1st February 2023, 20:40
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| Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Tata Harrier This travelog is about a 3-week return road trip from Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Tata Harrier. (It is a long post, please read at leisure.) The entire trip in numbers below.
Trip Objectives Visiting a few Chola-Pandya temples of Tamil Nadu and Kodaikanal was on my wish-list for a while. Wife wanted to visit Puducherry and Kanyakumari. I was able to take extended time off from work in January, which I consider is the best month to visit the Indian peninsula. In short, the stars aligned. Planning and Preparation Concrete planning for this trip started fortnight before the start date. Bookings were made for a mix of hotels and homestays – all online. Made bookings only up to Kodaikanal because we were not sure of our path after that. We didn’t want the trip to be a race against the calendar and were prepared to extend it by a few days, if needed. Vehicle had undergone 2nd service (free) recently, so expected to be in top shape with odo at just ~5.6K. Topped up DEF with 5 litres and carried another 5-litre can. No other prep for the vehicle needed or done. The Harrier - pic taken at Dhanushkodi near Rameswaram.  Our biggest concerns were-
Vehicle capability and reliability – was confident of the Harrier. Specific items purchased and carried for the trip:
Other items that are usually in the car or not purchased specifically for the trip:
 Day 1/21: Mum (Mira Road) to Hyd (Madhapur)
Having loaded smaller/peripheral items including water in the boot previously, loaded our bags in the morning and adjusted the headlamp level for the load.    Our plan was to start early for the 14+ hrs drive Gmap was showing. We wanted to cross Pune before rush hour traffic and then stop for breakfast. Lunch would be around Solapur and reach destination in daylight. We rolled at 5:30 am sharp on a Wednesday from Mira Road towards Pune via SCLR-Vashi bridge and MPEW. Stopped at the Kalamboli McDonald’s and picked up coffee. MPEW was relatively empty, but it was foggy on some stretches. There was work in progress along multiple stretches and so the need to drive at varying speeds and change lanes many times. I don’t recall any tunnel without at least one lane closed (both directions). A few random MPEW pics.   To keep ourselves busy, we bet on how many armed forces vehicles we would come across in the entire trip. I bet on the number 10 and lost on day#3.  Took the Talegaon exit towards Dehu road.   We were happy to cross Pune by 930 am, without encountering much traffic on a working day. Our breakfast was going to be in a misal place and we stopped at a relatively emptier one called Malhar Misal, which had good parking, clean washrooms and great service. 30 mins later, after refilling our coffee flasks (chai for me), we were on the road again.  The 4-lane road between Pune and Solapur was mostly smooth, running through towns and fields. There were sections nicely barricaded, but also several town and village intersections with unmarked rumblers, a mix of two-wheelers, tractors, tempos, that kept me busy at the steering between 60-90 KMPH (but relatively very less truck traffic). Also, there weren't many (rather any) places that seemed to have clean washrooms once past 25-30 KMs from Pune city on this road. Travelling with kids/females may need some more planning. A tractor-trailer cut across an open intersection and in opposite direction.  We didn’t know of or find any interesting place to stop over. We made it to Solapur bypass jn around 1320 and continued past the city. There was traffic and had to slow down to 40-60 for about 10 KMs. Ujani dam seen from the road, somewhere on the way to Solapur.  We were hoping for a place with clean restroom around Solapur city but couldn’t find a decent one on the bypass and for another hour. We had identified a couple of fuel stations that were supposed to have good restrooms based previous TBHP reviews, but they were both on a service road and I just zipped past them. Finally pulled into an HP fuel station for a 15-min stretch and bio break. On long road days, we typically stick to eating light meals, mostly fresh fruits or sandwiches. A family in an Ertiga pulled in next to us for their meal. Pretty soon we were cruising past small towns like Itkal, Shirgapur and Anadur, heading towards our next planned stop – the Naldurg Fort. The fort is on the east end of Naldurg town, which we crossed around 1415. Naldurg fort is a large one, with ancillary structures such as Ramandal fort and a small waterfall on the runoff coming from nearby Bori dam. There is a small entry fees and the entry point is half KM off the highway. We were happy to click a few pics from the highway and drove off in 10 mins.  At one point passing through Naldurg town, it becomes a 2-lane undivided road for the next 5 KMs. I also recall at Andur (just before Naldurg) having a 300-meter diversion, because an elevated road was under construction. A couple of clicks later, at Jalkot town, there is another diversion – for what I couldn’t make out. Overall, this stretch was the only one I recall having diversions (besides MPEW) on that day. A Naldurg local on his seemingly new mini tractor. Am sure he is just as proud of his chariot as I was of mine!  Now we were seeing boards like this one that had our day’s destination mentioned on it.  We crossed the largest town in this part, Omerga via a bypass and then around 1515 we came to our first inter-state crossing of our trip near Dhaktiwadi – MH to KA – yes there is a bit of KA to cross before you get to Hyd in TS.  I had planned to refuel in KA, knowing it had lower price compared to MH and TS. Stopped at an HP pump. There was an eatery right next to it where we had our evening tea with some dosas. Hotel Gujarat in KA - about 14 KMs from the Dhaktiwadi MH RTO check post - where we refueled and snacked.   After that we drove for another 30 mins to cross the KA-TS border. Lots of busy towns all the way to Hyd. There was a lot of truck traffic in this stretch, but the road was smooth. At Kamkole toll plaza there was a delay in reading my fastag. The attendant kept saying that my tag was faulty (cannot fault him, two other vehicles passed smoothly in front of me) but having crossed 6 plazas earlier that day I was adamant it wasn’t the case. After reversing a couple of meters and approaching the reader again, it worked. My wife was surprised that I hustled, because normally I would have just paid double in cash and moved. The next two hours were uneventful, with mostly zipping through rural areas. The last 50 KMs to Hyd was tiring with typical suburban traffic. Once on the ORR, it was smooth but again the last 4 KMs off the ORR in Cyber Hills took an additional 30 mins due to bumper-to-bumper rush hour traffic. We pulled into our stay at Hyd around 1915 – Restel Studio.  Solapur to Hyd, the road was a mix of well-marked 4-lane, undivided 2-lane, patchy surfaces, a few diversions till the MH-KA border. After that the roads are very good, except on the last 20 KMs approaching Hyd ORR. A note on restrooms in this stretch - Finding a place with clean washroom remains a challenge. The only ones available were at fuel stations. There are many food joints where you will get good food. For people familiar with typical Vithal Kamat or Sugar-n-Spice, we couldn't find anything equivalent in this stretch. We planned our stops based on TBHP and GMap reviews. Weather helped us - it was breezy throughout the day, clear skies in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. Max temp recorded by the vehicle was 29C. Overall, it was our longest single-day drive and were tired, but thoroughly enjoyed the day’s drive. (Continued...) Last edited by subuiyer : 13th February 2023 at 16:34. |
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1st February 2023, 20:56
