the tombs of Badri Shahi rulers. We tried to enter the campus but it was closed and restoration work was underway. We were told that it remains open for public only after 5 PM. Due to time constraints we could not see the smaller tombs.


A gush of shower stopped us from moving any further but that removed the dust and the surrounding became even greener. We could see two large dome structure at the other side of the road and nothing could resist us to have a closer look at them.
We entered the area in our bikes and riding a few hundred meters through the mud road amidst forest we came in front of a huge tomb. But nowhere was it written in whose memory was it built any by whom. I guess it was of Bahamani rulers. The tomb had graves which were well preserved but the surrounding of the tomb needs restoration. The dome of the structure had inscription from the holy Quran.
Leaving the tombs behind we went towards Narasimha Jheera, a temple of Lord Narasimha. To visit the Narasimha Jheera, you have to tread for at least a furlong inside a cave with waist deep water (and countless bats hanging from the roof!) to seek a view of Lord Narasimha. Due to time constraints (and the thought of water filled with bat droppings) we decided against going inside the cave.

It was now that we started our journey back home. The new bird’s fuel tank went on reserve and Riyaz went to fill it up only to find that due to some issues all Petrol Bunks of Bidar were closed. But he managed to get a few liters. We decided that we won’t stop till Sadashivpet. The road was good but windy and we rode at constant speed of 60Km/hr for almost two hours before we stopped at a HP Petrol Bunk crossing Sadashivpet. We took fruit juice and then again carried on the journey. Since the NH-9 was a good road the ride became a boring one and we resisted the temptation of cruising at higher speeds as we had no intension of leaving one of our fellow riders behind.
Before the neon lights took over the job of the mighty sun we were in Hyderabad and bid goodbye to a new found friend Riyaz in B.H.E.L. I and Raghu did some cruising while we rode through Kondapur towards Mehdipatnam.
It was a ride that will remain in my memory for a long time. We resisted our cruising temptation in this ride and never wanted one of our fellow riders to feel lonely. While on some other rides we did cruise but many riders fell back and we had to wait for them. It was a ride that unexpectedly turned out to be a good one even when some others gave feedback that the place of visit was not worth riding. We were able to nullify that negative feedback. It was a weekend to be remembered.

More pictures avaliable at http://picasaweb.google.com/bodhisattva24/BidarVisit

Srisailum Ride

On May 26, 2008 Saturday, we went on an adventurous ride to Srisailum, a beautiful place on the Ghats which is about 220 Km from Hyderabad. The ride was organized by Wanderers-The Royal Enfield Fraternity of Hyderabad. It was a combined ride with the Highway Nawabs joining us in our quest for adventure. It was a ride which we were eagerly waiting for, so as to break free from our mundane monotonous lives and to play with the wind in the serene beauty of the Ghats.

DAY 1
In the morning [6.30 AM] of 26th May the riders of the Biker’s club Wanderers met at James Street MMTS station along with the riders of The Highway Nawabs to take the trip to Srisailum. We were 34 men in 17 Bikes and a WW II jeep WILLY’s which we called Grandmother. At 8:00 AM we roared of with our bikes towards our destination. People of Hyderabad were sent aback with such a convoy of bikes riding in 2x2 formations with their engines thumping in a synchronous manner. Soon we passed through Charminar and Falaknuma Palace and off to the highway free from the pollution and traffic snarls of the crowded city. Nothing gave us so much pleasure than to put our bikes in top gear and press the throttle.

We stopped at a place on the highway just to regroup and take snaps with our machines and decide where to take breakfast. After riding 80Km our first stop was at a place named Amangal to have our breakfast. It was already 10 AM and our stomach needed something to munch upon. The breakfast gave us the necessary energy to move forward. Since the weather was cloudy so the roads were less heated and it was a pleasure to zoom through them. Picturesque landscape welcomed us and people from villages waved at us as we drove through with our headlights on and occasional rhythmic honking. Some of the riders were falling back as there was a new baby with recently fitted bore and piston and it could not be pushed to limit. We stopped under a neem tree at Hazipur on Srisailum X road and waited for the baby and grandmother to arrive. The baby finally arrived with a big smile on its rider’s face.

