Vicky's Blog: February 2019

Destination: “Barji Betta (Karnataka)”. There is no much information about this place. It’s a small hillock near Chikkanahalli near Nelamangala and a small temple “Ramalingeshwara Temple” situated on the top.

Rider Details:

Vikram (Myself) – Hero Impulse

Bharath (AKA Malnad Rider) – Yamaha FZ

Santosh Athreya – Yamaha FZ

Travel Distance: Approximately 35 KMS from Bangalore

After “Ride To Mydala Kere”, it was time for collecting some memories and adding it to the bucket. And yet again, the place was not decided. While I was hunting the places for ride, I happened to check with Bharath (AKA “Malnad Rider” on Instagram) if he would like to join. Our natives (Sirsi & Yellapur) are in same district and yet we had never met personally. We had been planning to meet since long time, so I thought what else could be a better reason than a ride? Bharath was working on Saturday so we postponed the ride for Sunday as one more friend (Santhosh Athreya) wanted to join.

Bharath decided the location for this ride and shared the google earth image. It was again a small hillock and a lake nearby. So, we fixed to this place called Barji Betta (Hill) which is approximately 35 kms from Bangalore. On the Bangalore Pune Highway, you will see an Arch towards your right after Nelamangala where you need to take a detour to reach this place. It had rained at few places in Bangalore on Saturday followed by a pleasant weather on Sunday early morning.

Our plan was to reach that place as early as possible (pinning the speed between 60-70 kms/hr) so that we can witness the sunrise from the hillock. Hence, we decided to meet up at Goraguntepalya at 5:30 AM. As per the plan, we were all punctual to reach the meet up point. Greeting each other and a small chit chat, we started our ride. We were expecting less traffic at that hour on an early Sunday morning. But we were surprised to see so many vehicles rushing out of Bangalore and experiencing the traffic jam at few places. Swirling between the vehicles, we managed to find the way out for our bikes and zoomed through the traffic. While we crossed Nelamangala Tool Gate, it was time for our first pit stop for chai. It was still dark and cloudy because of the rain on Saturday. So, we decided to spend some time at the chai stall as the destination was not too far from there and moreover, we did not want to scare the villager’s early morning.

After a while, we continued our ride and within few minutes we reached the spot from where we had to take a detour. Bharath was our navigator as he was following Googelathi (Google Map). Santhosh and I were tailing him to the destination. As always, the riding experience is to the next level once you go off the highway. It feels like you have entered a different world which is scenic, peaceful and filled with fresh air. After inhaling all those CO2 on the highway, the village roads feel like a boost of fresh oxygen that gets pumped into the lungs. Enjoying the cold breeze hitting our face and the early morning village scenes made our ride pleasant and those narrow curvy roads were like an icing on the cake.

Well, the fun part during this ride was that the tarmac road was for a short distance. Soon we switched to gravel road and headed towards our destination. From far away, we could see the hillock we were about to ride to. The gravel roads lead us to the top of the hill. We reached the top and we were in for a surprise. We could see a small old temple with lots of bells hanging from a huge tree, small cottages everywhere and 2 horses grazing their breakfast. We rode further to reach the top of the hill where the actual temple is located. We could again see a stage, broad pillars and flags everywhere. It was like we have reached some mythological era. Then we could see someone walking towards us. Curious to know what was happening there, we asked that person and he replied that it was a shooting set up of upcoming Kannada movie. Nobody was seen there as it was early morning and it was a Sunday.

We rode to the other side of the temple where we parked our bikes. It was time to sit and patiently wait for the moment (Sunrise) why we rode to that location. But, looks like the Sun was lazy too to come out of the clouds and spread his shine on us. The hide and seek went on for hours together. But, the Sun never showed up. However, the cold breeze, fog, silence, chirping birds and the view made us to sit and wait there to get that one glimpse. We waited for more than an hour and finally we got to know the intention of Mr. Sun. After waiting for so long, we decided to head towards the lake. I don’t know the name of the lake, but it is seen from the top and also there is a gravel road which leads till the bank of the lake.

We rode towards the lake and were happy to see that it was being developed. Although we couldn’t see any work going on there, but we assumed it looking at the stacked wooden logs lying on the bank and a pedal boat in the lake. We parked our bikes and were enjoying the peace and calmness around it. It slowly started getting humid and that is when we noticed that Mr. Sun was slowly showing up in the sky. Few pictures clicked around the lake and spending some time enjoying the serenity of the place, it was time to ride back to Bangalore. We left the place and rode till we connected the National Highway and stopped for a chai before we ride straight to our homes.

