17th September 2010, 16:23
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| BHPian  Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| Recce into Maharashtra in Swift D!!! Route : Bangalore Kolhapur Ganapatipule Ratnagiri Mahabaleshwar Panchgani Nashik Shirdi Ellora Aurangabad Ahmednagar Kolhapur Bangalore Places we visited: New Palace Shree Chhatrapati Shahu Museum Mahalaxmi Temple Bhavani Mandap Rankala Lake Panhala Fort Jyotiba Temple Aare and Ware Beach Ganapati Temple at Ganapatipule Ganapatipule Beach Thiba Palace Thiba View Point Ratnadurga Fort Bhagwati Temple Bhatye Beach Nivali Waterfall Pratapgadh Fort Kate's Point/Echo Point/Needle Hole Point Venna Lake Parsi Point Sydney Point Mapro Garden Trimbakeshwar Shiva Temple Samadhi Mandir, Gurusthan, Dwarkamai, Chawadi, Abdul Baba's Cottage at Shirdi Ellora Caves Bibi Ka Maqbara Shri Shani Shingnapur Ahmednagar Cavalry Tank Museum Gokak Waterfalls The plan to visit Maharashtra was made sometime in May 2010 when my wife expressed her desire to visit Shirdi. I initially thought of just visiting Shirdi, travelling by train along with few other places. But as days progressed, I thought why not try and explore Maharashtra as this was one state which I have never ventured into all my life. Just a brief drive through Sawanthwadi while returning back from Goa about couple of years back. The long distance from Bangalore always held me back from travelling this far and most of my road trips always limited to the southern states of India. I always knew I could manage driving long distances but wifey could never be convinced. I quickly made a plan which covered most of what Maharashtra had to offer: Temples, Forts, Beaches, Caves, Hills, Museums, Palaces and Tombs. I made a rough plan of the places I wanted to visit enroute Shirdi and back. My wifes birthday was also fast approaching and decided to celebrate her birthday at Mahabaleshwar, a very beautiful hill station. Wifey got convinced to the plan and I opened a new thread on TBHP with my initial plan at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...ml#post2021232 and lots of helpful comments poured in. I had planned my return through NH13 which was changed later after suggestions from HVK sir. MX6 and AP sir helped me with their suggestions and the plan was finally made. So Recce into Maharashtra for us non-military people means to explore and find facts about an area of interest. And through this travelogue I am going to try and achieve this. First week of September was decided as the time we travel when its green all around in Maharashtra. So in my trusted 3yr old Swift D again, me and wifey attempt to explore part of Maharashtra!! Preparation: My Swift D having completed about 35,000kms and also its 3rd birthday end of August. The brake pads were scheduled to be changed at 35,000kms as suggested by my service advisor. The front tyres were left with little tread. Just the previous week before the road trip had been to Madhus to get the wheels aligned and balanced. Got the rear tyres swapped to the front as they were in much better shape. I had somehow missed wheel rotation for a very long time. I decided to get the brake pads replaced after the trip as I did not find issues with the brake and also the tyres changed once I am back from my road trip. IOC regular diesel filled to the brim the previous evening after a complete body wash. The Swift D is all set to be driven flat out. I also picked up a Marumi 46mm UV filter for my Panasonic FZ35 off eBay as I wanted some kind of protection for the lens from dust and water and also picked up a decent tripod for the camera. Regarding the trip plan, I had a printout of the city/town I intend to visit and places to see at that city/town. Route of each day with distance and also some additional info like bypassing Pune City. Also a list of budget hotels with their phone numbers gathered from the internet. I had already called up some hotels and had rooms booked. I also bought a big foldable road map of Maharashtra. The previous evening returned home early in the evening to get all the bags packed and hit the bed early so that we can wake up by 3:00AM for our 4:00AM departure from Bangalore. Day 1 (03rd September, 2010): Bangalore Tumkur Sira Hiriyur Chitradurga Davangere Harihar Ranebennur Haveri Hubli Dharwad Belgaum Kolhapur Trip Meter 0 kms to 667kms Its still dark outside and I am woken up by my alarm clock playing Yellow by Coldplay at 3:00AM. I jump eagerly out of the bed unlike other mornings. I will finally be starting my road trip today after months of planning. I love the feeling of driving very long distances, especially the beginning part. With last minute packing and a quick bath, I have the entire luggage loaded into the car. After some toasted bread with Apple jelly and nice hot cup of coffee we leave our house at Jayanagar at 4:30AM.  