We started climbing the Ghats towards UmaMaheshwarSwami Temple. It was a steep climb and all of us enjoyed the ride. One of the bike’s cable snapped which was instantly repaired .The temple is situated on the hills and the road to the temple provides a wonderful view of the valley down under. Miles of barren farm lands lied under us and the sky looked down upon us as we rode through the Ghat road. Sunrays danced through the clouds and made the surrounding even more beautiful. The mandir was at the edge of a cliff and contained a beautifully carved deity carved out of stone.

Our trip was covered by NTV a Telegu News channel and we were accompanied by a reporter and a cameraman. While the reporter rode in the Willy’s the cameraman was riding with Vardhaman as we rode by. The cameraman took footage of the whole trip including the one’s in which we rode in 2x2 formations. On our way back we were interviewed by the reporter amidst deep jungle. It was a real thrilling experience.

We stopped at several places over the Srisailum road just to take pictures and enjoy the serene beauty of the Ghats and the reservoir of Srisailum dam which was visible from the top of the hills. The water in the dam had receded to a considerable level due to intense heat of the summer months. The hide and seek of the clouds and the sun gave a wonderful view of the hills with parts of the hill being shadowed and other parts being under direct sunlight. The formation of the cloud over the hills and the sunlight piercing them and falling over the hills was worth riding that far.

We reached Srisailum at 5PM and boarded a guest house which was completely reserved for us. The parking got filled up with our bikes and we were eager to fill up our stomach with whatever was available. The food served was good and in ample quantity and since our stomach was crying for food it went down within minutes. It was then we tried to explore the surroundings. I found that the place had beautiful houses and the Mandir was just a few meters from the guest house.



In the evening we went to the mandir to offer prayers and with help of Shrinu Anna we were able to offer prayers and view Shivlingam from a close range and even touched it to offer our prayers.
I took a few pictures of the main mandir whose dome is gold plated and shines like the sun when light falls over it.

It was time to go back to the guest house and I went back with heartfelt admiration towards the craftsmen who built the magnificent structure so many centuries back. The walls of the mandir was carved of stone and every frame was engraved with events from ancient holy books and the carvings were so perfect that even today with advanced technology it will be hard to copy them. The outer periphery wall that surrounds the mandir had been built of same stone and had in them engraving of gods and goddess and also throws a light about the life of the period when it was built. The mandir has seen the ages and still it stands strong and beautiful. It is a jaw dropping beauty amidst dense jungle and overlooking the hills.

Back to guest house we had a good chat with all fellow riders and some of them showed tricks with cards. The sky was star studded and the nearby hills were glittering with lights from houses and streetlamps. The chat with new found friends made us forget all worries, tension of work, tiredness of the long ride, and mundane monotonous lives that we are accustomed to. Dinner was served and the bed on the floor never felt so comfortable before, we all surrendered to sleep with memories of the ride still hovering on our subconscious minds.

DAY 2: 25th May, Sunday.
I was awakened by fellow riders at 5:30 AM and that was done just for fun. Unable to open my eyes due to lingering of sleep I went outside with reluctant steps with my tooth brush. Then I thanked God that I was awakened so early. The sun was just rising from the far away hills and the sight made me run to get my camera so that I don’t miss the opportunity. Running back with my camera I took a lot of pictures and I literally forgot that the toothbrush was in my mouth. I realized only when someone pointed it out when I asked him to take a picture of me with the background. The sunrays lit up the whole surrounding slowly and the light danced between the hills and the jungle, it mesmerized me.