This may sound redundant, but the fact always remains the same. The ride while returning is never peaceful one. The excitement is almost nil. Only thing that keeps running in the mind is how well the day started, how excited we were, how beautiful the location was, how many moments we captured, and the list goes on. By the time I was rewinding these moments and the list could end, we had reached Gorguntepalya signal. Took right from the signal towards Outer Ring Road and just before Kanteerava Studio Flyover, stopped by to say adios to Bharath and Santhosh until we ride once again. One good thing about going on these rides is that you get to meet new people and make new friends. That’s what life is all about isn't it? Make friends, make memories, cherish those wonderful moments spent together. Few years later, when you turn around and look back at life, these are the only good memories that will bring a smile on your face 😊

Enjoy the pictures below while I signoff until the next blog 😊

PS: Pictures are not very clear as it was all captured by phone and the gloomy weather had its share for blur images

The path we took to reach the hillock

Temple located on top of the hill

Waiting for Mr. Sun

Path leading towards the lake

Destination: “Mandaragiri Betta (Karnataka)” popularly known as Basadi Betta among the locals is one of the important pilgrim centers for Jainism in Karnataka. Pinchi shaped 81 ft high Gurumandir is first of its kind in Jain History declared as a Unique world record. The Guru Mandir is dedicated to the Digambar Jain ascetic Acharya 108 Sri Shanthinsagarji Maharaj. Shri Mukha Mantapa at the base has installed tall statue of Chandranatha Thirthankara inaugurated in 2011. The Mandaragiri hill is a small hillock with well carved 435 steps which houses 4 ancient temples of which 2 are from 12th century and other two from 14th century.

Rider Details:

Vikram (Myself) – Hero Impulse

Arjun – Yamaha FZ

Travel Distance: Approximately 65 KMS from Bangalore

After getting “Hiffyfied @ Hampi”, it was time to add some memories to the bucket. It had been a while that I had not been on any rides on my motorbike. Not that I did not want to go because I am always up for a motorbike ride. Had few issues to be fixed with my Hero Impulse which was getting delayed due to different circumstances. After a long wait, finally it was time to unleash the rider within. I badly wanted to go on a motorbike ride and relive the past experiences. I was desperately waiting for the weekend so that I can execute the plan than keeping it pending. All this while, when I wake up on Mondays, the only thought which would haunt me is what did I do over the weekend as it had been normal lazy weekends for quite some time. Hence, this time I had made up my mind that I am not gonna spend the weekend lazing around at home and rather do something exciting.

With that thought, I called up my friend Arjun and asked him if he is up for a ride. Without a second thought he replied, “Yes”. That was a positive sign. The plan was to ride on Saturday provided I get my bike fixed by then. However, I got to know that I will get the bike only by Saturday late night, so I had to post pone it to Sunday. While it was confirmed that I would be riding this weekend, the destination was not finalized yet. I didn’t want to go on a very long ride as the bike was just out of garage and I wanted to check how is it performing. So, I was looking for some nearby locations which is ideal for sunrise or sunset.

While I was exploring the internet to search locations nearby, I was even asking few other rider friends for the location. And as usual, the rider friends turned out more informative than the internet and after few suggestions I received, I decided to visit Mydala Kere (Lake) & Mandaragiri Betta (Hill). Although these are two names, these are same location. From the foothill of Mandaragiri Hill, there is a gravel road towards the right which leads to the lake. So, now that the location was finalized, it was time to execute the ride. I couldn’t have a sound sleep Saturday night as the excitement of the ride kept waking me up every hour. Always happens to me when I have to travel somewhere early morning. It’s a kind of phobia or fear of not waking up on time the next day and missing out on the plan 😉.

I woke up at 4:15 and after a shower got ready for the ride and left home at 5:25 AM. Met Arjun at Shell Petrol Pump near Orion Mall as it was the nearest meet up point for both of us. Started the ride at 5:40 AM from Shell Petrol Pump. Decided to pin the speed around 60 to 75 kms/ hr. I personally do not like to speed up and just twist the throttle to reach the destination early. It is more of a race than a ride as you will only be focusing on the road ahead of you so that you don’t crash into anything. What is the fun if you do not enjoy the views, cold breeze and every other moment of the ride? With that being said, we had our first pit stop at Nelamangala. While it was foggy and cold, a sip of hot chai was just perfect for that moment.

After sipping the tea, we continued our ride and reached Dabaspet where we took a detour from the Highway and joined a service road as we had to go on the other side of the town. This is the same road which goes to Goravanahalli Mahalakshmi Temple and Devarayana Durga (DD Hills). The road from here was amazing. Once off the highway, there was freshness in the air and the view started getting better and better. That is when we had the first sight of sunrise.

Sun Kissed

We continued our ride towards Koratagere village. The early morning village scenes were epic. The farmers were just starting their day and heading towards their farm on their bullock cart, the roosters waking up the ones who were still hugging their beds, the cows grazing on their breakfast, dogs and cats going out on a morning walk/ jog, the simplicity of their lifestyle, the foggy morning with very well maintained small curved roads cutting through the villages and farms was pure bliss. Enjoying every moment of the ride, we soon reached the foothill of Mandaragiri Betta (Hill). You can park the bike at the foothill and climb the steps to reach the Temple which is on top of the hill. Or, take a gravel road followed by some extreme off-road trail which will take you and your bike to the mountain top.

