Yet another ride with the 60kph gang. The occasion this time was 60kph's 4th Anniv ride. The venue for the anniversary party was the jungles of Dandeli & Yana (part of Shyadri's). Like all 60kph rides, this ride was one of my best rides...

A popular legend associated with Yana holds that Bhasmasura, an evil demon, performed penance to Lord Shiva and obtained the power of reducing to ashes anybody on whose head he placed his hand. An ungrateful Bhasmasura, however, soon decided to test the boon on his benefactor. Devotees believe that when Bhasmasura pursued Shiva with the intention of destroying him, Shiva took abode in the Bhairaweshwara peak at Yana. Legend has it that the other peak is called Jaganmohini in honour of Vishnu, who took the form of Mohini and saved Lord Shiva’s life.

PS: This time i was completly in riding mood so hardly clicked any pictures.

One of my best trips ever!! I started off from Bangalore on my bike, after Bubbly's breakdown rode as a pillion with friends. during the entire trip i traveled in a bus, on a bike and finally came back to Bangalore in a train!!

In 4 days we rode through Mysore, Ooty, Coonoor, Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Palakad, Munnar and Madurai

Edakumeri, this is a station on the railway track known as "green route" from Sakalesh Pura to the Subramanya Road station This railway station is a unique beautiful spot in the whole railway track because of the dense green forest in which it is situated. This stretch of the track with length about 52+kms has around 50+ tunnels and bridges with length varying from few meters to 0.5km and height varying from few meters to few hundred meters. And numerous streams en route. The track will be operational in a few months from now.

We started off for a Sunday Dosa ride to Kanakapura and endedup at Chunchi Falls near Sangama.

The excuse to ride to Coorg this time was Vishu's friend's wedding :-) Both of us left Bangalore on Friday, visited Sravanbelagola, Bylkuppe, Dubare, Madikeri and Talakaveri and were back in Bangalore on Monday night.

Shravanabelogola: a small town that has the 1000 years old, 17 meters high, world's tallest monolithic statue of Lord Bahubali.

Bylakuppe : One of the largest Tibetan settlements in South India, it is known for its monasteries, handicrafts, carpet factories and an incense factory. The landscape is dotted with several monasteries; the main ones amongst these are the Great Gompa of Sera Je and Sera Mey. The Mahayana Buddhist University is located at Sera. It also has an enormous prayer hall. The other important monastery in the neighbouring settlement of Bylekuppe is Tashi Lhumpo monastery, renowned as the seat of Panchen Lama.

Dubare : 15 kms. from Kushalnagar. The reserve forest is famed for its amazing variety of avian fauna, an elephant training camp and angling possibilities on the Cauvery River

Talacauvery : Set amidst the picturesque Brahmagiri hills is the source of Cauvery River, with the Talacauvery Temple built around it. Steps lead from the spring to the summit of the hill, commanding superb views en route.

Bhagamandala: This is the confluence of three rivers: Cauvery, Kanika and Sujyothi. Among many small shrines dedicated to various gods, the Bhagandeshwara Temple, standing in a large courtyard surrounded by Kerala-style temples is the most impressive. Bhagamandala is known for its apiaries and Kodagu honey.

Madikeri : Omkareshwara Temple, built in 1820 and featuring a blend of red-tile roofed Kerala architecture and Islamic-style domes.Raja's Seat, perched atop a hill, is where the kings of yore spent many pleasant evenings watching the golden sunset.

This was a three day ride to Wayanad in Kerala. We rode through 3 states, 4 wildlife sancturies, acres of tea & coffee estates, hills, beaches. One of my best rides till date!!

Wayanad lies at an altitude varying from 700 - 2100 metres above the sea level. The district has the highest number of tribal settlements in Kerala. The hill ranges of Vythiri taluk (taluk is a sub division of a district), through which the road from Kozhikode ascends the Wayanad plateau over the mind boggling bends and ridges, are the highest locations of Wayanad district.

Established in 1973, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is contiguous to the protected area network of Nagarhole and Bandipur of Karnataka on the northeast and Mudumalai of Tamil Nadu on the southeast. Rich in bio-diversity, the sanctuary is an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which has been established with the specific objective of conserving the biological heritage of the region. The sanctuary is very rich in flora and fauna. The management lays emphasis on scientific conservation with due consideration for the general lifestyle of the tribals and others who live in and around the forest region.

This was the first ride with Bangalore gang of 60kph. We were 10 bikes and 15 people. We rode to part of Coorg district where Irpu falls are situated. Camped inside a coffee estate. Rode back through Nagarhole National Park, but the jungle was completly dry. Still it was a great ride.


This waterfalls is amidst of lush green Western Ghats and is located at about 50kms from Madikeri and 20kms from NagarahoLe National Park. This stream will later join river Kaveri. This tributary is called LakshmaNa Teertha who origin is in the Brahma Giri peaks in side the Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary.

One day ride with the 60kph gang of Bangalore. Kokkare Bellur, a mere 60 kilometres from Bangalore, quite literally means the village of the storks. Here, in the midst of paddy fields and assorted cultivation, painted storks (Mycteria leucocephala) and spot-billed pelicans (Pelecanus philippensis) appear every year to nest amongst the huts of the villagers.


