Ride Report: Hyderabad to Kuntala Waterfalls

Ride Report: Hyderabad to Kuntala Waterfalls (25/06/11)

I woke up at 3:30 A.M today after a series of alarms on the phone and a call from my friend who was going to be riding pillion today. After much deliberation and planning, we had decided during the week to ride to Kuntala Waterfalls and we had planned to leave at 4:30 A.M. Google maps showed the distance to be 271.1 km and this was a perfect level up for me after my Nandi Kandi and Bidar rides. I quickly threw the backup camera and batteries into the bag and I was downstairs at 4:20 A.M. My friend had already arrived and after parking his bike we left my home at exactly 4:30 A.M, right on schedule. We started from Khairatabad and proceeded in the direction of Bowenpally to get onto the NH7 towards Adilabad. Shortly out of Bowenpally we stopped at a distance sign hoarding and took a picture just to get a perspective of the distances.









I noticed that Srinagar was 2601 km away; maybe another time. The roads were mostly empty in the morning and the highway was very smooth after Medchal. NH7 is one of the best highways I’ve had the pleasure to ride on and the ride was effortless until Kamareddy. We stopped for a short break to have some tea and relax for a bit.









After Kamareddy, heavy road work was being done and the roads were atrocious at some places. A single lane became a two-way road and it was broken up in many places. I had been cruising at about 85 kmph until this point but I was forced to cut my speed down to 45-50 kmph. After a good amount of riding like this we got back onto the highway and the ride was fun once again. But no sooner had we gone a little distance on the highway we came upon the diversion to our first stop; Nirmal. My pillion rider was suffering from a severe case of saddle soreness and he leapt off the bike the moment I stopped in front of a hotel. We went inside and had some breakfast and discussed our options to get to Kuntala. We could either go back the way we came and get on to the NH7 or we could ride through Nirmal and on the ghat road and join the highway. We ultimately decided to take the ghat route and left shortly after. The road leading up to the ghat route wasn’t that great but I could keep up a speed of 70 kmph so I wasn’t that bothered. It was a bittersweet moment getting onto the ghat road for me.









On one hand the ghat road offered beautiful overcast views of the scenery, but on the other hand, the road was absolutely horrible and had huge potholes. I couldn’t go any faster than 40 kmph and I had to ride really carefully to avoid all holes and broken up parts of the road. We found lots of monkeys on the sides of the road and we got to take a picture of a mom and her baby after much coaxing. Our pain was relatively short lived and after about 22 kilometres we re-joined the main highway and it was happy riding till Neredikonda. I remembered the directions from Google maps and decided to stop and ask for directions and I’m glad we did. There is no sign indicating the way to Kuntala and one needs to get off the highway at Neredikonda and take a right at the underpass to get to the waterfalls. The 13 km long road was narrow and bad and passed through a couple of villages into the forest and finally to the waterfalls. We reached at about 9:45 A.M and found that we were the first and only visitors there apart from a couple of lethargic villagers. Witnessing our arrival one of them quickly hurried up to us and offered to show us to the waterfalls.



We accepted his offer and he took us down the steps to a lookout post and gestured towards the waterfalls with a flourish. Kuntala waterfalls are supposed to be the highest waterfalls in Andhra Pradesh falling from a height of 45 m. It was a great moment of disappointment for us however; when we turned to look we found not waterfalls but merely a thin stream of water flowing down 45 meters of rock. We demanded an explanation and the ‘guide’ told us that the rains hadn’t come and this place would be much better in August after the full flow of the monsoons.



We had planned to spend an hour or two at the falls, but after looking at the stream, we were pretty clueless about whether to turn back or go down the 400+ steps to see the ‘falls’ up close. Eventually cognitive dissonance took over and we decided to go down to find something that would redeem the falls. The guide told us that he had no interest walking down the steps and asked for some money. We gave him a little and began our descent down the steps. The steps are huge and paved in dried leaves, twigs and all manners of cigarette boxes, empty alcohol bottles and gutka wrappers. We made our way down and looked at the little pond and from this spot the height of the waterfall was a little more apparent and we were cursing each other for going this early. The whole atmosphere was very serene however, and we sat there just enjoying the surroundings and listening to an obsessive compulsive bird methodically chirping every 5 seconds.







After about 20 minutes we decided to turn back and head home. Climbing the steps was torture for both of our unfit selves and we were gasping by the time we reached the parking lot. We braced ourselves for the ride back and made our way past the same roads to get back onto the highway. We debated going back to Nirmal to buy some handmade toys but ultimately decided against it and pressed on. After a while both of us noticed a dam in the distance and in my mad search for some sort of water body I decided to get off the highway and go in the direction of the dam. It was the Shri Ram Sagar Dam and it was a sight for sore eyes when we finally got there. The sky was still overcast and a strong wind was blowing and this only served to accentuate the beauty of the Shri Ram Sagar.