| #2 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 2/21 – In Hyderabad With just one clear day at Hyderabad, we had planned to visit places in the morning and evening. However, after the long drive the previous day we decided to rest that morning. Wife longing for biryani, ordered lunch from Behrouz.  At 3 pm we set out, first to Chowmahalla Palace – the residence of erstwhile Nizams of Hyderabad. Took an Uber. The palace has plenty of parking (paid), but in addition to it being in a old and busy part of the city, the roads around it were partly blocked for repairs then. It is a beautiful place, with a lot of historical artefacts on display including weapons, clothes, furniture and daily items. There were also vintage chariots and cars on display, including the Rolce Royce Silver Ghost (from 1911). Some random pictures of Chowmahalla Palace.     After spending about 90 minutes in and around the beautiful palace, we walked over to Charminar. We were keen on experiencing the bazaar and it lived to expectation. It was a Thursday, and we saw families have come to spend their evening here, shopping for everyday items and trinkets. Plenty of eateries in the area, but we went to Nimrah for chai (twice) and bun-maska. We also bought some biscuits.   After another hour of walking around, we were hungry again. This time went to Milan for fresh fruit juice, but this was the hottest selling item there.  We hung around Charminar for another hour, bought some trinkets and ithar before heading back to the hotel. Some random pics of Charminar and the lively market. One of the approach roads to Charminar.  The lively bazaar (market) around Charminar.  Charminar in different moods.    This was the end of our stay at Hyderabad. Next morning (day 3/21) we would leave for Chennai. (Continued…) |
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2nd February 2023, 16:25
| #3 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 3/21: Hyd (Madhapur) to Chennai (Guindy)
I wanted it to be a relaxed driving day, which means not sacrificing sleep to hit the road early. Woke up, got ready and ate the breakfast we had carried with chai in the room. Loaded the small bags we had carried to the room in the boot and were ready to roll. The previous night I had paid one of the hotel guys to clean the car exterior and he had ensured it was done by the time we were ready to start. Sky was overcast, it had rained overnight, and it was cool – good for a drive I thought. Side note – my struggle in finding a good car wash started from Hyderabad. There was a car-wash facility next door to our hotel and my car was parked on the street right outside their gate. Opened only at noon and they were charging Rs 500 for an exterior shampoo wash and Rs 100 extra for vacuuming/wiping the interior, which I thought was high. While chatting with the person, I happened to check the water they were using and figured they were using hard water. At this point I dropped the idea of getting car washed there. We rolled around 0800. We were going to take the Hyd – Narketpally – Ongole – Nellore route to Chennai.  I was worried about rush hour traffic. Suppose most people start late in Hyd for we hit the ORR in a few minutes and were happy to cruise at speed limit. Some random pics on the Hyderabad ORR. What? All three in the same direction? Something doesn’t feel right! But then it’s just the layout of the ORR.  It was very misty (and dreary grey) on the entire ORR and then it started raining.  A cyclone had hit the east coast a couple of days ago and I was expecting some rain on the way, but not within Hyd. From where we were starting, we had to travel 3 quarters of the ring on the ORR to Exit 11 for Chennai, on to the Suryapet (or Vijayawada) Highway.  After exiting the ORR around 0845, we experienced suburban traffic for about 30 KMs. The Ramoji Film City is on this road immediately after the ORR exit. The 4-lane road stayed smooth all the way till Narketpally with one lane blocked occasionally for repairs. Around 930, it started pouring. Even with wipers at max speed visibility was not good for driving.  Soon we pulled into our first stop for the day – 7 Midway Plaza – about 50 KMs after exiting the ORR. This is an excellent place with plenty of covered parking, good seating, quick service and 3-star washrooms. There were also shops for clothes, bakery, medicines and trinkets. The funny part was the one-way mirror in the men’s washroom facing the side entrance to the place. I found it discomforting to use the washroom, with families standing outside – not knowing how well the one-way mirror worked. A few pics of 7 Midway Plaza.  Plenty of covered parking – pic from my dashcam, sorry for poor quality.  Seating inside the restaurant.  Soon it was time to leave the Suryapet highway and turn south towards Medaramatla. This was a 4-laned tolled state highway that went through mostly rural and a few towns. I was able to maintain 80-90 KMPH for the next few hours.  We were seeing scenes like this on both sides of the road. The entire eastern coast and interior region had received lots of rain in the previous few days and it showed. Every water body was brimming. Somewhere before Miryalaguda – in the rice bowl of India.   Yours truly, on a lookout while wife was gleefully out taking pics from the middle of a highway.  Around 1130 we reached the bridge over river Krishna, another snaps-stop.    This was also our third inter-state crossing because crossing the river Krishna meant crossing over from TS to AP. There was a small check post at the end of the bridge that we simply drove through.  A huge Hanuman stature made an interesting sight just before Adanki town.  After Adanki and just before Medaramatla, it was time to leave the road by taking a right turn under the flyover and join the National Highway 16.   On this road there was more truck traffic but relatively fewer private vehicles. As we drove past Ongole there was some local traffic on the bypass but was able to maintain speeds of 80-90. As we approached the Tanguturu toll plaza, were in two minds about stopping for food at the restaurant on top of the toll plaza. But once we saw the plaza, we quickly decided to drive on.  Siemens Gamesa passed on the right.  It was very evident that in this entire region there were a lot of water bodies big and small. They were all full. We kept going to cross the river Penna and Nellore city around 1630. Then we reached a place wife had identified for us to stop – Padmavathi Vilaas. It had space for parking and clean washrooms. The place was full and the service was a bit slow for us – all other tables had large groups. We ate light and resumed our journey.  We were already seeing a lot of wind turbine parts being transported. From this point, we were excited to approach Sriharikota – not that any launches were planned that day, but just to be able to see an entrance. Also, our destination seemed to be close now.  We failed to notice any signs of Sriharikota, if there was one on the highway. We went past the 4th inter-state crossing of our trip (and 2nd one that day) between AP and TN. It was an integrated toll plaza.  I was expecting heavy traffic as we approached Chennai city our speeds had dropped. The road from Ambattur to Porur was a mess with repairs in some sections, no streetlights and heavy traffic. At around 2000 we reached our stay in Chennai near the airport – Tranquillity Inn. We freshened up and ordered dinner. The food was decent, both quantity and quality. Soon we crashed into the bed. I watched the entire movie Zindagi Na Mile Dobara before nodding off. Next day we were going to Puducherry. (Continued...) Last edited by subuiyer : 14th February 2023 at 08:25. |
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6th February 2023, 16:02
| #4 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (...Continued) Day 4/21: Chennai to Puducherry
