Ride to Tirumala Tirupati

Ahem! Who doesn't like to go for long drives. Of course not many like to go for long rides (on Motorcycles that is). But I like to share my experience with many people here who would be interested in long rides. As far as drives are concerned, that series will be a separate one I mean among all the rides this ride was a ass paining and ,ass sizzling ride very very tire some ride.Never experienced like this.

Where – Bangalore To Tirupati and Back

Total Distance - 600 Kms. (300 Kms. one way)

Vehicle – Machismo 500 AVLLB( mileage- 30kmpl),Pulsar220(mileage-35kmpl)

Total Expenditure – 4000 (1000 per head)

Travel Duration – September 13 2008 at 0130hrs and reached back also on september 13 2008 at 2030hrs

Route Map - JP Nagar-marathalli-hoskote-kolar - Mulbagal - Nangali - Palamner - Chittoor –Puralapattu-Chandragiri-Tirupati - Alipiri - Tirumala.

Eat outs –CCD (Kolar), Deepika Dhaba, Bheema's Hotel, Annapoorneshwari, Bheema's Deluxe Nandini hotel,Woodys Hotel and many road side dhabas,

Pilots – Anshuman Biswal,Abhishek Singh,Aishwaraj Singh,Shashi Bhushan

Tour Diary: The planing started on 12th september 2008 from morning 8am.It all happened when I completed my puja and was going to leave my room to go to office ,than I suddenly asked Shashi how about a ride today.He also agreed and said that let Abhishek arrive today from rourkela than we will decide to go.I said Ok.I was very curious to go so I called up Abhishek at arround 11am when he was about to board a flight to bangalore from kolkotta ,and asked him to get ready for a ride and make up his mind in that way.He was bit in dilemma as to how he could go as he was still travelling.But I forced him to come.So he reached here at bangalore at 1900hrs and called me and confirmed that he is also coming with us for a ride.Than he took rest and prepared himself for the ride.I went back to room from the office at 1900hrs and talked with my parents and my love (swati) and informed them about my plan.They agreed.So I started packing my bags and made my riding gears ready.The cook had cooked the dinner So I had the dinner little bit early as I knew that first stretch I would be riding.So did my friends after some time and had there dinner too.We all browsed the net and found out the route of Tirumala Tirupati.And finally left for the ride at 0130hrs i.e on 13th september 2008 from Flat 3b,Atishi Apartment,Rose garden Road,15th main,JP nagar phase 5,bangalore-560078.The ride was fine and first stop we made near marathalli when we took the wrong turn.So took a stoppage to ask the correct route and had some tea from the bus stand hawkers.Than we moved again and took our second break directly at kolar where we went to Café Cofee Day(CCD) to have some food as we were feeling hungry.It was 0230hrs(13 september 2008) at that time.We took a break for 20 minutes and again moved on.Than the next stop was directly in a place before chittor where we all were completely tired as we all rode all night without sleeping.So we found a dhaba where we took some break fast and washed our face with cold water to keep us fresh as we had to drive more 170 kms.It was 0630hrs(13 september 2008) by that time.We finally reached Tirumala Tirupati at arround 1030hrs(13september 2008).But the rules were horrible every where ticket system.As we didn’t knew that to take vehicle in we have to take tickets ,so we had to come down again where we could register our vehicle to take it in the ghat of the temple.So it took arround 1 hrs by standing in a queue and anyhow we managed to get the ticket.Than we reached the temple but we didn’t find any hotels or guest house rooms available so that we could take bath and put our luggage and everything there and go to the temple .So after 2 to 3 hours of hotel room search,we all had become frustrated .So we all went to a restaurant to have some food near the temple itself and it was Woodside Restaurant.We all had our breakfast and saw the god from the road itself just bowed to God standing infront of the temple on our bikes on the road itself and started our journey back at 1330hrs(sep 13th 2008) to bangalore.The ride was very fast and furious while returning back and after taking ample of breaks for photo session and food still we all managed to reach back to bangalore sharp at 2015hrs(september 13th 2008).So in all we had covered 600kms in 19 hours i.e from september 13 2008 at 0130hrs to september 13 2008 at 2015hrs.

The road was horrible and night driving is not at all safe.As almost many stretches of the road was under construction so the outgoing and incoming traffics were only happening at one half of the road.And during night the problem we faced is that as the road were under construction So there were many diversions and ditches and it was surrounded by the constructor tapes.But the issue was that the road was completely dark and the tapes were not fluoroscent tapes ,so that we could see from distance that there is something mentioned.We were only able to make out that there is some footpath or diversion or ditch or construction ditch ahead when we were reaching very close to it .The ride was so terrible that we were moving at 90kmph during night and suddenly we were noticing that there is some construction ditch or road is blocked and at that speed itself we had to divert our bike to the correct road.After all the experience was good and riding is not really a cake walk.You should have it in you to make a ride.As our group says “ Jazba hai andar to dikhta hai bahar.”

Next Trip: savandurga (september 21 2008) and Manipal /Mangalore(october second week after dussehera)

Post that is posted in the royal enfield site
http://www.royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp?sID=18957

another blog
http://anshumanbiswal.wordpress.com/2008/09/15/tirupati/

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