Biking in India - An Insider's outlook

Having been on quite a few bike trips in India, and with no signs of stopping any soon, I just felt it was a good time to share a few things on my mind regarding bike trips especially in this country. So, here I go:

1.You don't need a hi-fi cruiser bike to do trips, though its a good thing to have

Alright, all of us in India revere the Enfield Bullets and most recently, the Bajaj Eliminators as they are the most sturdy ones that are there for long trips and very durable too. But off late, many of the sporty types, the Pulsars, the Apaches and the Karizma's have been hogging the limelight too. But as a guy riding a modest 125 cc bike on long trips, I feel such bikes don't get the due recognition they deserve when it comes to long trips. I ride a Bajaj XCD 125 and am very very comfortable taking it out on long trips. They might not be as zippy as the Pulsars or as comfortable or durable as the Bullets. But they have very reliable engines, demand very less of your attention and cruise along comfortably at 60-70 km/h. More than adequate for your trips aren't they? So, if you're a biker like me having a modest bike, no worries, your baby will be real happy to lug you for long. Here's my baby

2. National Highways are getting better by the day

The national highways authority is doing a very ambitious project of 4-laning all the National Highways in India and is doing a pretty good job of it. These roads when in full form are a dream to ride on. They're very smooth and flowing and make riding a joy. Wherever you're riding to, if you have a choice of taking a route through the NHs, as they are affectionately called, go for it even if its a few km more. You'll thank yourselves you did. So will your bike.

3. State Highways are not that bad either

If the NHs are a dream to ride on, state highways are no less good. They too are improving. They are not as bad as they used to be and you wont have a sore butt after riding on them for long. They do link the interior places worth visiting in India and are not a bad thing to ride on.

4. You WILL NEED good biking gear

When I say biking gear, its not just the helmets, gloves and boots. A good elbow guard, a good knee guard along with ankle protects are seriously good things to invest in. We do get AlpineStars in India and thats a very good brand to get. A word of caution. India has a notoriously huge grey market for fake helmets. If you're buying one, please go to a reputed showroom in whichever city/town you are. Else, you have the world in the internet. Thats not a bad option to shop in, though getting the right size poses a challenge.

5. Summer trips are best taken with a good sunscreen and a full hand tee for company

You could be milky white in complexion before you take a bike trip in the summer. But at the end of it you might be tanned and tanned beyond recognition. Indian Summers are notoriously hot and having a good sunscreen and a light colored t-shirt is your best bet to counter it. Yours truly ignored this fact once and now arms that are in stark contrast to the body color. :( If you're thinking about pullovers and windcheaters, they will only add to the heat.

6. Watch out!!

Wherever you are riding in India, do it with full concentration. Stray cattle, kids playing on roads, jaywalkers when you pass through towns are a rider's biggest trap. Keep a watch for people when you're passing through populated areas and for stray animals in highways.

7. Indian Rain - Best friend and a Worst Enemy

Indian Rains do increase the romance involved in a bike trip. They cool everything down, makes the landscape get prettier exponentially and patter your bike incessantly to make the ride more challenging and thereby, making you a better rider. Trust me, your confidence increases manifold when you conquer a trip under torrential rain. They just make the trip much more worthwhile. But there's another side to the story. Rains and oils on road don't mix. The tar oil, oil leaks from other vehicles can cause many a bone break. Watch out for them. With a bit of concentration, they can be easily spotted. Avoid them,and you'll have the best trip wherever you're going. Difficult to imagine how much a rain can do, but in India, trust me, it just adds to the whole experience.

8. Riding alone can be as much fun as in a group in India

Biker Gangs are becoming increasingly common in India and have carved a niche of their own. But individual bikers are a rare lot. At least, in my perspective. The awe people feel when they get to know why you're here, the way you stand out in the crowd and the adoration you get from kids is just so overwhelming. People will turn good Samaritans for you once they get to know you're a lonewolf biker. They really do. I still remember when I was in Mysore along with one more friend and we were lost trying to find the highway to Bangalore. A curious motorist enquired about us(easy to spot we were, decked up and all) and on getting to know we were lost, offered to escort us till the place where the highway starts! An escort vehicle?! Gracious! I tell you.