Woke up late, knowing it was going to be shorter travel today (relatively). We were put up at Tranquillity Inn, a homestay near Guindy for the night. We got ready, re-packed our smaller bags and headed out for the complementary dinner. Took the opportunity to look around the property in day light. It had rained early morning and wet everywhere. The house had rooms ground+2 floors with dinning, kitchen and a seating area on the 3rd floor.  I liked that it was nestled in a quiet and green area of the city, at the end of a lane (this feature is something I have looked for when booking homestays). Parking was again on the street in the open, but safe and under CCTV surveillance.  Took a few customary snaps of the property and one of the Odo before we rolled out around 10 am. This was going to be our first time on the famed ECR. I had planned to do the ECR from the start, from Thiruvanmayur and roads closer to the coast where possible.  It was a Saturday and there was local traffic till we crossed the toll plaza on ECR.  We reached Mahabalipuram around 1130. There are two sets of monuments, separated by several hundred meters. We reached the first one inside the old town. There was an entry fees of Rs 75 to enter Mahabalipuram. There were people who pulled vehicles on to the side lane and hand over receipts. By mistake I went into a private parking where I had to pay another Rs 50. Further up there is a free (common) public parking available, which at that time was overcrowded and a mess. Then there is the ASI ticket of Rs 40 per person. The Red one was paid and the Green one was free. I entered from the north and exited from the south. The larger paid parking is next to the first group of monuments – you can see the butter ball in the map.  We went through the first set of monuments – butter ball et all. It was a lot of walking/climbing, place was very crowded, the Sun was high, and a warm day.    We decided to skip the 2nd set of monuments – shore temple et all. While exiting, there was a traffic jam outside the common parking with several state and tourist buses stopped on a narrow 2-lane road to board / deboard passengers. Loitering rickshaws made it worse. A couple of thousand people would have walked past our car while we were in the jam, such was the weekend crowd. Earlier, on GMap I had seen a road running south from the Sai Baba temple and over the creek back to the ECR on the mainland. Though all other vehicles were turning right I turned left to check out this road. Turned out this was a dead end for public – BARC Kalpakkam – I had missed it on the map. So back to the busy junction but was able to go past it quickly. We had lost 40 mins to the jam and the detour, but were on our way.  We stopped at some point for coconut water, the first of many more on this trip. The rest of the journey was uneventful.  Around 1430 we entered Puducherry.  I had made two bookings for our stay, one an old French era house in Heritage (White) Town about 200 mtrs from the beach and the other around a klik away from the beach. But I cancelled the first one because it did not offer any parking – I was not comfortable to leave my car on a street with 100s of tourists zipping past in 2-wheelers. Street parking looked something like this - the road is much narrower than it looks in the pic.  I had to drive through some very narrow lanes to reach our homestay – Sunflower Villa. Again, it was near the end of the street. They had parking arrangement in another compound two houses away that could accommodate 4 cars. This homestay does not serve food (except freshly made tea/coffee). The room had plates, trays, glasses, and electric kettle. The room also had a large balcony looking out into the street outside. The villa and the view from the 1st floor balcony – nothing fancy, but a street well-guarded by friendly canines. The kolams outside each house changed every morning.  After the evening chai, we headed out on foot – mission – rent a scooter. It was a struggle because three different shops said none was available that day – heavy weekend rush. Wife spotted a place on map, and we decided to check it out. There was a red Access parked outside and we were happy to take it immediately. I took a short test drive to check basics were working well – brakes, headlamp, horn, start/stop button. We added some fuel and went our way to the Promenade beach.  We spent a couple of hours on the beach, walked around the Heritage Town and landed in a café (of course). For dinner, we checked out several popular places. We wanted a quiet place and just stumbled into Mira. It had spartan interiors that let us focus on the food and conversation. Ordered a pizza (it was delicious) and some cocktails, sat there for another hour before riding back to the homestay. Inside Mira.  Day 5/21 – in Puducherry A relaxed day. We woke up late – missed the sunrise walk on the beach. Got ready and headed again to the beach. I wanted to try a French breakfast, but we struggled to find a good place. A few places we had looked up were full / had waiting. Café des Arts – our choice – had a 45-min waiting. We landed in Hope Café next door, and it was a good. We ordered a lot of items for two people. I loved their smoothie bowl. The Hope Café – these pics were taken the same evening.  Artwork at the entrance to the café – we loved the detailing.    We bought some croissants from Le Petit Four to eat later. Also bought bottled water (dozen) on the way, which I loaded into the boot before returning to the room.  Napped for a couple of hours and back to the beach where we spent the rest of the evening. Remnants of a kolam competition held that morning at the promenade – we counted over 350 squares, lot of efforts by the participants.  Random pic of the Promenade Beach.  The Sacred Heart Basilica church – during day and lit up at night.  We had an early dinner and were caught in the showers for the last time on the trip that evening. Returned the scooter on the way back to the homestay. Our stay in Puducherry was coming to an end. (Continued…) Last edited by subuiyer : 14th February 2023 at 08:28. |
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8th February 2023, 09:59
| #5 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (...Continued) Day 6/21 – Puducherry – Chidambaram – Kumbakonam
The next couple of days were on my whim - the temple run. It was at the core of why I was doing the trip and may be wordy in this part of the log. I wanted to visit all the pre-eminent Chola era temples in this region, particularly in the towns of Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Tiruchirappalli (aka Trichy). It was going to be a long day as we planned to visit multiple places. Our plan for the day: Puducherry -> Chidambaram temple -> Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple (UNESCO Heritage) -> Airavatesvara Temple near Kumbakonam (UNESCO Heritage)  Got up early, got ready and loaded up the vehicle. The car exterior was very dirty. I just dusted the windows. After quickly gulping the croissants bought the previous day, we were ready to roll by 0800. Chidambaram and Gangai had to be done before 12 noon. All these temples are open 0600 to 1200 and then 1600 to 2100. Puducherry to Chidambaram (via NH 32) passes through the city of Cudalore. On the entire stretch through Cudalore we encountered constant local and urban traffic. There were a few of railway crossings. The Cudalore–Chidambaram was a mix of 2-lane and 4-lane roads with some stretches being upgraded/concretized.   We reached Chidambaram just before 10 am and parked on the North Street at the first spot we found near the temple entrance. The Chidambaram temple is one of the largest Chola era temples, fully functional and a performance art powerhouse. You can read more about this temple in the Wiki Link. It was busy and we spent half hour inside. I recall there was a dance rehearsal (Bharatnatyam) in progress that we watched for a few minutes. The temple walls display the entire 108 Karanas. Strangely we only took one pic at this temple - right outside the gopuram.  