Hoysala Temples - The Journey Begins

The day came when I knew this was going to be my last trip for the year 2024.

One thing about planning a trip is the dilemma of going through the flow or plan it to such an extent that you don't miss out on anything. Chances of going back again are always there but slim. 

I have always been a planner and when it comes to planning a trip, I ensure that I cover all the spots.

The good thing about traveling in India, you can visit most of the places within a week and come back, unless it remote and requires extensive travel like Ladakh.

I knew about the two temples that I wanted to visit. The Chennakesava Temple & Hoysaleshwara Temple. Apart from these two famous ones, there were others too in the surrounding areas that were also known for its beautiful construction and architecture.

The first thing that I had do was book the hotels. Since I was going there on my bike, the journey would have taken me two days to reach. My places of stay would be in Belagavi and Belur. One thumb rule that I follow is to avoid riding on the night.

All my travel plans were around the places Belur and Halebidu.

Traveling by bike was not my first option but I realized that as a solo traveler, I would end up spending more on transport than otherwise. Yes, there could have been a renting option of bike too, then again it can become a hassle to find one. It made better sense to use one's own vehicle and gives me a reason to ride too. 

Since I dont ride my bike often, I needed to check if I can pull this off. Long rides can have its impacts. Nothing gets you prepared than practice. My trip to Bhimashankar proved yes I can do this.

The bike was serviced, everything taken care of but it was at the last moment that I realized that I would need more than a tank bag for this trip and this certainly did not look good. On top of that my aux light got busted and when I went for replacement they wont fit. Now I had to ride with a bag on my shoulder, aux light busted but still working.  

Started my ride early in the morning, had over 450 km plus to cover. Google maps showed around 10 hrs to reach. We all know how accurate that is depending it does not misled you in some other direction. I knew this was going to take longer than that.

One of the fun parts about riding on the highways is the open roads and pure adrenaline rush, with winds gushing over you when one speeds up.  Taking halts at the roadside hotel and getting served the local food and enjoying the scenic beauty that nature has to offer.

I have to say this the Maharashtra roads are in pretty bad shape when compared to other states. I have been on this route earlier also and it was no different no matter how much time has passed. How difficult is it to provide decent roads? 

One thing that no one tells you how quickly the night makes it presence once the sun sets in. This certainly was not looking good for me. There I was on the highway which was pitch dark and trying to cover the last mile to reach my hotel. It did not help that I also found myself stuck with traffic and diversions.

The head lamp of my bike did not help the way it was supposed. I will talk about this in my later blog posts. The distance which was a few kms suddenly became longer that had me wondering if I am ever going to make it all. In the end I overcame everything and managed to reach my hotel.

Took a shower and had my dinner inside my room.  

Hotel Ramdev holds a lot memories for me as this was the place where we used to make our stay during our family trip to the native. Having a bournvita or complan drink here was my go to drink as a kid. This hotel even though in a tier-2 city is always running full. Fun fact, this hotel was featured in the Bombay to Goa movie.

I normally prefer to start early in the morning, but I decided to start a bit late. This was going to be another 400 plus km ride.

What I did not anticipate how good the roads were. I was in love. The road leading to my destination was pretty empty with not many vehicles plying on it. It was fun riding, taking halts to take pictures.

The roads went narrower as I moved from the highway to the state local roads and finally reached my hotel Mayura Velapuri. The room that I was allocated was more than spacious I ever had. The bathroom itself was a big room compared to the size we have in Mumbai flats.

Took a shower and stroll in the nearby area. Had dinner and went to sleep.

The temples were calling the next day.