A Bicycle ride to a nearby hilltop - Budanagudda

Long distance cycling has always been a dream of mine. It still is 😀. It requires physical as well as mental strength. This ride was a part of my training.

What would be a better way of testing one's physical and mental strength, than riding a category 4 climb? (For a noob cyclist 😉)

This article is about my ride to "Budanagudda" a small hill on Hubli - Kalghatagi highway.

The Ride

• Cycle: BTWIN myBike Single Speed
• Distance: 44.2km
• Moving time: 2hr 41min
• Total Elevation Gain: 675m

The Budanagudda Temple

Budanagudda is a hill on Hubli - Kalghatagi Highway (2km from Chalmatti Cross.)
I was scouting segment explore on Strava when I found this place called "Budangudda." Had planned a ride on the coming Sunday. But, the opportunity came unexpectedly.

The unexpected moment:
One fine afternoon at about 1 pm, the electric supply was interrupted. So, decided to utilize this free time and visit this place. Moreover, it was a weekday meaning fewer people 😍

Budangudda is a small hill. The elevation difference is about 98m in a span of 1.7 km. On strava, the climb is classified as category 4 climb.

This is my first attempt to ride a category 4 climb.

The Route

Would it be fun to ride a cycle on a road with a lot of trucks and busses? Probably not! The heavy traffic forced me to take the long country road instead. The country roads were calm and peaceful to ride.

Route Map:

Packed snickers and H2O. Did a quick inspection of the bicycle and started the journey at 2:00 pm.

the road conditions

• Hubli Airport to Kanvihonnapur: Nice tarmac road. This is where I train daily.
• Kanvihonnapur to Chalmatti cross(1.5 km after Dhumvad): Tarmac road, Mostly downhill and with less traffic.
• Chalmatii cross to Budanagudda: Uphill, patchy road, and zero traffic.
• Budanagudda to Achatageri (via Khalgatagi Hubli highway): As expected there was traffic. Took me around 30min to cross 5km. Had to get down the cycle, give way to the busses and trucks every single time. I hated these 30min. 😠
• Anchatageri to Hubli Airport: Again a concrete, country road. Peaceful and calm to ride.

There is nothing much to explain about the ride, so I will let the photos do the job from here ... 

Photo: The Gate to Budanagudda hill

Photo: Start of  Budanagudda climb

Oh did I forget to mention? I took two breaks to reach the top of the hill. And during the second break, I was lying on the road, tired and thinking of quitting. I wondered how hard a category 1 climb would be?

Here are some more pics ...

The last few meters

Reached the top

More photos from the top:

Dry lake :(

Another View

180 degree Panorama 

Stairs to the top

myBike at the top of hill

We often neglect the nearby places and go to explore the world. 

We should spend some time exploring the nearby places. I never knew this beautiful belt of hills existed just 15 km from my home.

For many, it might be a small ride, surely not for me. Especially for a person who would be tired after a 5 km ride. I will talk about the benefits of cycling that I experienced in another post.

Happy that I didn't quit, It gave me a boost in confidence. Follow me on Instagram at @vasantvp

About Budanagudda

I would prefer to share a wiki link rather than writing an 'About Section.' Unfortunately, this place is not on the wiki.

There is a belt of hills at 17km from Hubli. One peak among the belt of hills is known as Budanagudda. "Gudda" means Hill in local Kannada language(Budana-Gudda). On the peak is a Basaveshwar Temple, a deity of the Hindu community.

The peak offers the best scenic view in Hubballi - Dharwad. Every Hublian needs to come here to witness sunrise/sunset.

Important Note: The area comes under the forest department. As per the instructions, the main gate opens at 8 am and closes at 5 pm. But there is a small gate which will be open, read travel tips for more info.

Travel Tips

• A piece of advice, if you hate crowd then don't visit on a full moon day.
• If you are planning to enjoy sunrise/sunset here, then do yourself a favor. Take two-wheeler. The hill is a part of forest protected area and hence is open for public from morning 8 am to 5 pm. But there is a small gate through which you can access the hill any time(at your own risk). Though, I wouldn't suggest that you stay here after 6.30 pm. It could be risky. 
• Also, there are stairs.

That's it, folks!

Unexpected conditions Shirley Falls: Travelogue

It was late night when the thought of going to Shirley Falls hit my mind. Shirley falls is at a distance of 13 km from Yellapur, Karnataka. Yeallpur is famous for hills, valley and water falls. Shirley is one of the falls.

I have been to Yellapur many times but never visited Shirley.

The Shirley falls is near to the highway. Being near to the highway I considered it to be easily accessible. See the map below.


 Map: Shirley Falls on the Hubli - Karwar Highway.

8 Things to do in Karwar, India

Karwar is a coastal city, situated on the western coast of Karnataka, covered one side by the sea and the other side by the western ghats. Western Ghats is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biological diversity in the world.^{[1. Wiki]}

Things to do in Karwar:

1. INS Chapal Warship Museum

Image: Anurag R Naik

Travelogue: Sathodi and Jog Falls

Hello everyone, I will be sharing my recent travel experience to Sathodi and Jog Falls.