There was a lone fisherman fishing out in the lake and we spent some time just looking at the water before heading back to the highway. We stopped at a dhaba along the way and had an extremely tasty and fulfilling meal which cost only Rs. 188; nothing beats dhaba ka khaana! Bracing ourselves for the final (or so we thought) run we clambered onto the bike and rode on. After passing the horrible roads and getting onto the highway I began to get pretty impatient and also wanted to test my 220 a little bit, so I gunned the throttle. The rush of power was incredible and the bike immediately accelerated to 120 kmph. I decided to push things a little bit and after coaxing the throttle I managed to reach 132 kmph, with a pillion ride weighing 70 kilos. I didn’t dare go any faster because I was extremely apprehensive about some person crossing the highway so I settled for cruising in the 100-110 kmph range. About 70 km from Hyderabad, my friend couldn’t bear to sit on the seat any longer and asked me to stop the bike so he could give his butt some long needed relief.



We stopped in a truck lay bye and rested for a while and then left again. The ride was fun till Medchal where we hit some traffic and after Medchal the road was filled with speeding idiots, so I just hung back and rode steadily and we reached my house at about 6:00 P.M. The trip meter reading was 560.9 km and we were absolutely beat. We barely managed it up the stairs and needed a long rest to recover. All in all, the ride was pretty awesome and I’m glad I took it. For the next ride, we’re planning to towards Kurnool and I’m going to try and see if I can do anything about the rock hard seats. I don’t want my gluteus muscles to suffer permanent damage riding the 220 so something will have to be done. Until then, cheers!

Ride Report: Hyderabad to Bidar

Ride Report: Hyderabad to Bidar

I woke up at 5:00 A.M yesterday after hitting the snooze button 4 times and dragged myself out of bed. Try as I did, I couldn’t fall asleep the previous day and I finally ended up enjoying only a few hours of sleep at most before I needed to leave. There wasn’t any pre-ride prepping to do so I just threw on a backpack and left in the direction of NH9 again. Waking up early certainly had its advantages and I had a road clear of traffic waiting for me. I hadn’t had any breakfast at home and I decided to stop at Sangareddy to eat at the same place I had on the Nandi Kandi trip (I am a creature of habit). The ride there was an absolute breeze and I thoroughly enjoyed the cruising. The weather was very similar to my previous trip and the bike was just as solid as it had been before. I reached Sangareddy at about 6:50 A.M and no places were open for breakfast. I realized that breakfast places didn’t really cater to early morning bikers and that I wouldn’t eat until an hour and half at least. I ignored the pangs of hunger and rode away. Passing Nandi Kandi was a sweet moment and I whispered a silent prayer to God almost reflexively. The next major town was Zaheerabad and I decided to stop there and have breakfast. The ride from Nandi Kandi onwards was pretty decent with limited traffic and good roads. The roads were slightly broken up near villages but overall the NH9 was perfect to ride on. I stopped at Zaheerabad, devoured my breakfast, and left after a 15 minute break. From Zaheerabad to Bidar the ride was mostly boring, cruising at 65 kmph. I passed a few interesting looking temples and mosques, a lot of lush green fields, a few railway crossings and countless dhabas. The only interesting looking place along the way was Dev Vana which apparently is a botanical garden where medicinal plants are grown. I was eager to reach Bidar so I didn’t stop and I cruised along.

I finally reached Bidar at about 8:45 A.M and I was happy to have made good time. I followed the signs to the first tourist attraction which was the Madrassa of Mahmud Gawan. This was a centre of learning built in the 15th century. A huge part of the structure has been destroyed as a result of a gun powder explosion but the architecture that is still standing is a beautiful sight. I love Islamic architecture and the Madrassa was a fine example of it. The next place I went to was the famous Bidar Fort; a massive fortress built in the 15th century by Ahmad Wali Shah. On the way to the fort I passed the Chaubara of Bidar; a 71 foot watch tower that now functions as a clock tower. The Bidar Fort has roads running through it so one doesn’t need to get off the bike at any point of time except when visiting areas like the Tarkash Mahal and Solah Khamba Mosque. The fort is an imposing structure spread out along a large area and features five Darwazas. A lot of buildings within the fortress show damage but as a whole the fort looks very solid. I rode for 15 minutes within the fort and I didn’t even reach all the peripheries. It looked to be an impregnable structure that was brilliantly conceived and designed. I was awed by all of it and I rode through the structure taking pictures and enjoying the views of the plateau. After 20 minutes it became redundant and I decided to leave and head in the direction of the Jharni Narasimha Cave Temple. The idol of Lord Narasimha resides within a cave 300 metres long and devotees have to walk through chest high water to get a glimpse of the Lord. I walked up to the entrance of the cave and I saw a massive line of devotees making their way into the cave. I also saw the people walking out and they were absolutely drenched. I had no change of clothes and I needed to ride the 135 km back to Hyderabad so I prayed outside the temple and then walked back to the bike promising Lord Narasimha that I’d be back some other day to have a rendezvous.

