Because Its There...

The Pennar Gorge, Gandikota Fort, Andhra Pradesh

Roughly 300 Kms from Bangalore, I had never heard or read about this place in the 18 months that I have been here. So many people around with the traveler/rider tag, yet nobody never said a thing. Wonder how! I saw a similar picture <as above> while web-scraping for a weekend getaway, and a weekend later I was there. I could successfully imprint this 'calling' into convincing fellow mates to accompany me there. And I bet they are not complaining. 

Gandikota
Smaller than the size of average IT Park you work in, this place is all but a fort. Spread and perched on one side of the gorge cut by the Pennar river. A scant local population living in the fort premises and a tourist resort (APTDC operated and reasonably decent) inhabit the surroundings. With sparse vegetation, mostly shrubs, adding a tinge of green to the uneven terrain, the place is a sun baked heap of stones and boulders.

The Pennar Gorge
It was a sight I failed to capture well enough with the camera, and I might fail with words as well. The towering reddish-brown 90 degree drop on one side and the fort wall atop the stony-boulder'ed slope on the other, make up this bow shaped gorge. The deep green waters below meandering through this crevice. Watch the morning sun light up this gorge, or a setting sun match its color, or the moon reflected in the water below - and save yourself a journey half-way around the world (read Grand Canyon) for this sight. Exaggeration much? Yes.  So?

Shanky Spotting an Albatross

Pennar taking a U Turn

Bungi and Kingu Meditating irrespective of perspective

Me getting photographed while taking a photograph

Le Sangam Photography

Selfie-ing cause nobody was taking my picture

The Fort
'Gandi' means 'gorge' in telugu. The walls mark the territory. The structure in itself is as formidable as fort should be. Weathered with time, yet majestic in its historic significance.

Bungi thinking about unlimited buffet (because he trekked a tad too much)

Reservoirs
The two ends of Pennar have a reservoir each. The Gandikota reservoir at one end and the 'Tatireddy Narsimha Reddy Reservoir' on the other. The driveway through the dam across the latter is another fine experience to be absorbed.

Bungi not sharing the lollipop with anyone

Windmills
The western horizons adorn a number of windmills. And if you keep following any one of the numerous 'windmill service roads' there, you can reach right upto the foot of one of them (and maybe get inside one of the huge unused wings lying around (subject to absence of authority around).

Bungi measuring the wing span of the windmill blade

Belum Caves
Another (apparently better known) ataraction around are the Belum Caves. Around 60 kms off, one of the longest of its kind, it is a string of underground caves. As long as you can handle your claustrophobia, you can keep going inward and come across several 'halls' with remains of stalactites and stalagmites and an underwater aquifer (pataal-ganga).
It gets hot in there, and bending and crawling through the stony-edgy roofs and pathways, it gets strenuous.
Coupled with a white Budhha statue outside, it lives upto the hype it boasts of.

Owk
Another mention-worthy spot is this deserted village (perhaps due to the dam-reservoir development across it). All broken and stony and a touch creepy - yet peaceful in its own respite. And if nothing, you could just play skipping stones on the edge of the reservoir for a while...
..and then get back to being the busy, the tired, the pursuer and the pursued.

Bungi trying to swing it like Wasim Akram

But losing control like Praveen Kumar

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Kingu looking for a place to make a reservoir

Me taking one more selfie when no one was watching

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Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.

Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.

No characterisation intended

Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline

Everything is relative to your perspective

Pokhara in Pictures

Pokhara is the second biggest city of Nepal (after Kathmandu). Sprawled around the fabled Phewa (Fewa) Lake, mirroring three of the worlds top 10 highest mountain peaks - Annapurna, Mansalu and Dhaulagiri, the place is a retreat like few others. 

The pin point peak of Macchepuchere (Fish-tail), few dark-long caves (including a bat-cave - literally having thousands of bats hanging upside down from the roof) and a world peace stupa perched atop a hill (providing the panoramic view of the white mountains) are the prominent treats to the eye here. The place also serves as the base for several sought after trek-routes and adventure sports like white water rafting and paragliding.

Machherepuche (Fishtail - from another angle you can the twin peaks shaped like a fish tail - or like the Sauron's eye)

Seti Gandak - The river along with another dozen rivulets and lakes split the valley by deep gorges created by them

Ukulele by the brook - family song

Entrance to Mahendra cave

Entrance to the Bats-cave (not to be confused with batcave - secret hideout of the Batman)

Devis Falls - Underground water fall

Fewa Lake during sunset

White mountains turing golden in setting sun

Owl Cap - because monkey caps are too mainstream

View from the World Peace Pagoda

World Peace Pagoda

Lakeside road by night

And more mountains...

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Your Side of the River

The Tungabhadra splits Hampi into two; in more ways than two - culturally, historically, geographically and more importantly in terms of what you are looking for.

On one side lies what you (probably) already know of - the great and splendid spread of boulders and ruins. While the other side sleepily hums along that Bob Marley rhythm and the rustle and hustle of the shacks alongside the flowing river.

TungaBhadra at Hampi

Its almost a 380 km ride from Bangalore to Hampi. The round trip on a bike will turn your ass to stone. It could even blow up an (un-serviced) engine. But it can be worth the effort. I saw my two day trip turn into three. I believe you could even stay there for a month (and still end up paying less than what your average 2BHK costs a month). Yes, there will be mosquitoes, and a couple leeches might creep up your sock, or a crocodile might snap you up as you dive in for a swim (no warning board there would make you wary of the chances of drowning, but crocodiles - check). Apart from all this and a little bit of midday heat, the rest would keep your heart, mind and soul at rest.

Sanapur Lake

The only catch is getting to the other side (with a bike). Ferries ply carrying people and also bikes. Getting the bike on the boat is a whole new level of effort itself. The alternative being a 40 km maneuver that can cost upto 2 hours.

Anagundi Ferry Port

Once in Hampi, you will find boulders all around. Even the hills and hillocks are nothing but boulders stacked up. Some so precariously arranged that mere wind would seem capable of toppling them over.
The men of past carved this city out of these boulders and they did so so very magnificently. The wonder that it is, is literally set in stone, forever.



After a heartful of stone sojourn, the other side of the river becomes ever so more welcoming to a trek-tired self. With the place brimming and buzzing with people of all skin tones, restaurant settings allowing 180 degrees of feet spread and the dim cacophony of different languages, strings of guitar, people reading and give or take a bakchod waiter - you could settle in your own virtual cocoon.

Two other sites to behold enroute Hampi are the wind-farms as you cross Chitradurga and the endless reservoir (Tungabhadra Dam) just before entering Hospet. Looking at that expanse of water, stretching right upto the horizon, it might as well appear that you have reached the coast, for you will see no land.

TungaBhadra Dam & Reservoir

Then there's Sanapur lake just a little off the boulder'ed hills and valleys. And a path slithers along and then follows a canal emerging from it. All together setting it up for a cool walk, ride, loiter, jump or anything else that you might prefer.

More or less, in Hampi, you will find a side of the river that would hold you, and at the same time, flow on.

Because Crocodile

Sanapur Lake

Sanapur Canal

Laughing Buddha

Shack

Rolling in the net

Illad Stoning

Illad Stoning 2

Illad Stoning 3

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Rights to exaggeration and bragging reserved.

Its not how it happened; its how you remember it.

No characterisation intended

Data and information may have been skewed to suit the storyline

Everything is relative to your perspective