Trip To Badami - Part 2 (Dharwad to Badami)

Day Three 12th September 2016

Third day plan was just traveling to Badami and covering the Aihole, Pattadakla and Mahakuta, so we had plenty of time at 0515hrs vacate the hotel and headed towards Badami Via Nargund, roads were empty we are purely depend up on GPS but due to poor signal it started to  hang out, at last by the held of local people manage to reach Nargunda road and headed towards Badami.

Morning View

Some More Pictures

Fields on both side of plain road

Small pound at side of the field

 Road condition also not good rough patches all over the road thankfully there was no potholes. So carefully ride on headlight beam, once sunrise then there is no problem, traffic also very less few trucks which are coming from opposite direction and most of them are  Andhra Pradesh registered.

Morning view

Sunrise

Once sunrise, started  to enjoy the scenery, the road condition also improved, the plain straight road goes between the agricultural fields. Its really pleasure to eyes. On the way found a small shrub  like plants grown on one of  the fields, it also contains pink colour flower on it, while looking closely found that it was cotton crop and the black soil supports well to grow cotton.

Sunrise reflection in a pond

Cotton plants

Flower

My Green bull

Shepherds family

Sun Flower fields

The black soil of this area is very rich, rain fall in this reagio is lowest in Karnataka but these rich black soil able to keep moisture and help to cultivate Cotton, sunflower, Jower, Maize, Wheat etc.

Plain straight road

Sunrise

Drained canal

Small Ayyappa Swamy Temple built on the way

Fields

On the way a think saw a tower  made out of single pole and it contains so many stay wires, locals does not have the clue for what purpose it was used for. Traffic was very less some local Two wheeler and Indica taxi's, Bolero Pick ups, trucks, tractors and KSRTC's are playing around the road. One interesting thing I have saw here was almost every village contains one HP Fuel pump, it was not such a large pump with all facilities but a small pump which contains two fuel dispenser's one for Petrol and another for Diesel.

A unknown Tower found on the way

Acre's of fields

On the way crossed small water canal which is built for the irrigation purpose which helps to cultivate crops, but it was drained. While reach near Nargund met a Shepherd family, who is living in tented house in the fields. While talking to them they said they are belongs to some village which is just 3 to 4km far from the field and they put tent houses on the field with the permission of farmers and live here for 2 to 3 months. The sheep's are best weed eater it helps them farmer to get off the unwanted vegetation on the fields and also Sheep pops is good for the soil which helps to the farmer to grow better crops.

Bull phosing

After two three months they will move towards another location. Apart from Sheep they also maintain a small fleet of horses which is useful to them to carry goods and take a ride. They were very keen to know about my Cell phone GPS when I showed it to them they are very happy and called it as INTERNET.. .

Windmill Towers near Nargund

Shepard's family

First sign of the Nargund town was line of Windmill placed on top of the hill, one can spot it from far, Nargund is a small town of Gadag District. Literally Naragunda means hill of jackals.  At around 0800hrs reached there and took breakfast. Still I can remember the taste of Hot Poori Sagu and Idly's.  

Breakfast at Nargund

Horse

After the breakfast headed towards Badami which is our destination, from here we took Vijayapura (Formerly known as Bijapur) road and after few kilometer took diversion towards Badami.  When we reached near Badami we can clearly spot the Geographical changes, colour of the soil  changed from black to red. On the way just took our motorcycles into empty field to take some photographs and continued.

Farmers bathing their bulls

Way to Badami

Temple Cart Near Badami

Red Soil

The road goes between many small villages, entire village life is different from other part of Karnataka. Totally very enjoyable, villagers are very friendly and gives right information. Just before the railway crossing there is a Badami Sugar Factory built. mostly now a days it was not functioning.

Me

Karthik

Badami Sugar Factory

Railway over bridge under construction

At around 1000hrs reached Badami and find out a good lodge just opposite to the KSRTC Bus Stand and put our luggage into the room and planed to explore Aihole Pttadakal and Mahakuta.