Well, that was most of what I had in mind when it came up with the idea of this topic. Hope it helped. Until the next post, Ride safely and Keep Riding! :)

A Bike Ride from Chennai to Shivanasamudram Falls

My bike rides have taken me to quite a few places. Starting from a trip from Chennai to Kanchipuram, then to Mahabs, a couple of trips from home to places in the western ghats, its been a thrilling and exhilarating experience. Trust me when I say that. Nothing gives you a bigger kick than controlling that tankslapper on your bike when you suddenly brake for something unforeseen. Me along with Raghu(the second biker in the pic below from the front, the first being me of course!) have been planning on a long trip for quite sometime and it took quite sometime to materialize. Cyclones, unpredicted rains, gales et al., have forced us to drop our best laid plans.

But this time it was going to be different. Pleasant weather all over from Chennai to Mysore, coupled with a well executed bunk of work helped us execute our plan. Destination, Mysore and Shivanasamudram falls, a waterfall of pristine beauty 65km away from Mysore. It was Me(on a XCD 125) and Raghu(on a Caliber 115) who were the riders. Our route was simple, the national highway till Bangalore via Krishnagiri, and from there the SH17 from Bangalore to Mysore. You can see the bikers below.

We started from Chennai at 1100 exactly on Friday(18th June, 2010). Halted for a bit at Motel Highway in Chembarambakkam to tank up on our fluids. We kept at a steady pace of 60kmph. We reached Vellore by 1500. We had our lunch there and started riding again by 1530. We reached Vaniyambadi, a town about 60km from Vellore by 1645 and took a break there. We upped our fluids and resumed riding. Parked up at the far outskirts of Krishnagiri for another fluid break at around 1800. We had made good time, covering the 162 km distance from Vellore to Krishnagiri in 3 hours. We resumed riding by 1815 and reached Electronic City by 2000.

The traffic in Bangalore was as horrible as usual, normal services back. It took an hour and a half to reach SH17 and we reached there only by 2130. The road apparently is known to the locals as the "Nice Road" and true to its name, it was real nice to ride on. We covered the 150 km distance in 3.5 hours taking 3-4 breaks to up our caffeine(read coca-cola) levels. :) don't ride without it when fatigue creeps in. Though the ride was super smooth, it was frequently marred by what we termed as backbreakers or lifebreakers at times. These are poorly designed and built speedbreakers and can catch you unawares. This is really a factor that affects your travel times. Be careful, especially at night and watch our for them. We reached Mysore at 0000 on Sat and put up at a Hotel called Abhishek. Decent rooms, pretty decent rent. Both of us switched off instantly to a real sound sleep.

The next morning was the ride to Shivanasamudram Falls and we had our dear sis joining us for the trip to the falls. We had a light breakfast and started off for the falls by 1000. The 'to' ride took 2.5 hours as we did ride pretty cautiously and thanks to the notorious lifebreakers which made ours and our ride's lives pretty miserable. We reached Shivanasamudram by 1230.

Shivanasamudram has two falls separated by a distance of 12km. The first one you'll encounter is the GaganChukki Falls, which is pretty inaccessible and can be viewed only from a safe distance. We spent quite sometime at Gaganchukki taking in the splendour and the scenery there, and chatting of course. A pic of the gaganchukki falls for the record.

We started from gaganchukki by 1430 and took the long and winding roads to the next waterfall, the bharachukki falls. The roads are really good save for the last couple of km. It took about half an hour to negotiate it. The bharachukki falls are much more accessible and we can actually get near it and take a bath in like the other falls. Its a half an hour trek from the top of the hill where we had to park our rides to the base of the falls.

The base of the falls threw up the biggest surprises of it all. We got an opportunity to ride in the coracles!!! The round boats made of bamboo were a real cool thing to ride on. The ride lasts for about half an hour and the boatman will spin the coracle for a couple of minutes in the midst of it, which'll leave your head in a tizzy. We spent sometime there, clicked our pics and made the trek up in 20 mins. A couple of our better clicks at the bharachukki below.