Foothill Of Mandaragiri Betta (Hill)

We did not want to leave the bikes at the foothill, so we did what we wanted to do. We took a right turn from the foothill on a gravel road which heads to the Mydala Kere (Lake). After riding through the gravel road for some distance, you need to ride off road to reach the lake. Well, I must say that it was a piece of cake for my bike. To be honest, my bike was happier than me as it was the first time it was doing what it is meant to do (OFFROADING) 😉. The lake was peaceful and serene. The cool breeze from the lake, the soothing sound of the tiny waves meeting the shore and greeting each other, the ducklings taking a dip and learning the art of swimming in the lake with their parents, the birds chirping around which felt like they were having their breakfast discussion and planning their itinerary of spending Sunday with their friends and family made us feel like forgetting everything and feeling one among them.

Mydala Kere (Lake)

While we were enjoying the peace and serenity of the lake, it felt like my bike was saying “Let’s Go, Let’s Go”. It was all excited to try the extreme off-road trail which heads to the mountain top. Saying Adios to the lake, we headed to the most fun part of the ride (Extreme Off- Roading). As the FZ struggled a bit to hold on to the gravel road, the Impulse was nailing it like a pro and within no time made it to the top of the mountain. Once we reach the mountain, there are four temples, two of which are from 12th century dedicated to Bhagwan Chandranatha and other from 14th century dedicated to Parshwanatha and Suparshwanatha. Many saints visited this place for meditation. Although we did not get a chance to go inside the temple as the priest is not available throughout the day there. He only comes at certain time to offer prayers to the deity. I had read that we can actually collect the key from a small house which is located in the foothill. But, we did not want to do so much of research and waste time in finding the key to the temple.

Jain Temple On Top Of The Mountain

The 360-degree view is breathtaking from top of the mountain. The view of Coconut plantation, Mydala Kere (Lake), Pichi shaped Gurumandir and other mountains with boulders perched on top of each other. At a far distance I could see a train passing by, which appears to be the mountain that is well known as Makali Durga Trek point. The panoramic view from the top of the mountain makes you feel like you are watching a beautiful painting of mother nature. We rode our bikes till the edge of the mountain and took some pictures for memory. Sat there for some time and enjoyed the amazing view, calmness and serenity of such a wonderful place. Although the sun had started getting little furious, we did not feel it scorching as we were on the top of the mountain and it was a blend of cold breeze and sunlight. It was time for us to leave so started descending the treacherous off road and reached at the foothill. One last look at the Mandaragiri Betta (Hill) from the foothill, we bid farewell to it and started riding back to Bangalore.

Now that we realized that our tummies were growling, breakfast was our top priority. Just after we cross the village road and connect to the State Highway, we saw a small shop serving Idli and Lemon Rice. From my past experience, the taste of food at such small places will be to the next level. And we were not disappointed this time either. We were served with steaming hot idlis and chutney which was yummilicious. We also tasted the Lemon Rice which was delicious. We hogged like we had not seen food and were starving from past few days. The rates are very reasonable, and we felt it is very less for the quantity and the quality of the food that we had. You won’t believe that our total bill was Rs. 95.00 only. Moreover, the hospitality of the mid aged husband and wife who run that small hotel was something that was priceless. Had we been to other highway side Dhaba, Darshini or Hotels, they would have charged us a bomb with half of what we had at this place. Keeping money aside, it is again the hospitality that we received at this small shop. I would strongly recommend tasting the food here if someone is visiting Mandaragiri Betta (Hill) or Devarayana Durga (DD Hills). This place is exactly next to the left turn that you take from State Highway to Mandaragiri Betta (Hill).

Hotel Where We Filled Our Tummies

With happy tummies, we were all set to leave from there and just out of curiosity, I asked the hotel guy as to how far was DD Hills from that location. He said it is around 3 Kms. For a moment we thought, we are so close so why don’t we ride till DD Hills. But, as it was getting hot, we thought of riding to DD Hills some other time so that we can enjoy the early morning there. Well, after a small chit chat, we started our ride back to Bangalore. As I always say, the ride or drive while you are returning from such wonderful location is never peaceful. We always leave such places with a heavy heart and a frown face. We were riding with a hope to visit that place once again and recollecting all the memories that we made on a wonderful Sunday morning. As we were nearing the National Highway, we were getting more closer to the concrete forests as we once again started feeling the dust, traffic, unnecessary honks and pollution. We did not feel like taking a pit stop as it was getting hot and traffic had started increasing. After the breakfast point at the small hotel, we rode in one stretch nonstop till a bakery near my home. Stopped for refreshment and recollected the memories we had from this ride and we departed. Although, it was a short ride, it was a memorable one.

Enjoy the pictures below while I signoff until the next blog 😊