With leave request denied, I couldn’t make it to my native in Karnataka, Udupi to celebrate Diwali. However, one thing I could do was to cross the AP border and visit Karnataka and get my satisfaction by touching Kannada soil…Hence a visit to Bidar was scheduled and executed.
Bidar, Karnataka’s north most district, is nearer to other state capital than its own (statement by NR Bhat)). Its just 130 kms from Hyderabad and I visited this place this Friday on my bike. It took 3 hours while going and 3.5 hours while coming (return journey was slow due to reduction in visibility during night). While going I was accompanied with my colleague Rakesh who is from Bidar, while returning I was alone.
From Hyderabad the first 50 kms were a bit rough and the journey was smooth for rest of the way. Bidar has the tropical red soil and a bit hot (Raichur district is still hotter). The Petrol is expensive at Rs 55.21 per liter as against Rs 53.28 in Hyderabad. (53.07 per liter on highway, some 50 kms from Hyderabad)
There’re couple of tourist places in Bidar, main one being the Fort. Bidar fort has a huge potential to become a tourist attraction but is by and large abandoned. There’s no one to take care of these ancient building. I could take my bike anywhere inside the fort, no one to ask. Compared to the Golconda fort I’d visited a month ago this place is huge in area, but highly deteriorated due to bad maintenance. The scenery was good and yet another time I realized how desperately I'm missing a digital camera.
The other tourist place was Gurunanak Bhavan, reportedly the third largest in India (Not sure on this).
People here are friendly, speak typical north Karnataka Kannada and speak Marathi and Telugu as well. Sign boards are all written in Kannada. The city, tough a district head quarter, doesn’t seem like one. Had there been necessary political and administrative goodwill, it would have developed much better. Good thing was that I could make local calls from here to Karnataka mobile numbers. Spent around 20 coins speaking for about 45 seconds each. Bought several Kannada magazines, mainly Deepavali Visheshankas –enough reading for next several months.
There’re no direct road to Bangalore from here. All Bangalore bound buses enter AP travel through AP and reach Bangalore. The internal route, via Raichur and other cities is not good enough, I was told.
No camera, no photos. Returned in evening back to Hyderabad, saw LRMB on VCD player and logged off for the day.
Note: Camry is a Japanese word meaning Crown
You may also wish to read:
Keladi Fort * Bekal Fort photos * Monkeyman in Chitradurga Fort * Skandagiri * Nandi Hills *Alamparai fort and backwaters * Mattur near Shimoga * Kodachadri * Gingee Fort * Golconda fort, Hyderabad * Hampi * Bidar * Madhugiri Fort, Tumkur *
Bidar, Karnataka’s north most district, is nearer to other state capital than its own (statement by NR Bhat)). Its just 130 kms from Hyderabad and I visited this place this Friday on my bike. It took 3 hours while going and 3.5 hours while coming (return journey was slow due to reduction in visibility during night). While going I was accompanied with my colleague Rakesh who is from Bidar, while returning I was alone.
From Hyderabad the first 50 kms were a bit rough and the journey was smooth for rest of the way. Bidar has the tropical red soil and a bit hot (Raichur district is still hotter). The Petrol is expensive at Rs 55.21 per liter as against Rs 53.28 in Hyderabad. (53.07 per liter on highway, some 50 kms from Hyderabad)
There’re couple of tourist places in Bidar, main one being the Fort. Bidar fort has a huge potential to become a tourist attraction but is by and large abandoned. There’s no one to take care of these ancient building. I could take my bike anywhere inside the fort, no one to ask. Compared to the Golconda fort I’d visited a month ago this place is huge in area, but highly deteriorated due to bad maintenance. The scenery was good and yet another time I realized how desperately I'm missing a digital camera.
The other tourist place was Gurunanak Bhavan, reportedly the third largest in India (Not sure on this).
People here are friendly, speak typical north Karnataka Kannada and speak Marathi and Telugu as well. Sign boards are all written in Kannada. The city, tough a district head quarter, doesn’t seem like one. Had there been necessary political and administrative goodwill, it would have developed much better. Good thing was that I could make local calls from here to Karnataka mobile numbers. Spent around 20 coins speaking for about 45 seconds each. Bought several Kannada magazines, mainly Deepavali Visheshankas –enough reading for next several months.
There’re no direct road to Bangalore from here. All Bangalore bound buses enter AP travel through AP and reach Bangalore. The internal route, via Raichur and other cities is not good enough, I was told.
No camera, no photos. Returned in evening back to Hyderabad, saw LRMB on VCD player and logged off for the day.
Note: Camry is a Japanese word meaning Crown
You may also wish to read:
Keladi Fort * Bekal Fort photos * Monkeyman in Chitradurga Fort * Skandagiri * Nandi Hills *Alamparai fort and backwaters * Mattur near Shimoga * Kodachadri * Gingee Fort * Golconda fort, Hyderabad * Hampi * Bidar * Madhugiri Fort, Tumkur *
good that you are travelling a lot! I am planning to travel a lot in Karnataka but am not able to do it for some reason! Will try that soon!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy!
@ Sandesh:
ReplyDeleteGet a vehicle, fill fuel, take a direction and zoom. Its pretty simple...
Things changed 360 degrees now in bidar, come once again to measure the city in terms of development. Projects worth 136 crore going on right now. which include development of sight seeing places, gardens, international indoor stadium, outdoor theatre, jungle resort, etc
ReplyDeletePavan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for that update. need to explore some time...