Railway crossing

Welcome to Badami the land of Chalukya's

Badami Town

Continued

Trip To Badami - Part 1

 The Badami Cave temple are located in Badami, a town in the Bagalkot District of North Karnataka. The cave temple complex are the best example for Indian rock cut architecture. I have planned to visit these temples last year but due to Kalasa - Banduri strike unable to complete so decided to cover this September.

Day One 10th September 2016

  Nothing special about the day left office at 1800hrs Karthik was joined at Kasaragod and as per the plan took dinner at Mangalore and reached Mulky by 2130hrs. Till Mangalore there was no rain once crossed the Mangalore started drizzling. 

Day Two 11th September 2016

Second day was longest for us our final destination of the day wasDharwad, so at early 0400hrs left Mulky and headed on NH66, at 07hrs reached Baindur and took breakfast. Next destination was Apsarakonda Waterfall near Honnavar.

Maravanthe Beach

Rough Sea

Weather was very cloudy and interment rain also there we just missed the sign board of Apsarakonda waterfall and reached near the Honnavar Bridge from there asked local people and find out the right direction.

Near Honnavar

Multi Axle truck carrying Windmill Blade

Cooking

Near Honnavar Bridge

Way to Apsarakonda

Parking near the falls

After traveling few kilometers of bad and good stretch of the road reached parking area, it was around 0900hrs, once parked our motorcycles at parking lot started climbing the step, at top of the hill a beautiful Garden was built by tourism department. from there a small path way taking to the Water fall which was located near the temple. 

Bridge at base of the Garden

View on the way

View from the Top

Top View

From the garden we can spot beautiful landscape and sea shore after spending half an hour headed towards the waterfall. Apsarakonda means Ponds of Angels, the legend associated with the name of the waterfall is that it was the chosen place of the angles to take bath and relax.

Sea View from the Garden

Garden

Beautiful construction

Some more pictures

Inside the Garden

Pond facing to the beach

 

Temple near the Waterfall

Water fall

Tourist enjoying

After spending one hour headed towards our next destination i.e Mirjan fort which is just 38km from there. We have plenty of time so no hurry, leisurely traveled and reached fort around 1130hrs. At parking, care taker has told us Photography prohibited inside the fort but mobile photography is allowed. 

Inside the fort

According to some historical source fort was built by Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gerusoppa under the Vijayanagar emperor. Under her reign it was used to transport pepper, beetle nut to Surat.   

Some more pictures

Church near the fort

After spending an hour headed towards Dahrwad via Yellapur. Road was narrow but condition was good only few bad stretches are there, once reached the Hubli - Karwar road it was breeze to ride. Super tarmacked road with less traffic and green surroundings give pleasure to ride.

Superb road

Bridge on the way

Tree under the bridge

Some more view from the bridge

Near Yellapur on Karwar - Hubli Highway

Around 14hours reached near Yellapur and stopped for a lunch, took delicious Dal fry and rice and headed towards Dharwad. While asking the route the cashier of the hotel told that there are two roads which takes to Dharwad and suggested us to take main road instead of inner road which goes through villages.

Hot Dal fry and Rice

Beautiful paddy fields on the way

Enjoying dirt track

On the way found a beautiful dirt track which goes inside the village through green paddy field, we just went in that road to enjoy the beauty of village. After few kilometer my Green bull start to go jerk due to low fuel. On next fuel pump fueled and headed towards Dharwad.

Bullock cart

Trees planted in both side of the road

One thing I would like to mention here was this route was entirely different from my imagination, before hitting this route I though it might be barren land with very hot weather but once reached here found that every inch of the land used for agriculture purpose, peoples are also very hard workers,  grown the trees on both side of the road and green fields are grown with Soya bean, Green chilly,  Vegetable, Jowar and Maize.

Soya Bean field

Road goes between fields

Village

Small Temple at one of the Village

Line of Tamarind Trees

Farmer returning to home

Around 1730 reached Dharwad town and searched for a good lodge, and last managed to find Karnataka Bhavan lodge, parked our vehicle and freshen up and went to market to purchase famous Dharwad Peda and finished dinner went to bed.

Sweet Dharwad Peda

Continued