After having breakfast we started for the return journey at 9:15 AM. On our way we visited a mandir top of a hill named Nandi Shrikharam from where the golden structure of the Srisailum mandir was visible. There is a saying that if anyone is able to spot the golden top of the mandir he attains MUKTI or freedom. May be I had a lot of sins committed and hence the MUKTI was not close by. Riding downhill for half an hour we stopped at Gayatri Mata Temple, it was a relatively new structure but was fascinating.

Crossing the dam we started riding through the Ghats and through the dense forest. The group had already got scattered since every one was riding at different speeds and didn’t prefer to stop at Gayatri Mata Temple. I had one bike in front of me and expected that a few will be riding behind mine. The bike in front was really riding hard and at one moment when I had to slow down to overtake a bus it went out of my site. The road through the forest had lots of mysterious twist and turns and hence it was not possible to see the tail light of the front bike. I cruised through the road and after almost riding more than half an hour with average speed of 60Km/Hr and occasionally touching 90 Km/Hr I found that I was the lonely rider over the road with traffic coming from the opposite direction. There was no bike in front or at my rear. Only thing I could hear was the thump of my engine and only visible mammal was monkeys which were sitting by the side of the road. A sudden fear gripped me and I slowed down a bit since I felt that I may have had lost my way and in such a dense forest it is not at all a very satisfying thing. Just then I saw the tail light of my front bike and started speeding up so as to come closer to it. The sight of the bike gave me a great relief, and as I closed in my confidence grew. After riding a while we saw other riders of our group waiting for us by the side of the road and we stopped. I could only hear the chirping of birds and the sound of the engines of passing bikes.

As all the riders gathered the NTV crew interviewed us requesting us to enter the forest and we happily provided them the bytes. We were questioned about how we are enjoying the ride and what were the safety measures that we have had taken for such a long ride.



After riding for a few more Kms we reached the crossing of Mallela Theertam Waterfalls. It was 12.30 PM and we debated whether to have lunch and move on towards the waterfall or just forget lunch for the time being. The traveler within us decided against lunch and we felt a sudden adrenaline rush within us. We were eager to ride off road. The waterfall was 8 Kms from the crossing and the road was in a real bad shape. It was built of red stones and no tar was applied on it. The loose gravels made our rear tyre’s slip and our bikes swayed at times, but the joy of riding off road was immense. The road passed through ploughed fields with no sign of crops. We reached the entry of the waterfall from where we need to take 350 steps downwards through stairs to reach the base of the waterfall. As we climbed down the stairs we entered the jungle. It was dense forest and the sound of falling water was clearly audible. Moving towards the sound through the jungle we saw the waterfall emerging from behind the trees. The waterfall was almost 200ft in height. The water was cool and we had sweated a lot to reach it. It was difficult for all of us to resist the temptation to get into the falling water. So I got into it and the pleasure was such that I was inside the waterfall for more than an hour. Sometime the water was hurting as it was falling from a considerable height. But the pleasures overcome the pain.

After spending a considerable time and taking a lot of pictures we rode back, it was 5:00Pm when we stopped at a Dhaba at Hazipur to have our lunch. We were dam hungry and whatever was served went down our throat. It was then the long ride back to Hyderabad. Once we lost our way and traveled 10KM in opposite direction but soon realized our mistake and took the correct path. The clouds were gathering and it started drizzling. I stopped to put on my raincoat but my pillion, the cameraman of NTV had no protection from the rain. Lightening struck the surrounding and it was a awesome view with the flash of the lightening lighting the whole area for seconds and then it was again dark. The view of the small highlands and the barren lands underneath it was fascinating in the flash of lightening.

Just before entering Hyderabad we called up Lalit ji who owned the WILLY’s, he waited for us and guided us through the city road and the Charminar. Finally I reached home at 9:45 PM, exhausted but happy and content. The pleasure that we had and the benevolence and friendship we developed was worth taking the trip. It was a great feeling that our trusted friend, our bikes, didn’t let us down rather made us proud that we owned such an awesome machine.

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