We started back to Mysore from Bharachukki at 1710 and covered the return distance in 1 hour and 25 mins and were back in the oh so serene campus of SDMIMD by 1835. The ride was awesome with the setting sun and the cool breeze.

Next entry would take you guys through our return journey.

Me, Ananya and Mahabalipuram

Long time since i've ventured outdoors. Thanks to the weather in Chennai. Like the saying goes, "Hot, Hotter and Hottest"!!!. Literally. But a friend and the long standing want of taking Ananya out was motivation enough. Destination Mahabalipuram :)

Its an old and quaint li'l town about 50km from Chennai. The best route to take is the scenic and picturesque East Coast Road, ECR fondly to Chennaiites. To tell you about ECR, its one of the smoothest you can ride on and it follows the South-Eastern Coast of India till Pondicherry, which is about 160 km away from Chennai. So its real picturesque and u'll love the sultry air hitting your helmet all along. Speaking of helmets, heed my warning. Do wear one. ECR is notoriously unsafe for two wheeler riders. Cars and Buses wont care two hoots to give u a small nudge in the arse and you'll be reeling on the ground before you know it.

Coming to Mahabalipuram, its a real old town, rocky terrain, sandy, because of the Bay of Bengal to its East. It was a pretty busy port in the times of the Pallavas. The town had a Lighthouse made of stone, coupled with a watchtower! So much for ancient! There is a modern one too..but thats 110 years old too!!! Pic of the light house and its 'dated' stone below

Sleepy and laidback, its a perfect little weekend getaway. Other than the bus terminus, life moves at its own place.

This is an elegant place to watch which a well established sea port was during the 7th and 10th centuries of the Pallava dynasty. This was the second capital of the Pallavas who ruled Kanchipuram. Formerly, mahabalipuram was known and called as Mahabalipuram. The former name of this place ‘Mahabalipuram’ has a history. A very rude cruel king Mahabali reined this place and in a fierce battle king Mahabali was killed by Lord Vishnu and the place was named after the dead, arrogant kind Mahabali.

It was during the reign of King Narasimha Varman I, the name Mahabalipuram was changed. It was renamed mahabalipuram which is called till now. There is a story behind. The name Mamallpuram king Narasimha Varman I was a great and valiant warrior. He was given the title Mamalla which means ‘the great wrestler’ so the name was converted from Mahabalipuram to mahabalipuram considering the great king and his achievements.

The not to be missed places are the 5 ratha temple, huge area of rock carvings(to list it out, the tiger cave--5km before mahabs, the mahishasuramardhini cave, the modern(the 110 year old) lighthouse, ramanuja's cave(not the math genius, the bit lesser known saint), a royal gateway made of a single stone, and the most famous govardhana rock). The bracketed ones are in the same area, and that extends for miles!!! The biggest mystery if you'd call it so, is that its a big egg shaped one, stands on a downward sloping hillock and stays in one place without any balance! No force moves it! U might say center of gravity and all, but the application of force/torque would shift it and it would lose its balance right? Well, this one does not! No one can seem to explain why. Let me know if the one reading this can.

A much lesser known fact about the pancha ratha temple is, it has nothing to do with the pandavas. The Basso Relievo(Bas-Relief) are actually dedicated to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. This face can be seen in the description board at the lesser famous tiger cave, located 5 km before Mahabs.

The Mahishasuramardhini Mandapam is a rock cut cave temple. This mandapam very well depicts the fantastic craftsmanship of the pallavas. It consists of three small shrives in the inner wall which is exactly the typical pattern of the pallava art and architecture. On the northern wall, the battle between goddess Durga and the buffalo – headed demon, Mahishasura is beautifully inscribed Mahishasura symbolizes animal strength, ignorance and egoism to go with. Every gods and celestial beings depended upon Mahishasura. In the course of time, Mahishasura became more frightful. Devi Mahaturya while describing his power refers that when be ran the earth broke to pieces and the swing of the tail made the ocean water spread everywhere. Then the tyranny of Mahishasura was destroyed by the three supreme lords, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, in the form of goddess. Many poets have sung in praise of this perfect portrayal especially by Heinrich Zimmer

Then there is the ultra famous shore temple, resting royally on the sea shore of Mahabs. Its under renovation currently, to undo the damage caused to it by the merciless tsunami of '04. Then there's the beach of course. Its brilliant!! Lots of fun if you have company. Even at 12 noon I had a blast with the waves. Mind you, Do not! I repeat, Do not walk on the sand barefoot, especially in the summer. It'll singe your feet. Yours truly was one of the unfortunate sufferers.