Brief Information about:

Sathodi Falls

Sathoddi Falls is a waterfall in Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka. The falls is 32km from Yellapur. The falls is formed by unnamed streams and is 15 meters tall.

Top 7 Places to Visit in Mangaluru

Image Source: Nithin Bolar k (Ullal Bridge)

352 km from the Karnataka capital is this port city Mangaluru (Mangalore). The place is surrounded by the sceneric mountains, relegious sites and the arabian sea. One thing I recommend you to try here is cashew based cusines, and fish dishes.

Automotive Museum in India

Inspired by other structures over the world Mr. Tarun Tarkal shaped this Museum in India. From a boat to an airplane all stand high in this amazing museum.

Here you can see the history of  Indian Automotive market. There are old vintage cars, bikes and much more to explore at this amazing Heritage Transport Museum, Delhi. I will say no more check out the below videos and photos of Heritage Automotive Museum and plan your trip.

More at:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintage-cars-classics-india/144171-heritage-transport-museum-gurgaon.html

Gangtok Tourism

Gangtok the capital of Sikkim State, is a Buddhist Pilgrimage and trekking centre. After gaining independence from British in 1947, Sikkim choose to stay as an independent monarchy. Later in 1975 the Sikkim became a part of integral India.


View of MG road and the scenic background. (Image Source: Amit)

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean. - by John Muir

Who says only Human's consume alcohol, even god consumes . . .

India a country where Hindu's consider alcohol consumption equal to a serious crime and the same people offer it to God.

Usually outside the temple you will see vendors selling a basket of flowers, coconut and agarbathis; but here is a temple in Ujjain where alcohol is sold! Yes, you heard me right vendors sell a quarter along with flowers and other items in a basket which are offered to god.


A basket of alcohol, flowers and agarbathi offered to god. (Image Source: Utcursch)

The Pujari offers the alcohol to god, and about one third of the bottle is given back to devotee as Prasad. Alcohol is only prasad given here.

Ujjain located at a distance of 60 km from Indore is a pilgrimage site. Everywhere there are just Temples, Temples and Temples in Ujjain and expect to see a bunch of monkeys over here.

The History of Kaal Bhairav temple in Ujjain 

The current temple was built over the remains of an older temple. The older temple is believed to be built by king Bhadrasen. Now you can see the blend of  Maratha architecture in the structure of temple. The Maratha general Mahadaji Shinde, prayed for his victory and thereby to establish Maratha rule once again in North India. After his success, he carried out restoration of the temple.

The offering of Liquor

Liqour is one of the five other rituals offered to god. All the five tantric rituals are classified under panchamakara.
The Panchamakara's:

• Madya (alcohol)
• Maansa (meat)
• Meena or matsya (fish)
• Mudra (gesture or parched grain) and
• Maithuna (sexual intercourse).

In the olden times all the five Panchamakara's were offered to god Kal Bhairav, but now only Madya (alcohol) is served, other four offerings are in form of symbolic ritual. Good that other rituals are in symbolic form. 

A local vendor selling local wine outside the temple. (Image Source: Utcursch)

Yet, this is not the only temple where strange things are offered to god. There is another temple in Pakistan where only meat is offered. Don't blame Pakistanis; the ritual is being practised from ancient time. Strange but true.

Don't bother disturbing me, I would love hear from you!

Panchgani

Panchgani is a famous hill station in the district of Satara, Maharashtra. Panchgani is also a popular honeymoon destination.  Paragliding and amusement parks are some other major attractions of Panchgani.

Mapro strawberry festival 

Panchgani holds the Mapro strawberry festival every year. The festival is conducted in summers, and is aimed at promoting strawberries, encouraging overall fruit consumption and thereby boosting tourism in Mahableshwar and Panchgani. The Festival runs for 4 days, the event also includes free strawberry farm visits, Mapro Food Park visits, and other cultural and entertainment activities. 

Information:

Mapro is a garden and also a manufacturing unit on Mahabaleshwar-Panchgani road.
Website: http://www.mapro.com/mapro_events.html

Table Land

View from Table Land (Image Source: Vikas Rana)

Table Land is Asia’s second longest mountain Plateau, the area just looks like someone has cut off the land with a blade. Guess what? Many Bollywood movies have been shot here; Taare Zameen par and Agent Vinod are some to mention. The Table land offers breathtaking views of  Rajpuri caves and Devil's kitchen. The place is stormed by horse jockeys you can ride one or just walk; as per your convenience. 

Travel Tip: Make sure you wear a Raincoat during Monsoon season because the Horizontal Rains and strong wind will easily deform your umbrella.

One day trip from Hubli-Dharwad:

Want some change from your daily life then visit Dandeli, it is just 73 km away from Hubli and 53 km from Dharwad. A perfect location for a day out with friends and family.