The sun was out and the heat had started to become irritating. I also needed to be back in Hyderabad so I decided to skip the rest of the attractions and ride back home immediately. I traced my route back and the ride was very uncomfortable owing to the heat and the increased traffic. There should be a rule against allowing utter idiots to drive on the highways. People do not seem to know how to overtake a slow moving vehicle and on several occasions I had to swerve completely to the edge of the road to avoid an oncoming bus or SUV. At places like Zaheerabad the density of the traffic resembled rush hour in Hyderabad and all of this frustrated me greatly. I pressed on however and took a small break in Sangareddy and I steeled myself for the final wave of traffic through the city. As expected, once I crossed Patancheru, there were a lot of traffic jams and I slowly made my way back home. I had travelled a total of 283.3 km in the space of 7 hours and it was an extremely enjoyable experience. The pulsar 220 held its own and I’m confident now that I can use this bike on long distance trips without any worry. The odometer reading stands now at 560 km, and it is time for the first service; 6 days after I bought the bike. Unfortunately I could only get a service appointment on Thursday so I need to curb my desire for trips a little bit and wait till after Thursday to go anywhere else. I haven’t decided where I want to go yet, but I’m sure I will, very shortly. Until then, cheers!

Ride Report: Hyderabad to Nandi Kandi

Ride Report – Hyderabad to Nandi Kandi

I woke up at 6:15 A.M today, after only five hours of sleep, thanks to a wake-up call from B.K. My initial plan was to make the maiden trip to Bhongir in Nalgonda District but after checking the routes, I decided to head in the direction of Sanga Reddy instead. I took a bit of time getting ready for the trip and it was 7:05 A.M by the time I decided to leave the house. Getting the bike out of the parking lot was a hassle and it was 7:15 A.M before I finally got to leave. I took the Punjagutta – Ameerpet – SR Nagar – Kukatpally Main Road route to the NH9. The weather was fantastic with just the right amount of cloud cover and a light breeze. The traffic wasn’t that bad and the ride until Kukatpally was very smooth. After that there was a bit of traffic with a smattering of idiotic drivers and morons running across roads. From Chandanagar onwards, however, the road was traffic free and after Patancheru riding was a delight. My bike is still in the run-period so I was careful to keep the speeds in check at every gear and I made sure that I cruised in the 60-65 kph range. Riding the bike was effortless and there weren’t any niggles that bothered me. The bike was solid on the road and the ride was mostly comfortable. I have a tendency to grip the accelerator too tight and this cuts blood circulation to my index and middle finger so I had to flex them ever so often to get the feeling back, but that was the most discomfort I felt during the trip.

After Patancheru the scenery is filled with lush green fields and plant nurseries, and the overcast sky just added to the beauty of all of this. There were innumerable dhabas along with the road bearing the most interesting names; the likes of ‘zim zam’, ‘rim zim’ etc. I reached Nandi Kandi at 8:20 A.M and asked for directions to the temple. The villagers looked at me very incredulously and chose simply to point in the direction of the temple which was at the end of the village. Riding a 220 through such rustic surroundings felt odd and I ignored all the unabashed staring and made for the temple. From outside, it looked to be in a dilapidated condition and I was slightly disappointed. I still decided to take some pictures anyway and when I went in, I got to witness the real deal. The temple was apparently built during the Kalyana Chalukyan period and the architecture is splendid to behold. I’m not a religious person, but I love visiting old temples and this one didn’t disappoint me. It is star-shaped according to the description I got of it online. I couldn’t really fathom how it was supposed to be a star but the shape and the style was certainly unique. The sanctum featured a statue of Nandi and two of Lord Shiva in his Nataraja and Bhairava (correct me if I’m wrong) forms. There are also a few small shrines dedicated to Ganesha, Hanuman, Satya Sai Baba, and the Navagrahas. I found the temple to be ill-maintained and this was just a sad realization. We really need to take better care of the symbols of our heritage.

After checking out the temple to my satisfaction I decided to head back at 9:00 A.M. I ate breakfast at Sanga Reddy in a small tiffin center and then left for Hyderabad. The trip back was equally fun until Patancheru and then the traffic hit. After cruising all this while, riding in city traffic irritated me highly and the sun beginning to shine didn’t help matters any. I chose to be stoic about the whole thing and made my way back home at 10:30 A.M after riding a total of 128.7 kilometres for three and a half hours. In conclusion, the ride was a perfect maiden trip and the Pulsar 220 F proved its mettle. I’m looking forward to longer trips the next time around. Looking at all the places along the way to Nandi Kandi I realized that we always aspire to travel far away and discover new places but we almost compulsively ignore the places that are relatively close to us. I’m going to try and remedy this and visit every place I can in the surrounding areas of Hyderabad. Next time I plan to go to Bhongir Fort. Until then, cheers!