Inviting empty road early in the morning.  Swift D waiting to be driven out of Bangalore. With almost empty streets wet from the nights rain I make my way towards Kanakapura Road to join the NICE road. I pay toll and make our way towards Tumkur Road. By 5:00PM I join Tumkur Road and make my way through the truck traffic. But the drive this time till Nelamangala was much faster due to the newly constructed expressway which is almost done. We decide to stop for breakfast at Davangere around 8:30AM which is about 270kms from Bangalore. I always enjoyed eating Davangere Benne Dosa at Bangalore and the plan of having Benne (Butter) Dosa at Davangere was a brilliant plan in the making. Once after Nelamangala Toll Booth, I get into the Highway drive mode. Cruising at 100-110kmph the Swift D munches miles in style. Bangalore to Tumkur is done in little time but the Tumkur Bypass is still a pain. Even at 6:00AM, truck traffic on this 2 lane potholed bypass is pain to overtake. After the Tumkur bypass NH4 is butter smooth all the way about 20kms before Davangere. Just after Tumkur I am taking a curve at about 90kmph when I see a big private bus making a U turn even though he knew there is an oncoming car. Just braked in time and I am more alert looking out for similar stunts which is usually more common early mornings on highways. Wifey goes to sleep as she could manage only about 4-5hrs of sleep the previous night. Day breaks when I am driving somewhere after Tumkur. Long straights with almost nil traffic, I take the Swift D up to 160kmph on 4-5 occasions for a short period and get back on cruising speed at 100kmph. I wake up my wife after an hour to look at the windmills in Chitradurga.  Windmills in the distance at Chitradurga.  Super smooth NH4 before Davangere. By 8:00AM, I am on the outskirts of Davangere when I call my friend to enquire about where to have the best Benne Dosa at Davangere. I am promptly directed to Shree Guru Kottureshwara Benne Dosa Hotel in front of Bapuji Dental College entrance at Davangere. We navigate through Davangere town to Shree Guru Kottureshwara Benne Dosa Hotel after asking our way around. I see the place crowded at around 8:00AM. We wait for our turn and I can personally vouch that it was the best Benne Dosa I have ever had in my life. The lip smacking Benne Dosa is made by roasting the Dosa with generous quantity of white butter on a tawa heated with fire wood. After this wonderful breakfast, we drive out of Davangere and rejoin NH4 by 9:00AM.  The heavenly Benne (Butter) Dosa at Davangere.  Shree Guru Kottureshwara Benne Dosa Hotel in front of Bapuji Dental College entrance at Davangere. The NH4 about 35kms before and 35kms after Davangere is full of deviations and 2 lanes at most of the places. Only closer to Haveri does the NH4 become butter smooth again and I am able to cruise at 100kmph for longer times. Little after 11:00AM, we enter the beautiful 2 lane stretch of NH4 between Hubli and Dharwad. Right from Hubli and Dharwad you can make out Marathi influence on this side of the state. The accent, dressing habits of the people makes you think you are much closer to Maharashtra. But Maharashtra border is at least another 180kms away.  View on the way - NH4  A railway crossing somewhere near Haveri.  Kolhapur ab door nahi!! The beautiful stretch after Dharwad to Belgaum is done in less than an hour and after Belgaum the NH twists and turns offering breathtaking views at every turn. We stop at some places to take photographs of the beautiful landscape which is covered with different shades of green during this time of the year.  The beautiful 2 lane stretch between Hubli and Dharwad.  The super smooth road ahead - NH4  A small lake next to NH4 after Dharwad.  A small break on this long journey!!  Swift D - NH4  A milestone on the way.  We are pretty far away from Bangalore now.  Stretch after Belgaum.  Lovely greenery all around.  Curve waiting to be taken flat out!!  Nearing Kolhapur.  Welcome to Maharashtra!!! By 1:00PM we drive into Maharashtra on the bridge over River DudhGanga which demarcates MH-KA border. Continued.... |
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17th September 2010, 16:59
| #2 |
| Distinguished - BHPian   Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Belur/Bangalore
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|  Neat captures there. Till now for me, probably the only favorite stretch to drive for any silly reason happens to be the Bangalore-Pune (NH4) stretch. Almost felt like doing the trip seeing a few stretches between Belgaum and Kolhapur. Am sure you would've enjoyed the Dharwad Exit till Kagal Checkpost like no other section on this highway. Waiting for pics from the rest of your trip. |
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17th September 2010, 17:04
| #3 |
| BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore
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| Superb man.  The greenery around is so nice to see. I am glued to this thread.. |
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17th September 2010, 17:25
| #4 | ||
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
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17th September 2010, 17:29
| #5 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: MH42
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17th September 2010, 17:31
| #6 | |
| Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Belur/Bangalore
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| Quote:
Keep them coming! Last edited by paragsachania : 17th September 2010 at 17:32. | |
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17th September 2010, 17:40
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| Senior - BHPian  | |
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17th September 2010, 17:53
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17th September 2010, 18:19
| #9 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
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17th September 2010, 18:25
| #10 |
| Senior - BHPian  | Now this is called comprehensive!!! Loved the way you have spelled out the details DD. The pictures of the NH4 look inviting. Waiting for more  btw, I changed the disc brake pads on my swift at 35k kms (IIRC). They are pretty expensive at 3.5k a set. Did you get them changed after you came back? |
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17th September 2010, 18:31
| #11 |
| BHPian  Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Bangalore
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17th September 2010, 21:11
| #12 | |||
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
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There has been some work going on on the Chitradurga - Haveri part of GQ. But if feel its still gonna take some time before this stretch is completely done. You bet!! those Dosa's were simply out of the world. What you get in Bangalore is usually roated on the tawa using cooking gas. But authentic ones like the one I had in Davangere is roasted using firewood and leaves a hint of smoky taste on the dosa which complements it perfectly. Quote:
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17th September 2010, 21:19
| #13 | |||
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
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Most of the photos were taken by my wife.. more and better photos coming up soon!!! Quote:
Also there is a seperate thread on TBHP where the brake boosters for older Swift D is being upgraded by Maruti under warranty.. Will have to look into that as well. Quote:
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17th September 2010, 22:42
| #14 |
| BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| Recce into Maharashtra in Swift D!!! Day 1 continued.... Enter Kolhapur town in the next 20mins and make our way towards Hotel Opal on the Old Pune-Bangalore Road where we have our accommodation booked. This is a budget hotel with tariff ranging from Rs.700 to Rs.1600. It’s nice clean hotel, with huge parking place and a very good restaurant. We checked in around 2:00PM and took a room which was huge and clean. Only drawback was the bad road due to a nearby over bridge construction. After relaxing for some time, we have lunch at the restaurant attached to the hotel and I got to try the famous Kolhapuri Mutton Dish which was fabulous. The dish does make one sweat due to the spices used in the dish. After a very satisfying meal, we decide to explore the city. First destination is New Palace in Kolhapur which also houses Shree Chhatrapati Shahu Museum. The roads inside Kolhapur are very messy. Badly maintained and lots of road repair work going on. We slowly make our way to the north of the city where the Palace is located. New Palace is also known as the Maharaja's New Place and was built in 1884. The present Maharaja lives in the first floor and the ground floor is a museum called Shahaji Chhatrapati Museum. The museum has a huge collection of costumes, weapons, furniture, paintings, photos, jewellery and other possessions of Maharaja Shahaji Chhatrapati. The durbar hall inside the palace is beautifully done.  Maharaja's New Place at Kolhapur  Maharaja's New Place at Kolhapur  Part of Maharaja's New Place at Kolhapur. The present Maharaja lives in the first floor. The palace has many stuffed animals and heads of animals hunted by the Maharaja. In one particular room I could see about 10-12 stuffed tigers and another 8 Tiger heads hung on the wall.  Also numerous heads of various wildlife like Lions, Bears, Deer and more. No wonder we have so less tigers presently. Outside the palace is a very serene lake and has a big space with numerous Deer, Peacocks and some Ostrich. The museum is closed on Mondays and visiting hours are from 9.30am to 1.00pm and 2.30pm to 6.00pm.  This guy posed well for the snap!!  Many deer and the lake in the background.  Ostrich at the garden. Took a lot of patience to capture this one.  Flock of ducks.  One of many deer at the palace garden.  Took this at almost max zoom. Peacock was at a distance spreading its feathers.  Another picture of the Ostrich. After spending more than an hour at this place we head towards Mahalaxmi Temple.Ask our way around and park our car near the temple. We enter the temple to find a very long queue for darshan and we have darshan of the goddess from a distance. Mahalaxmi temple is dedicated to Goddess Mahalaxmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that the Lord resides in this area, along with the Goddess. The temple holds the distinction of being one of the Shakti Peethas in India. It is believed to have been built somewhere around 700 AD, by the rulers of the Chalukya Empire. Spend some time at the temple and visit the nearby Bhavani Mandap which is a smaller temple.  The tall deepstambh (lamp tower) at Mahalaxmi Temple, Kolhapur.  Mahalaxmi Temple, Kolhapur.  Mahalaxmi Temple, Kolhapur.  Pilgrims at the temple.  The walls of the temple complex are adorned with exquisite carvings.  Mahalaxmi Temple, Kolhapur.  One of the temple spires at Mahalaxmi Temple. It is the temple of goddess Tulja Bhavani (also known as Bhavani) who according to mythology is a guest in her elder sister Mahalaxmi's city Kolhapur. After finishing darshan here which was lot less crowded we make our way towards Shivaji Market very close to Mahalaxmi temple which is famous for Kolhapuri Chappals.  The big gate near Mahalaxmi and Bhavani Temple. The place is crowded as its a bus stand too.  Bhavani Mandap Kolhapuri Chappals are famous handcrafted footwear made in Kolhapur. The making of Kolhapuri Chappals does not involve the use of any nails and the Chappals are stitched with cords that are also made of leather. Wifey was on cloud nine after seeing various designs of these Chappals. We bargained hard and bought about 6 pairs of Kolhapuri Chappals for the price of any decent Chappal we usually pay in Bangalore.  A huge Kolhapuri Chappal at the entrance of a shop...  Display of Kolhapuri Chappals at Shivaji Market, Kolhapur.  Kolhapuri Chappals available in different designs and sizes.  Display of Kolhapuri Chappals. After all the bargaining and shopping we were little hungry and wanted to try the famous Kolhapuri Bhel. The best place to have Kolhapuri Bhel is usually near Rankala Lake which is a serene lake located perfectly in a picturesque backdrop in Kolhapur. Presently this is a favorite location for the local people to spend their evenings and weekends. The area surrounding the lake has been converted into a garden where people sell Bhel Puri, Vada Pav and various snacks. We reach Rankala Lake around 7:30PM and have numerous plates of Kolhapuri Bhel. After relaxing for sometime at the lake we head back to the hotel for dinner around 9:00PM. On the way back to the hotel tanked up diesel and found diesel in Kolhapur to be more expensive (Rs.43.36/lt.) than Bangalore. Mileage I got for today’s spirited drive was 20.12kmpl. Not bad at all...  Rankala Lake, Kolhapur  Rankala Lake, Kolhapur During dinner time the parking inside the hotel gets crowded as lot of people come for the tasty food the hotel has to offer. We relax for sometime in the room and have dinner around 9:30PM. After another round of tasty Kolhapuri Mutton Dry, we go for a drive around Kolhapur City and have Ice creams. We head back to the hotel by 11:00PM and retire to our room. Day 1 has been amazing. My first drive beyond Belgaum and into Maharashtra was fun filled and just the perfect way to start my road trip. Kolhapur is a beautiful city with many interesting places to visit. I had been to this city in my school days for an NCC camp and the city definitely has changed a lot with few things I remember about Kolhapur then. The people in the city have been very helpful pointing us to the right direction when we thought we were lost inside the city. Tomorrow we head out towards the Konkan Coast in Maharashtra, not before we visit a fort and temple on the way. Continued.... Last edited by dreamdiesel : 17th September 2010 at 22:46. |
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18th September 2010, 00:14
| #15 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: City of seven islands.
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