Rafting at Dandeli (Image Source: sarangib)

Places to visit in Dandeli

Dandeli is the entrance to the dense forest area, the area is house to beautiful landscapes, national parks and adventure camps. Explore the awsome places hidden inside the dense forest at Dandeli.

1. Syntheri Rocks

Posted by Dandeli tourism on Friday, July 8, 2016

This place rocks, It is a 300-ft tall monolith granite. To the side of the rock is a small waterfall, which adds to the beauty of this place. You need to ride on the muddy road for around 2 km from highway to reach this place. Along the steps different stones with their names are displayed, very informative.

Weekend trip - Bangalore to Yellapur | Weekend Getaway

What is more relaxing than a two day trip to the land of forest and water falls? Yellapur is a place in Uttara Kannada district which has beautiful waterfalls within a span of 100 km. You need to walk amidst of jungle to reach some of these falls! Don't panic, the trek is not long.

I guess this is the best weekend getaway from your hectic life at Bangalore.

With no more wasting of time, first let's see the places to visit near Yellapur and then the best travel plans.

Places to visit near Yellapur:

1. Sathodi Falls

Sathodi Falls (Image Source: ShrinivasN)

Hampi - Travel Guide

Travelling to Hampi? With our efforts we have researched and compiled all the information you need to know about traveling to Hampi.

Hampi Virupaksha Temple (Image Source: Apadegal)

Hampi is recognized as UNESCO world heritage site. There are many ancient temples, and monuments. The ancient buildings represent the royalty of ancient India. It was such a royal state that the gold was sold on the roads(Bazar Street) and was measured in kilos.

Manali

Manali is a small hill town in the state of Himachal Pradesh. People come here for trekking, mountain biking, paragliding, rafting and in short to explore the nature.


Manali (Image Source: Anoop Pandit)

The place is surrounded by high peaks, and is an amazing place. The place is also a famous honey moon destination. In this article I will give you a insight on the best time to visit this place, Leh-Manali Expressway, trekking and to How to reach Manali by airport or by bus.

Mysore - The capital city of Wodeyar dynasty

Mysore is a quiet, and clean place. The Palace and the celbrations of Dasara festival makes it a popular travel destination. Also, Mysore is the cleanest town in India. Read on and explore the streets of Mysore.

The beautiful Mysore Palace (Image Source: Marc Dalmulder)

Mysore is the place which showcases the brilliant examples of engineering and architecture of the olden times. Let's see the places that are worth visiting during your stay in Mysore.

Top Beaches to visit in Goa

Goa is a state in south India and is popularly known as the fun capital of India. It is the best travel destination in India, youths from all over India come here to have fun.

GOA BEACH (Image Source: Ian Cochrane)

What comes to your mind when you think about Goa? Definitely, Chilling out at the beach would be your first thought probably with a beer in hand. We will start with the most populous beaches and then move on to the lonely beaches.

Mawlynnong - The cleanest village in Asia

Do you know which is the cleanest village of Asia? Can you imagine Indian village holding this title? One of the Indian village known as Mawlynnong holds this glorious title. This magical paradise is at a distance of 100 km from Shillong, Meghalaya, India.

    Image Courtesy: Ashwin Kumar

Image: A street in the Mawlynnong village.

Top 6 Places to visit in Hubli-Dharwad:

 Hubli officially known as Hubballi is the second largest city in Karnataka. The city is popularly known as Chota Mumbai. Hubli is the commercial center and business hub of North Karnataka. Hubli is always known as Commercial Centre and Dharwad as an educational hub. More importantly, it is my hometown.

How to reach Hubli: 

• Train: Approx. 8 hours’ journey from Bangalore via express trains

• AirPort: Hubli is well connected via air. There are daily flights running from Bangalore and Mumbai. One-hour journey by air from Bangalore.

    1. The Taj Gateway

The GATEWAY Hotel Lakeside Hubli ...one of the best star hotel in north KARNATAKA
Posted by Hubballi-dharwad city lights on Friday, November 7, 2014

The Lakeview Taj hotel is one of the best restaurants in the city. Spread over 9 acres of land beside main road of Hubli- Dharwad and unkal lake.

The bright rooms feature free Wi-Fi, satellite TVs and minibars, plus safes. DVD players are available on request. Upgrades add lake views; some include living rooms Jacuzzis and balconies.

There's a restaurant, a cafe and a bar. Other amenities include a fitness center and an outdoor pool, plus a tennis court. A lawn and a spa are available.

Welcome Post!

Hello Everyone!

Welcome to my new blog, the blog is all about exotic, nature, and historical travel destinations across India. Hope that you will have a great time on this blog.

Want to know something more about any place? Then just leave a comment, I will create a post, publish and will also notify you! I can even help you to plan your trips!

Stay updated by subscribing via E-mail and by liking our Facebook page.

Many Thanks,
Vasant

Photo Gallery: