Midweek, three guys on motorcycles ride to Gandikota (The Grand Canyon of India), located in the state of Andra Pradesh.
In Bengaluru
Heard much from friends and seen many pictures of Gandikota over the internet. Was on my wish list, time is running out and it just had to be done soon. Decided to ride there mid of week for two reasons (1) Had no work commitments on those days and (2) Less possible weekend crowd there. Checked with friends if any were interested to join and three showed interest. Eventually two confirmed - Dhanush and Anubhav. We set out to ride on the early morning of Wednesday, 25 July 2018.
Day 1 : Bengaluru to Gandikota
Wed, 25 Jul 2018
Packing up late the previous night got me only a few hours of sleep. Starting out from home and waited at the meetup point - Decathlon, Brigade Road. Anubhav showed up on his Royal Enfield Bullet. We headed to the next meetup point - Esteem Mall, Hebbal on Airport road. Shortly, Dhanush turned up on his KTM Duke 390. Fortunately, Dhanush's hometown is pretty much close to Gandikota and so he lead the way.
Stopped at a small town named Kadiri and had breakfast at a small joint familiar to Dhanush. By about 1pm, we reached the entrance to the fort of Gandikota. Weather was hot. Rode through the winding entrance stoned pathway leading into the fort. Passed the Charminar and further on to stop at the Mosque. The locals lived in small dwellings along side the narrow road. Checked the Granary, the temple, then the view of the canyon.
We rode back a kilometer to Hotel Haritha that we passed on our way here, to refresh up and have lunch. Then, rode back towards the canyon to find a good spot to camp for the night. The Govt. of AP are constructing outhouses that face the canyon with a few canopies upfront. Was a good stop and so we decided to camp here. Dhanush's knowledge of the local language - Telugu, helped us get permission to camp out there.
Dhanush and Anubhav did a bit trekking to find a better view of the canyon. For dinner, we rode to Hotel Haritha and got back. As the night set in, the winds got stronger making it difficult to put up our tents. So, we managed to put up one tent, put all our belongings inside and decided to sleep outside as it was pretty windy and no signs of mosquitoes at all.
Day 2 : Gandikota to Bengaluru
Thu, 26 Jul 2018
Slept well through the night. Packed up our stuff, got to the Hotel to freshen up and then set out to head back to Bengaluru. Stopped at Pulivendula for breakfast and rode on. By about 4pm, we reached Bengaluru. A well deserved break from work and the bustling noisy traffic.
Info on Gandikota
Gandikota (familiarly known as The Grand Canyon of India) is a small village on the right bank of the river Pennar in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh (15 km from Jammalamadugu). Known for its spectacular gorge formed by the river that cuts through the Erramala hills, Gandikota was once ruled by powerful Telugu dynasty, the Pemmasani Kamma Dynasty also known as Gandikota Kammas who ruled this fort for nearly 300 years, and was one of the most prominent forts in the country. Within the fort premises are two ancient temples (dedicated to Madhava and Ranganatha), a large granary with it's vaulted roof and the Jamia Masjid. It is located 280 km (about 5 hours 45 minutes) from the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka. Best time to be here is during the winter months. From March, the temperature shoots up to 39 Celsius and more!
Notes
- Bengaluru to Gandikota is 280km and can be covered in 5.5 hours.
- Best time to go there will be during the winter season.
- Hotel Haritha is currently the only place for stay & food there.
- Can trek down to the river bed to camp there as well. No roads here.