We then went to a restaurant for our 2nd breakfast and had to use the staff washroom – very few restaurants in these parts have washrooms for customers. By 1045 we headed towards Gangai. I lost some 15 mins on the roads around the Chidambaram temple trying to get back on the highway. Going clockwise around the temple, I asked but misunderstood the police instruction at one point and assumed the street was one-way when it was not. Chidambaram to Gangai was via SH 70 and NH 36. SH 70 was mostly single laned meandering through villages and towns, moving mostly at 30-50 KMPH. NH 36, in Jan 2023, this road was being upgraded/concretised into 4-lanes, with several stretches under construction and diversions (for another 2 yrs at least). The final ~10 KMs was finished and I could move at 100 KMPH. We rolled into the free open car park right outside the temple entrance at 1158. There were 3-4 other Innovas and Travellers. The Gangainkonda Cholapuram temple is a UNESCO Heritage Site. You can read more about it on the Wiki link. The Gangainkonda Cholapuram temple entrance.  We entered after 12 noon and as expected the temple was closed for afternoon. The place had only a dozen tourists and some sweepers/gardeners going about their work. This temple and surroundings were very well maintained compared to a typical temple in India, say the Chidambaram temple. That’s the benefit of getting a UNESCO tag - the place gets funds and kept clean. Even when under a warm noon sun, we didn’t want to leave the place – such was the architecture. We only had our cell phone cameras but carrying professional cameras certainly recommended. Let the pictures speak.      After spending an hour at Gangai, we were on our way to our stay in Kumbakonam – Homestay@Kommiya Inn. Homestay is probably a misnomer, because they were operating more like a small motel. No restaurant, parking could accommodate 3 cars. We were the only ones staying there. Good thing was it was near the town center. A couple of heat-n-eat for lunch, washed clothes, and took a short nap. After the evening chai in the room, we headed out to the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, about 4.5 KMs from our stay. We decided to take a rickshaw and negotiated for Rs 150 for the return journey. Our host said ricks would normally charge up to Rs 200 for this route. Rickshaw was a good decision because the entire route was through some very narrow single lane roads. Harrier would need a 3-point turn at a few places. Airavatesvara Temple is a UNESCO Heritage Site. You can read more about it on the Wiki link. This one is a bit smaller (main structure not as tall) and may look like the Gangai and the Brihadishvara (at Thanjavur) to the undiscerning. People who have visited structures in Hampi will notice a lot of resemblance. This temple is locally referred to as Darasuram temple (named after the village where it is situated). Let the pictures speak.      Parking was available at nominal charge – Rs 10 for the rickshaw, Rs 20 for private vehicles. The main temple walls were surrounded by well-maintained lawns and trees with large canopies – looked very quaint.  After spending an hour at Darasuram, we requested the rickshaw to drop us at the Chakrapani Swamy Temple. My maternal family had been associated with the upkeep of this temple at some point in the last century (but no more). After paying our obeisance to the lord, we walked back to the stay via the main markets of the town and the majestic Sarangapani temple. It’s no wonder Kumbakonam is called a temple town – there is one everywhere you look. We ate our dinner at a restaurant named Rice-n-Spice and retired for the night. Next day we were going to Brihadishvara at Thanjavur and Ranganatha Swamy at Srirangam near Trichy. Day 7/21 – Kumbakonam – Thanjavur - Kumbakonam Neither of us could sleep well the previous night - mosquitoes in the room despite employing all sorts of repellents. We dropped the plan to visit Srirangam in the morning. Got ready, ate the heat-n-eat breakfast and morning chai in the room. We set out to Thanjavur around 10 am. Kumbakonam to Thanjavur took about 75 mins. The road was undivided, a combination of single-lane (narrow) and 2-lane, all of it through villages and between fields – a peek into the beautiful TN countryside. The entire region had received good rainfall recently, we could tell.  Brihadishvara temple is a UNESCO Heritage Site. You can read more about it on the Wiki link. The temple is at the heart of Thanjavur – the city is built around the temple. There is also the moated palace complex next to the temple, but we did not visit them. There is no dearth of temples in this city either, but we were going to see only the Periya Kovil (Big Temple). Crossing the road from the parking towards the temple entrance.  A side view of the Brihadishvara temple – challenging to get the entire structure into a single frame.   Crossing the road from the parking to the temple entrance was an ordeal, my wife was nearly run over by a bus – but it was our mistake. Shaking it off, we started doing what most others were – taking pictures. There is a facility for depositing footwear and a couple of very touristy shops selling works of local artisan, a lot of cheap plastic stuff and one by FabIndia. We were out of the main temple quickly as it was crowded but spent a couple of hours with the other structures. Along the wall surrounding the perimeter of the temple are hundreds of shivlings, shrines of several other deities, stone sculptures depicting all 108 Karanas (dance movements) and a museum on history of the place and the art originating from Thanjavur. One is compelled to wonder about the amount of time and effort that must have gone into creating such structures, not to mention the dedication (thankfully, they weren’t scrolling away on content platforms back then). A picture of 108 Karanas from the museum.  Parking at Brihadishvara temple- There is a large parking facility on the east side of the temple, across the road from the main temple entrance. Coming from the north, I had to cross the bridge over the canal to enter the parking from the east leg of the bridge. The police had cordoned all other entrances to the parking – not sure if this was because it was a busy day or standard setup. It must be a busy temple – there were over a hundred vehicles in the parking when I entered and yet half empty. Luckily, I could park under some shade. Note – Licensed tourist guides were available at all three Great Chola Living temples. On our return we stumbled into another locally revered temple, courtesy GMap. As we parked, they were still serving lunch and invited us – it was simple food that we ate to our fill. We returned to our stay in Kumbakonam in the evening, where we spent the rest of the day. Swiggy-ed dinner from a local restaurant. Our tryst with temple town was coming to an end. (Continued…) Last edited by subuiyer : 14th February 2023 at 08:30. |
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9th February 2023, 09:38
| #6 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 8/21 – Kumbakonam to Rameswaram Distance Driven – ~330 Kms Travel Duration – ~8 hrs - Started at 0830 – Reached at 1630 Breaks/Stops – 2 – Total Duration ~2 Hrs Today's Total Toll – Rs 100 (cash at Pamban) Our plan was to visit the Velankanni Church on the way to Rameswaram. We got up early, repacked the bags with freshly washed clothes. Heat-n-eat breakfast and chai in the room and ready to leave. Previous night the guard offered to hose down the car. Morning, I went down to load the first set of bags and saw he was just finishing wiping dry. It wasn’t a professional job, but the car looked clean. He had used my dirty microfiber and it showed on the windscreen. I spent 10 minutes cleaning all the glass areas. Used the portable pump to top-up the front tyres. Our route for the day.  We set out from Kumbakonam towards Velankanni around 820. The route to Velankanni was through some beautiful village roads. For the first hour, it was lush greenery everywhere. There were many ponds and lakes on the way, all brimming. As we got closer to the shore, rice fields gave way to marshes and salt pans. It was undivided 2-lane all the way. At one point Gmap took us through a really narrow village lane, I was driving on the porch of a few huts. Somewhere on the way to Velankanni.  I pulled into the church car park exactly at 1030. The coastal town is built around the church. We went to the Basilica first, which is to the right from the parking. It is a beautiful structure, both outside and inside. There were about 50 people inside. The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Velankanni.   From there we walked along the holy path to the main church. This was a much larger structure, also in White and very beautiful. There were a lot more people here. Strangely neither of us took any pictures of the church – this we realized only later that day. A view from the gallery on the Basilica. In the picture, the holy path seen right in middle. The small circular structure with domes at the other end of the holy path is the old Velankanni church. To its right and behind the statue of Jesus is the much larger Velankanni Morning Star Church, newly built after the Dec 2004 Tsunami.  After a little search we found a place for a dosa and coffee each. It was a long walk back to the car park and we had already walked a lot that morning. It was nearly noon when we resumed our journey. Roads were all undivided 2-lane SH with light traffic, good surface, but mostly marshy bushes or fields either side and no tree shade. We didn’t find one decent restaurant in this entire coastal stretch. I drove the next 4 hours with one 15-min roadside stop where we could find some tree shade, next to a small pond. We ate some fruits. We passed closed to the sea several times on the way.  For the first time since Hyd, we were seeing dry fields.  It was past 1530 when we passed Ramanathapuram, about 50 KMs from our destination.  A random pond next to the road.  It was a warm day, and I was already getting tired from the drive. As we approached Rameswaram, the sky became more Cerulean Blue and the air cleaner. This brought some cheer.  Then we entered the Pamban Bridge – surely, we were on the south side now.  Though there are clear sign boards asking you NOT to stop on the bridge, how can one not! A few random pictures from the Pamban bridge.      The construction of the new railway bridge is in progress, at a snail's pace according to the locals. The Harrier - taking in the sea breeze.  We stopped for 5 mins and then on our way. Towards the island end of the bridge, we spotted a lot of eagles.  The island has four areas – Pamban, Rameswaram, Natarajapuram and Dhanushkodi. As soon as we got off the Pamban bridge, were were asked to pay an entry toll of Rs 100, in cash. Rameswaram is a small but crowded town. The main road goes through the heart of the town and then turns right (south). At this junction, go straight for the Ramanathaswamy temple, left for the beach and right for Dhanushkodi. The local police were doing a great job at managing the traffic. At 1630 I pulled into the parking of our night’s stay – Vinayaga by Poppys, Rameshwaram. This looked like an old school business hotel, but service was slow. The place seemed to be empty when we checked in, but soon a tour group of 50 arrived. Thankfully, I had asked for a room on a different floor and away from the elevator. The room itself was better equipped than I expected. A snap of the setting sun from the hotel window. The bus stand in the foreground and Rameswaram railway station in the background.  I had planned for an evening walk to check out the house of our former president, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. Wife wanted a darshan of the jyotirlinga! We walked past the Kalam house to the temple. After a well-made ginger tea and some messed up bhaji (pakodas) from the hotel restaurant, we headed out.  At the temple entrance the security personnel asked us to deposit footwear and mobile phones at a facility right next to the gate, which we did in earnest. The temple was crowded as any jyothirling would be. A lot of people had held on to their phones and were taking pictures. There were separate queues for special (Rs 100, Rs 200) and disabled. We skipped the 22 wells (not old enough yet) and stood in the free queue for the main darshan. After 30 mins we got our darshan of lord Ramanathaswamy and then went to the shrines of Parvathavardhini and Vishalakshi. That took another 30 minutes. Then we struggled to find entrance here we had left our footwear and cell phones. It is all a blur now, but there was a lot of walking back and forth along the longest temple corridors before we came out around 8 pm. The temple closes at 2100. On our way back we took a few pics outside the Kalam house.  Opted for buffet dinner at the hotel, but food items were minimal with super slow service. After dinner we retired for the night. Our temple run had come to an end. We were going to wake up early next morning for sunrise at Dhanushkodi. (Continued...) Last edited by subuiyer : 14th February 2023 at 08:40. |
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9th February 2023, 17:34
| #7 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 9/21 – Rameshwaram To Kanyakumari via Dhanushkodi
Today we were first going to Dhanushkodi and then to Kanyakumari.  I had set the alarm for 5 am but woke up at 730. Got ready. Decided against hotel breakfast given previous night’s dinner experience. We had a light one of fruits and chai. I loaded the bags and cleaned up the glass areas of the car. It was 10 am when we exited the parking towards Dhanushkodi. It is 23 KMs from our hotel to the lands’ end, 20 mins according to GMap. There was light but slow traffic of tempos and rickshaws on the 2-lane undivided road. Soon the sight of trees on both sides of the road gave way to water and we arrived at the arrow straight road. I knew it was going to be crowded at the end. The Vibhishana temple is at the beginning of the stretch, but we skipped it. We stopped at a point past the lagoon near a small beach. Took pictures to our fill. A beach on the east side littered with sea grass.  The Harrier soaking in the scene – pic taken looking east.  The police barricade the road a couple of hundred meters before the roundabout after 9 am. It was chaotic around the barricade with everyone trying to find a parking spot. I turned around and stopped again on the west side about a klik away. We took some more pictures. The arrow straight road.  The calm sea - mist obscuring the lighthouse visible at a distance.  It was nearly noon when we decided to head back to Rameswaram. There was some traffic at the main junction and the police asked us to take the bus stand road. We crossed over the Pamban bridge to the mainland. Felt sad to bid goodbye to this beautiful place.  The NH 32 till Thoothukodi was undivided, wide, 2-laned, newly paved and with clear signage and markings. We passed through several villages and there were rumblers before and after. Traffic was light so I could do 60-80 KMPH, but had to keep an eye for goats crossing the road. Mostly marshy shrubs on both sides of the road and again couldn’t find any decent restaurant. After a couple of hours, I stopped to refuel. Pretty expensive in TN.  We crossed Thoothukodi around 1530, where one must move from NH32 to NH 138 for Kanyakumari. This is a 4-laned road but was under repairs on most stretches with several diversions. We also paid toll on this road – our first since the ECR on our way to Puducherry. We spotted one restaurant on the other lane around 1600 and stopped hoping for a quick snack. They were serving only biryani! Wife ordered fried rice and I a chai. They had clean restrooms. After a half hour break and an ill-advised attempt to cross over a broken divider, we were on our way. Soon we approached Tirunelveli and took a left turn on NH 44. This was a much better road, and I could cruise at 100 KMPH.  