The Homnabad-Gulbarga NH218
The canon at Gulbarga Fort
Khwaja Bande Nawaj Dargah,Gulbarga
Corn fields on the The Homnabad-Gulbarga NH218
Jumma Maszid,Gulbarga
Gulbarga Fort
Buddha Mandir,Gulbarga
Museum@ Gol Gumbaz,Bijapur
Gol Gumbaz,Bijapur
Gol Gumbaz -Inside up close
Ibrahim Roza,Bijapur
Mallik-Maidan Toop
Canon atop Upri Burj,Bijapur
Jod Gumbaz as seen from Upri Burj,Bijapur
Cloud action near Gulbarga
Cloud action near Gulbarga
On the Gulbarga-Bijapur NH218 in the morning
1 AM: still 4 hrs to go. 3 AM: still 2 hours to go. Finally, at 5 AM the alarm went off and I got up from bed. This was not the first time I was going on a long distance bike ride. But, the excitement was palpable. Maybe, it was my first ride in 3 months. Maybe, the mind was not convinced whether my fever recovered body can handle 800 kms in 2 days. But, as a popular Hero had said:” एक बार मैंने कोम्मित्त्मेंट कर दी ,तो फिर मई अपने आप की भी नहीं सुनता.Translated into English it means “Once I have given a commitment, then I don’t listen to myself also.”
Finally, tank filled and bag saddled, I left Hyderabad at 6. 45 AM. The route to Gulbarga passes through Sangareddy, Zahirabad and Homnabad; all on the NH9.After Homnabad took a left turn to join the NH218 towards Gulbarga. The NH218 till Gulbarga is definitely a better piece of tarmac compared to the NH9.After numerous breaks and photo sessions reached Gulbarga at 11.15 AM.220 kms in 4 hrs and 30 mins.
After wandering in the “no-ways “ and “free ways” of the old city, I finally had a darshan of Khwaja Bande Nawaj Dargah and the Gulbarga Fort.The fort houses the Jumma Maszid and a few cannons atop a vantage point. After that, it was a well earned lunch at “Heritage Inn Hotel” and then some rest at my cousin’s place.
I tried a different dish at the hotel:”Dal ghost”. Its nothing but mutton cooked in dal fry. In the evening, had a quick tour of the city and finally went to the Buddha Mandir on the outskirts of the city. It’s a very calm and quiet place and good for meditation.
The next day left Gulbarga at 6.35 AM towards Bijapur on the NH218.The route passes through Jewargi and Sindhgi.One word of caution for the Gulbarga Bijapur stretch of NH218.The road is uneven in many places and may cause the bike to jump at high speeds. There are no potholes though. With time eaten up by photo sessions, I reached Bijapur at 10.15 AM.170 kms in 3 hrs and 40 mins.
Immediately, proceeded towards Gol Gumbaz –The 2nd biggest dome in the world. Climbed 7 storeys to reach its main Gumbaz.They say on a quiet day, one can hear voices spoken at the other end of the Gumbaz through the walls. Quite similar to the Golconda fort in Hyderabad. But, in the melee I couldn’t hear anything.Also, visited the Museum situated next to it.
Next, went to Ibrahim Rouza housing the tomb of King Ibrahim Adil Shah 2nd.Its a well maintained place. After that saw the Malik Maidan Top (Big Cannon) and Upri Burj.The Upri Burj houses 2 cannons and gives a commanding view of the city.Then went to a hotel providing typical Bijapur home made food. Left Bijapur at 1.50 PM and arrived at Gulbarga at 4.35 PM. 1hr saved because of no photo sessions.
Freshened up a bit and left Gulbarga at 5.15 PM towards Hyderabad. With light fading up and the high beam glare of trucks and Volvos obstructing my vision, it was difficult to gain speed. In the morning I had brutally overtaken all kinds of four wheelers. Now, it was payback time for them. Finally, reached Hyderabad at 10 PM.With the body aching like anything it was time for a good dinner and deep sleep.
Day 1---250 kms
Day 2---555 kms
Total distance-805 kms covered in 2 days.
Important distances:
Hyderabad to Gulbarga—220 kms (Via NH9)
Gulbarga to Bijapur ---170 kms (Via NH218)
