A vacation drive: 30/12/08 - 02/01/09 It started with me rueing about my year-end/new year holidays wasting away. I didnt want to go to Coorg since that had become too familiar; Goa/Pondy was a possibility but overnight I decided on another option - the archaelogically endowed/heritage places of Hampi/Badami - since I'd last visited these places some 2 decades ago with family. This was on 29th Dec 08. Next day, a call to the Malligi hotel in Hospet and I was surprised that they had vacancies on a 1-day notice. Only now, were my plans concretized. Ran around in circles that evening to tie up all loose ends, and unforunately had to drop going to Jayesh's store at the last minute to buy a decent camera due to paucity of time. Day 1, Dec 30, 2008: NH4: Bangalore-Chitradurga
Departed at 1130 am from Bangalore and encountered the silly Tumkur Road conditions upto Nelamangala. I never thought a toll booth would be such a welcome sight as I pulled into the 1st one. Nice, really nice NH4 opens up from here. I had decided before-hand that I would not push any speeds on this drive, since I was in it to enjoy the scenery and locales, and more importantly, not being required to rush into meeting deadlines was the self-enforced culture change on this drive.
Chitradurga(fort):
The NH4 upto Chitradurga is motoring bliss, and scientifically designed. The recognition of nearing Chitradurga is the sight of windmills. All hills around Chitradurga are stitched with windmills - nice sight.
The Chitradurga fort, is a 7-walled fort, and is famous for the heroics of "Onake" Obavva and her single-handed culling of Hyder Ali's soldiers. The crack through which Hyder Ali's soldiers first spotted her slipping into the fort, and then coming through it themselves is called Obavvana Kindi. Some pics of this and the fort below:
Around Chitradurga
Fort:
Mint:
Obavvana Kindi NH13: Chitradurga-Hospet
After a late lunch at 5 pm, turned right on NH4 at Chitradurga onto NH13 - the Sholapur road. This road has heavy truck traffic and is a single carriageway. Coming from NH4 to NH13 is liking coming from a developed to a developing country. Its a rough road, with corroded road surface. No potholes fortunately. Finally motored into Hospet by 730 pm.
This main road of Hospet had a road hump or two at every few hundred meters. Very ingenious method of avoiding the cost of putting up traffic signals. Right. Day 2, Dec 31, 2008: Hospet-Hampi:
Its been talked about, visited, photographed, and then some. So, I thought I'd do the same.
Hampi is a world-heritage site. Spread across some 20-25 kms, it was the capital of the Vijayanagara kingdom. Truly magnificent in its maturity and grandeur. Tungabhadra Dam:
Came back by late afternoon to the hotel and had lunch and a nice nap. Evening saw me go to TB dam and watch its nice sunset view.
contd.
Last edited by theMAG : 6th January 2009 at 01:07.
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