We enjoyed the next hour’s drive on NH44 with the setting sun, hills in the distance and numerous wind turbines coming together to offer some breath-taking views of a beautiful part of TN (after all this was not very far from where the movie Roja was shot). The golden hour - the view reminded me of a mod in NFS.  Plenty of wind turbines on both sides of the road, as far as the eye could see.  Our joy was briefly marred when a low-flying sea bird crashed into the grill. I pulled to the shoulder after checking the mirrors. The bird lay in the middle of the other side of the road with vehicles zipping past it. After a tense minute or so, it flew way and perched on a tree – we were relieved. We entered Kanyakumari around 1800 and in another 15 mins pulled into the parking of our stay – Hotel Sivamurugan. They had covered stilt parking.  After a quick refresh, we went for a walk around the southern tip of the town. The Vivekananda Memorial brightly lit and the Thiruvalluvar statue with a Red beacon at a distance.  On our way back we had our dinner in a place called Maruthi – someone recommended it over The Curry – it was an OK place, food and service were great. Retired for the day. Day 10/21 – in Kanyakumari This was a rest day, so mostly lazed in the room and devoted a good part of the day to do our laundry. I went to the Sunrise Point by the pier in the morning, but it was cloudy and the sunrise underwhelming. Highlight - seemed like ALL the tourists in Kanyakumari managed to wake up early to get a view of the sunrise, such was the crowd jostling for every inch. The rising sun – picture taken after most of the crowd had left.  We went to a juice bar for a brunch. They had some great sandwiches and milkshakes.  We spent the evening loitering around the Beach Road. The chat items at Seashore Food Court were disappointing (and super expensive). A picture of the setting sun from the Seashore Food Court.  A pic after sunset from the southern tip.  Ate our dinner at one of the Punjabi Dhabas and retired for the day. I asked and the security offered to hose down the car. Next day we were going to start our return journey. (Continued…). Last edited by subuiyer : 14th February 2023 at 08:43. |
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11th February 2023, 14:42
| #8 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 136
Thanked: 752 Times
| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (...Continued) Day 11/21 – Kanyakumari to Kodaikanal
Today was going to be a relatively long drive day. Kanyakumari to Kodaikanal, GMap was showing 6 Hrs., but we had also planned for a detour to a town called Ambasamudaram to visit one last temple on the trip. This meant an additional 2+ Hrs. It was going to be NH 44 all the way past Madurai and then the forest+hill road for the last 50 KMs. The detour was going to be mostly SH 40. I was expecting the roads for the day to be excellent and was not disappointed. The route.  The hotel staff had cleaned the car that morning. I loaded the bags into the vehicle, and we started from our hotel in Kanyakumari around 0830. NH 44 was a breeze with the wind turbines for company.  Once past Nanguneri, we turned on to SH 40 towards Ambasamudaram, approaching from south. This road was undivided, with a lot of local traffic. The Pongal festival, which is a 4-day celebration in these parts, was going to start the next day. There was a festive buzz everywhere. We saw everyone carrying sugarcane and earthen pots. We pulled up outside the temple at 1040, knowing it would close at 11 am. We could hear the Thamarabarani river flowing from the road. The temple is a fairly large one and we saw just two people inside besides us. Took a quick darshan and back in the car in 15 minutes. The Kasinathaswamy Temple at a distance from the approach road, near Ambasamudaram.  After a while we rejoined the NH 44 and stopped for brunch at Hotel Sai Balaa on the Tirunelveli bypass. This was a decent place with clean washrooms and good service. On a whim I bought some Tirunelveli halwa, made in ghee (not coconut oil) to carry back home and it was good. After some dosas and a chai for me, we resumed our journey around 1230. The place we stopped for brunch.  In a couple of hours, we approached Madurai. A toll plaza when approaching Madurai from the south.  Around 1500 we left NH 44 towards Kodaikanal on SH 73. This was a 2-lane undivided, well-marked road with a smooth surface. We could see a lot of big and small water bodies either side of the road today and the views were getting greener. I pulled into a fuel pump to top up and for a 10-min stretch break. The rates for diesel on the left and petrol on the right.  We stopped for coffee after another half hour. We could now see the hills.  A welcome board when entering the forest area.  This was my first time on a proper hill road with the Harrier (Igatpuri not counting) and was keen to see how the autobox performed. I drove in the City mode and it was a breeze, never felt short of power on the inclines. I was driving slow to soak in the views, letting other vehicles pass me. A random pic on the climb to Kodaikanal.  The Kodaikanal toll plaza – toll Rs 50 – in cash, no fastag.  Soon we entered the town. I had read about the narrow and steep roads of this hill station and was told not to trust GMap. Getting anxious, I took a different route to the place where we were going to stay – a homestay, B’s Hive. This place was at the end of a very narrow street that was wide enough for just one car. They had space to park 4-5 large cars. For people not used to driving/riding in the hills, it can be unnerving – like when the ground vanishes, the end of the bonnet is pointed up into the sky and something around your ears tells you are not levelled. After a few mins of shrieks and winces from my passenger, I had parked the car. A pic of the Harrier parked and the homestay in the background.  The temperature was 25C when we had started from Kanyakumari that morning and had climbed up to 32C, on the way. I had seen it drop 5 degrees in 10 minutes at one point in the climb. When we parked it was 16C and was going to be in single digits in a couple of hours. We both had worn clothes in layers that day in anticipation. And yet we struggled with the cold weather that first evening and didn’t dare to spend more than 10-15 mins on the porch outside our room. The view from the porch outside the room.  The clouds engulfing the lower lands as far as the eye can see in twilight.  The homestay owner stayed in another house on the same lane. Breakfast was complementary and meals available if informed in advance – limited items though since home-cooked. Coffee/tea, RO water and an electric kettle were provided in the room. I rented a portable heater @Rs150 per night. During the stay at Kodai, our consumption of warm water / tea / coffee shot up. The homestay had 4 rooms, two each at the ground and the first level. We were on the first. It was professionally managed and personally attended to by the owner. She setup a WhatsApp group a day before check-in, which was the primary comms channel for food, route-videos, housekeeping and other services. We ate our dinner and retired for the night. Day 12/21 – in Kodaikanal My wife woke up with cold and cough, and we decided to not risk stepping out of the room in the cold weather. A view of the sunrise from the porch.  A zoom of the cloud cover over the lower peaks.  The sun in all its glory around 0800, providing a much-needed warmth and dispersed the fog in the adjoining valley.  The temperature can rise quickly in the hills. We had our breakfast – pongal and dosas – sitting on the porch after the sun had warmed the place. I decided to go for a walk around the town market and the lake areas. Plenty of locally made chocolates on sale all around Kodai market.  A couple of random pics of the vegetable market at Sunday noon.   I got take-away lunch from a popular restaurant in the market and walked back to the homestay via the lake road. A view of the picturesque Kodai lake.  We spent the rest of the day lazing in the room. Day 13/21 – in Kodaikanal Previous evening, I had hired a local cab for some sight-seeing. Wife woke up feeling up to it. We got ready, had our breakfast and set out in the cab around 0930.  Our driver, Ibrahim, was a master conversation maker (they all are, aren’t they). He was a local who seem to know everyone in that town. We told him clearly that we were not interested in crowded places, instead wanted to see more forest and buy some chocolates / oils. He obliged. We went towards Mannavanur and skipped places like Berjam lake. A picturesque village in the valley surrounded by vegetable farms.  A woolly flock in the sheep research center. Wife kept chasing them to get a feel of their super soft wool.  Simians enjoying in the canopy somewhere along the way.  A spectacular view somewhere along the route.  We were glad not to go to Berjam lake which is a very popular tourist site. We saw a 3-KM line of tourist vehicles in the direction of Berjam. Heavy tourist flow into Kodai during the Pongal holidays. Luckily, we were moving in the opposite direction. A couple of pictures around the Mannavanur lake. The lake itself had dried up completely, leaving a swamp seen behind the sugarcane hedge in the lower right of the pic.   On the way back we had our lunch. We then stopped near the Kodai lake where we purchased chocolates, eucalyptus and evergreen oils. We returned to the room around 1600 as the temperature had started to drop quickly. Spent the evening mostly sipping chai and watching daylight wane over the valley.  A local joined us at some point and entertained us for a couple of hours.  We Swiggy-ed our dinner and tucked ourselves into the bed early. Our stay in Kodai was coming to an end. Next day we would head out to Mysuru. (Continued…) Last edited by subuiyer : 11th February 2023 at 15:11. |
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13th February 2023, 16:32
| #9 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 136
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 14/21 – Kodaikanal to Mysuru
Mysuru was in our plan for the Mysore palace and the Brindavan gardens. I booked a hotel in Mysuru only the previous day. Our stay at B’s Hive at Kodai had been wonderful. The morning weather was brilliant, but we were sad to leave the only hill station in our itinerary. We decided to skip the complimentary breakfast and eat on the way. Got ready and I carried the first set of bags to the car. To my horror, there were a dozen scratches on the driver and rear doors. Based on the adjacent tyre marks and footsteps I could tell it was most likely by the family that had checked a few minutes earlier. I went ballistic. Thankfully, the PPF saved the day. After a few wipes they were only visible if you were looking for them from certain angles. I wanted to believe it was not deliberate like when loading bags, but the pattern suggested otherwise. On this disappointing note, we left the homestay around 0845, after the now customary dusting and cleaning of glass areas. Our route to Mysuru.  We wanted to enjoy the weather and the hills for as long as possible, so I made the descent at leisurely speeds. Traffic was light. The HDC feature eliminated the stress of driving downhill. By 1000 we were in the plains and in another 15 mins went past the hilltop temple at Palani.  Then GMap decided to give us a tour of the Railway colony at Palani town and sent us through some narrow lanes and a dead end.   After a few turns and twists we were back on the Palani-Erode highway (SH 83). We took a 15-min tea break at a roadside bakery. Every other shop in this region was a bakery it seemed. The next hour I drove through empty, straight stretches on the undivided 2-lane road passing through a few villages. We were briefly back on NH 81 – we had taken this same highway a few days ago between Chidambaram and Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Near noon I pulled into the parking of one Apoorvaa Hotel. It looked like a popular place. They day’s special was flavoured rice. We ordered tamarind rice and curd rice, which I washed down with a coffee. Their washrooms were clean.  Refreshed, we returned to the road. We bypassed Tirupur – the textile hub and entered Sathyamangalam Reserve around 1400. Near the entrance to the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve.  Spotted plenty of monkeys and a few deer in the forest.  This I hadn’t anticipated – the climb through the 27 hairpins was fun. In the City mode the Harrier climbed some steep inclines without feeling short of power. A couple of times I had to stop and start on the incline because the vehicle ahead of me had stopped – no problem for the Harrier. We spotted a lot of bamboo like this in the forest.   At the exit, the forest officials were applying reflecting stickers on the girders. For this they had stopped traffic on both sides. We lost nearly half hour on account of this.  Entering Karnataka for the 2nd time on this trip.  The rest of the road was uneventful. We stopped once more for refreshments and washroom at a place called Maya Garden Restaurant, just before Chamarajanagar. The place looked sad. Our hotel in Mysuru – Jade Garden – was a couple of KMs from the palace and I pulled into the hotel parking around 1730. We did laundry for the last time in this trip and spent the rest of the evening watching TV. Day 15/21 – In Mysuru It was a warm day in Mysuru. We got ready, had a great breakfast at the hotel and left for the Mysore Palace around 10 am. The hotel staff had hosed the car, but parked in the open it was really hot. Spotted a white new Hyundai Tuscon next to the Harrier at the hotel parking, on the way to breakfast.  The palace was less than 10 mins drive from the hotel. There are multiple parking facilities around the palace, and I pulled into one next to the entrance. Paid Rs 50. The entry ticket for the palace was Rs 100 per person. It was middle of the week and still saw a huge crowd. I booked the tickets online while walking from the car towards the gate. It was chaos at the counter for depositing footwear. They charged Rs 2 per pair (so carry change). Once inside the palace, sadly everyone was more focused on taking pictures and selfies than observing the exquisite architecture and artefacts on display. People were falling over each other to take selfies at every vantage point. The grand front façade on the Mysore Palace.  The viewing gallery on the front façade of the Palace. This is where the dignitaries would sit to view grand parades and processions on the palace grounds.  The grand hall inside the Mysore Palace.   We spent only about 40 minutes through the fixed path inside the palace, while all the literatures we read had said it takes at least a couple of hours. It was an underwhelming experience. I chatted up with a guide at the palace and enquired about the Brindavan gardens. He said there won't be any bloom at this time of the year and we may find it difficult to move around given how warm it was that day – 34 C at noon. We dropped the gardens and chose to visit the Jaganmohan Palace Gallery nearby. It was a 2-min drive from the palace. The Jaganmohan Palace Gallery is the alternative royal residence and has the largest collection of Raja Ravi Verma paintings – Wiki Link. Free parking was available inside the gallery compound with plenty of shade. There was an entry ticket of Rs 60 per person. There were also a dozen shops within the compound, which we decided to check out later. The front façade of the Jaganmohan Palace.  The Gallery itself is behind the auditorium at the front, so one must walk to the gallery entrance along the right side and at the end of the front structure. Photography was (rightly) prohibited within the gallery, so we have no pictures of inside the gallery. We both enjoyed the next few hours going through every painting and every artefact inside this gallery twice. It was time well spent, better than the Mysore Palace. The highlight was the ‘Glow of Hope’ watercolour painting by S.L. Haldankar – just brilliant – Wiki Link. The below image is from the public domain.  Having walked a lot, my legs were aching. We ate our lunch very late in a restaurant we saw outside the gallery and then returned to the hotel. For dinner we went to the roof top pub in the hotel, and it was a nice one. Our stay in Mysuru had come to an end. Next day we were leaving for Udupi. (Continued...) |
