Destination: Vani Vilas Sagar Dam, Hampi, Tungabhadra Dam, Pattadakal, Aihole, Badami,
Date: Friday 28 Nov - Sunday 30 Nov, 2008
Origin: Bangalore
Mode of Travel: Hired Taxi, Toyota Innova.
Leaving Bangalore: We started from Marattahalli, Bangalore at 1120 towards Hampi. I am not listing down the route details because they are already present on Google. In short we followed:
NH - 4 from Bangalore to Tumkur to Chitradurga. Right turn to NH - 13 from there to Hospete. Local roads from there to Hampi.
Vani Vilas Sagar Dam:
## Silent water with green tint
## Huge wall to give a feel of fort
## Peace and silence every where around
## Wind mills on the hill top to add to the scene
...in short an awesome place. We were short of time and hence we were not able to spend much time there. This is place is near to Bangalore and I hope that I would be able to spend a whole weekend there.
Directions:
On NH - 4, there after crossing Hiriyur, there is a over bridge. Beyond that there is a Cemented Gate on left. Also there is a green colored metal bridge over the highway for pedestrians. There are no boards or direction so being watchful helps. Take a left from there.
To Hospete:
It was dark already and there was a huge traffic Jam. Firt we thought that it was something serious but our driver jumped to the lane from which traffic was supposed to come. We noticed some really funny things:
1. One truck got stuck because the key was lost, it was dark and the driver was not able to search that.
2. It was dinner time. So one of the trucker just stopped and was having the food. None of the other truckers complained and all of them were doing the same things. It is so silly that you stop any where on the road and start eating.
3. As this jam was really huge, cars come out of the lane and block the way for the other way. We also did that but there was no other way. If one follows the traffic rules completely, then at least 2 days are required to come out.
Finally, we left our car and started walking. After around 2 KMs we got an auto and hired it for the hotel. The auto driver was another interesting person. He was playing Kannada songs at very high volume. He stopped after some time and spent around a minute to change the music cassette. Later I came to know that they were rain songs from Rajkumar. It was already drizzling so he wanted to play the music according to the mood!!! Just like a king.
We booked at Sanbhag Hotel which is bad so better to keep this place as last resort.
Hampi:
A mesmerizing place!!! We hired a Guide for INR 500/- for whole day. They ask for more but one can negotiate.
Tungabhadra Dam:
I was under impression that this is just another Dam. But it is HUGE. There was water till horizon on one direction. Photography was not allowed here. Looking at the SLRs in our hands, the security guard there warned us. May be the authorities are not aware of the things like Google Earth or they are in habit of following the rules of 1960s blindly.
Badami:
Pattadakal :
Aihole:
We stayed overnight at a not-very-bad hotel at Badami. The town was giving a perfect sight of a typical rural India. In the morning, I borrowed bicycle of one of the Hotel staff and hit the road.
All these three places and not very far off. We covered them the same day. But if one wants to absorb the places, then more time may be needed.
I haven't written much on the places because I think these places deserve much more than the words present in my dictionary. Google is the best place to know the details.