There are some lesser known rock temples if you are an RLT kinda traveller. But I had such a blast in those famed ones that I forgot my RLT endeavour.

P.S: For all of you who're thinking who Ananya is.She's my ride. I've given my bike that name.:)

P.P.S: Its not only Vettel who gives his cars names, I do too :P

P.P.P.S: Have tried to add as much detail as possible without making this post too long. Forgive me if there are some glaring omissions. Will try not to consider it :P

Kanchipuram Bike Trip

Kanchipuram, a quaint little town, 75km from Chennai(thats where I live) was built by the Pallava Empire about a 1000 years ago. I was looking around places to take me and my bike for a li'l trip. This place popped to my mind. Other than spiritual pursuits, yeah this place has temples dime a dozen, the sheer splendour of these temples have amazed me for quite a while. And so I started.

The route is along the very smooth Chennai Bangalore highway. After encountering heavy traffic all the way till the outskirts of the city, I accelerated my XCD to 70 and the ride was as smooth as they get. En route, you'll pass the Hyundai India Factory, the Irungattukottai race track, the Nokia India factory and quite some industrial parks. Though its a tolled road, bikers are not charged!!!:)

Arrive at kanchipuram an hour and a half later and you'll be greeted by an array of 70-80 year old houses,shops and various other business outlets(read tea shops, hotels and other shops selling flowers and other religious items). I headed straight towards the Ekambaranathar Temple, the presiding deity of Kanchipuram. This Shiva lingam is named so because, Kamakshi, an avatar of Goddess Parvati, Lord Shiva's consort, prayed under a mango tree, to get married to lord shiva, with a lingam made of mud.

In Sanskrit, Ek means one, and amara means mango tree. Hence the name. The very same lingam is present in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. behind this are the couple themselves, adorned in marriage costumes. The very same tree under which Kamakshi prayed to lord shiva is also present. This tree is said to be around 3500 years old. With 7 branches, each branch is supposed to give a different tasting fruit, as well as branches of those leaves are in different colour and flavor. While the colour legend is true by the sight u get, we'd not know the other stories as we're not allowed to touch the sacred tree.

The temple itself is a magnificent sight to behold and a treat for the eyes. The sheer enormity and the beauty of the temple's architecture leaves you spellbound. It also leads you to think that people at those times were far more brilliant. Imagine, we armed with the latest technology, can't build anything even remotely as good, buildings that kill

people. While those people, armed with basic hammers, tongs and primitive tools, have built structures like this that are about 1000 years old and are withstanding the test of time with only a handful of them starting to show signs of wear, just wear not caving in like our month old buildings.

This temple is an epitome of the Pallava architecture and its brilliance. Posting a couple of pictures i sneaked in. Mind you, photography is strictly not allowed, though you are charged 20 bucks if you want to carry one. While inside you're told that pictures are not allowed at all.
Tip: Better hide your cam, flash strictly off if you taking pics or thinking of it
While I am to maintain the temple's sanctity, parting with 20 rupees and not bringing back a bit of memories is not good too. :P I'm never good at following rules.

Kanchipuram is truly a wonderful place to get to know the architecture and a delight if you are interested in architecture. A place worth visiting for your spiritual pursuits too. The shiva linga just gives you the goosebumps. Its magnificent to look at along with the earthern lamps adorning it. With the god and the goddess behind, you'll automatically start uttering your prayers. Such is the beauty of the sanctum sanctorum.

Hope you like this post. My first and I do promise to improve.

P. S: Promises have the liberty to be broken.
P. P. S: I might have erred in some facts about the temple. Kindly let me know if so. :)