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13th February 2023, 20:51
| #10 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 136
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier (…Continued) Day 16/21 – Mysuru to Udupi
Udupi was going to be a night’s stopover. We didn’t want to travel 12+ hrs it would take to reach Goa. We started mid-morning from Mysuru after a heavy breakfast at the hotel and took the Medikeri-Mangaluru route.  The entire day’s drive was through some very scenic parts of KA, mostly on a 2-lane road. After Medikeri, we passed through the gentle hills of Coorg. Stopped at the Greenland Hotel for lunch a bit after noon and an hour later took a 30-min road-side nap around Jalsoor village. It was very close to the Kerala border. Soon we bypassed Mangaluru and I refueled. We also had our first glimpse of the Arabian sea after many days (couldn’t take a pic). A procession just after we passed Mangaluru.  Really don’t remember much about this day, except there was a lot of greenery all along. We reached our stay at Manipal (Udupi) – The HomeTown Galleria – before sunset. It was very warm in Udupi, but the hotel was a surprise – it was either new or recently furnished. We had our dinner at the restaurant inside the hotel. We checked out the pub and then retired for the day. Day 17/21 – Udupi to Agonda (Goa)
Today was going to be a coastal ride. Woke up late. The breakfast spread was very good, a mix of continental and Indian - we had our fill – complementary. This hotel in Udupi was a pleasant surprise.  Every few KMs we came across a bridge with views like this one - bridge over a water body.  Our main agenda for the day was also our only stop – Maravanthe beach. We reached there just before noon and spent half hour on the beach soaking in the sights and taking pictures. A collage of random pics taken of the Maravanthe beach.  More water bodies on the route.  NH 66 in KA was a superb 4-lane well marked road and I covered most of it at triple-digit speeds. We passed places like Murudeshwar, Gokarna and Karwar. We had been to all these places previously. The Karwar tunnel and the road leading to it are mostly ready. It should be thrown open in a few months. A couple of random pics of a quaint bay somewhere past Karwar town.   The check-post at the entry to Goa state.  The calm Arabian see from the NH 66 inside Goa.  A signboard announcing the destination of our trip - Mumbai. The feeling that our trip was coming to an end, was growing.  Around 1530 we pulled into the Agonda road and ten minutes later had parked outside our stay in Goa – Anantra Sea Resort. Days 18 & 19 – in Agonda (Goa) Anantra was a decent place with cottages facing the beach and a few inside. We preferred the latter. We really enjoyed our stay at this place over the next couple of days with some great food and drinks at their bar and restaurant. Hired a scooter on one of the days to visit nearby areas including the Palolem beach. I also managed to get the Harrier washed – full foam wash + inside vacuuming for just Rs 200! The setting sun on day#1 at Agonda beach.  A small fishing boat in sepia the same evening.  The same fishing boat without filter.  A bloom inside the resort.  A view inside the resort with the Harrier seen through the entrance.  Felt like our stay in Goa had come to an end sooner than we’d want it too. Day 20/21 – Goa to Pune
We had some work in Pune. We started as early as we could, around 0830 from Agonda. Took the Molem – Ambod – Belgavi route.  I knew the road would be bad inside the Bhimgad forest reserve after Anmod. And it was – about 5 KMs of misery. Do not take this route if your vehicle has stiff suspension or if you have elderly/kids. On the positive side, the continuous forest canopy keeps you cool and the longer route via Ramnagar is also bad with traffic. Signboard at the entrance to the Bhimgad Sanctuary.  A 5 KM stretch with moon craters just after entering the sanctuary.  On NH 748, about 20 KMs outside Belgavi, the local police were stopping everyone. There was a protest by local farmers against a planned ring road around Belgavi. The NH 48 and NH 748 pass through Belgavi city. Given the rising traffic on both roads, a ring-road around Belgavi is needed, but it means a lot of people may lose their farms. The protestors had blocked all possible routes to Belgavi. It was just past noon and the local police said it will clear after 2 hours. I pulled into a nearby fuel station to top up and stayed put there till the roads were reopened. We were carrying food and water. Around 1415, we were able to resume our journey towards Belgavi. While I was following the news for skirmishes along the MH-KA borders, this one caught me off-guard. In hindsight, I would have driven through north Goa and Amboli. A dashcam snap of the farmers’ protest. They had brought their tractors, bullock carts, cattle, women and children to the protest – it was all hands.  Rest of the journey till Khed-Shivapur toll plaza was typical, covered at 80-90 KMPH. A lunch-stop at Hotel Kaveri before Nipani, and then one long tea break around Satara. Setting sun somewhere before Satara.  Café 9995 – where we stopped for tea and stretch break.  After the toll plaza speeds were lower due to heavy traffic. It was 2115 when I pulled into the parking at our stay in Pune – the Ibis Hinjewadi. After a quick bath, ordered dinner at the hotel restaurant as we were too tired to step out. The Ibis restaurant food, while good, I felt it was exorbitantly priced (for instance 350 for a cup of tea/coffee and most other items at 550 or more). Day 21/21 – Pune to Mumbai
Work up early to finish my work, got ready and went for breakfast at leisure. The restaurant was super crowded on the working day, but the spread was decent and made it worthwhile. The Harrier at the hotel car park.  Some pictures by wife from the Ibis campus while I was busy with my work.    We checked out at 11 and headed towards Mumbai. A few random pics from the MPEW.    One pitstop at the Kalamboli McDonalds at the end of the MPEW and then to destination home. The Odo once I had parked at home (actually clicked a day later).  Our 3-week sojourn to and back from the southern tip of the country had come to an end leaving us with memories for a lifetime. Thank you for reading! |
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15th February 2023, 06:06
| #11 |
| Team-BHP Support  | |
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15th February 2023, 10:09
| #12 | ||
| BHPian  Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: Mangalore
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| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Harrier Quote:
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Enjoyed the travelogue, didnt feel it was long at all. Infact I was able to virtually travel that route as I read, thanks to the detailed explanation. Thanks for sharing. | ||
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15th February 2023, 10:57
| #13 |
| BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Mumbai
Posts: 234
Thanked: 550 Times
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15th February 2023, 11:13
| #14 |
| BHPian Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 242
Thanked: 857 Times
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15th February 2023, 11:21
| #15 |
| BHPian Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: MH47 / KA05
Posts: 102
Thanked: 210 Times
| Re: Mumbai to Kanyakumari in a Tata Harrier Wow! This detailed travelogue gave me a virtual tour. I've added this trip to my bucket list  |
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