Bheemeshwari is set on the banks of River Cauvery. Tucked amidst steep hills, it is a tranquil and panoramic place where fish and peace are found in abundance. It is 100 km. from Bangalore via Kanakapura / Halagur and 85 km.

My first long ride where i rode 4500 kms in 17 days. The ride was on the occasion of 60kph (Bikers and Travelers forum). The 3rd anniversarry of the club was organized at Rann of Kutch which is a desert spanning 5000 sq km's. We were 27 bikes from 5 cities. Undoubtedly my best ride ever!!

The Little Rann of Kutch, the barren expanse of 'desert' (actually salt plains) which divides Gujarat's western region of Kutch from the rest of Gujarat, is the home of the last remaining population of khur (Asiatic wild ass) in India. There's also a large bird population.

The Rann can be treacherously difficult to explore as the desert consists of salt deposited at a time when the area formed part of the delta of the River Indus. This means that rain can quickly turn parts of the desert into a sea of mud, and what to the untrained eye looks like solid ground may in fact be a thin crust of dry silt with soft mud underneath. Hence it is essential to have someone along who is familiar with local conditions.

After nearly 12 yrs, i met my schooltime friend from Vizag. She invited me to visit her hometown Kannur in Kerala. I had been riding with groups for quite some time and this ride gave me a well deserved chance to ride solo again :-) For 70-80 kms i had to ride through thick forest's and i never saw any other 2 wheeler on that jungle road. I was shit scared but had a great time!!

Sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Lakshadweep Sea is one of the most important coastal towns of Kerala – Kannur. Its unique geographical features include dense forests, widespread ravines and a network of long seacoasts, several rivers, lagoons and backwaters.

Kannur is quite important historically. In the old days, it was one of the principal ports of Kerala. According to Marco Polo, the 13th century European traveller, this place was a 'great emporium of spice trade'. Kannur was then ruled by the Kolathiri Rajas. In 1498, the Portuguese arrived here, spearheading Kannur into political limelight. They built a fort in 1505, and named it the St. Angelo Fort. It is in the form of a massive triangular structure. The fort had strong defences like a moat on one side and flanking bastions on the other. The history of Kannur is synonymous with the history of the fort. In 1663, the fort was captured by the Dutch and sold to the Arakkal family in 1772. The Arakkal Ali Rajas were the only Muslim royal family in Kerala. In 1790, the fort was captured by the British, who rebuilt it and made it their military station. Presently, the fort is under the authority of the Archaeological Department of the Government of India. Arakkal Kettu is the palace of the Arakkal Ali Rajas.

I've always been a bit biased towards Black&White photography. Somehow B&W films have a charm which is absent in color. After buying an SLR this was my first attempt at shooting with a B&W film. The snaps are not that good but i'm quite happy with my first attempt. Hope i'll get some good shots on second attempt!!

During the holdidays clubbed with the weekend off, Venky, Vishu, Biju and Myself started off on a 4 day ride across Karnataka. We also visited the historic fort at Bekkal. This was the same forst where "tu hi re" song from Bombay was shot.

The ride was on the occasion of 3rd anniversary of RollingThunder Motorcycle Club. MadBulls from Chennai also joined us. In all about 70 bikes thumped the roads of Yellagiri a small hilltown on Tamil Nadu.

My second ride with Rollingthunder Motorcycle Club (RTMC). We were about 20 bikes and rode to the historical city of Vijaynagar ow known as Hampi. The photo's don't say much but a visit to this place is once in lifetime experience. Though the efforts by government and the locals to preserve the ruined monuments is quite poor but it's still worth a visit.

Although in ruins today, this capital city once boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins of Hampi of the 14th Century lies scattered in about 26 sq. km area, amidst giant boulders and vegetation. Protected by the tempestuous river Tungabhadra in the north and rocky granite ridges on the other three sides, the ruins silently narrate the story of grandeur splendor and fabulous wealth. The splendid remains of palaces and gateways of the broken city tells a tale of men infinite talent and power of creativity together with his capacity for senseless destruction.

My elder sister lives in Hyderbad which is 600 kms from Bangalore. I'd always go by train/ bus to visit her but this time i decided to ride all the way to her house on my Bullet. While in Hyderbad i visited the famous Charminar and Golconda Fort.

Built in 1591-92 by the Qutb Shahi king Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah, this magnificent edifice that epitomises the pride of our city is a structure of char (four) huge minars (pillars). For the etymologists, the word minaret has originated from minar, rendered by the sweet sounding Urdu zabani.

Enter the area and you can smell the fragrances of Persia, the attars of Afghanistan and the scents of Saudi Arabia as you jostle among crowds that seem to be hardly aware of this architectural splendor. You’ll also find a whole lot of pearl dealers seated in shops around the structure. It even has a small mosque located on its roof. Earlier you could have climbed up the stairs and watched the locale from a height of about 54 meters, but some unfortunate incidents have led to the stairs being sealed.

The Golconda Fort provides a majestic backdrop to Bhagyanagar, as Hyderabad was called once. Though the Kakatiyas, the Andhra rulers in the 12th Century, are credited with the original construction of the Fort, it was actually the Qutb Shahi kings that expanded the building. They used granite stones to reconstruct the Fort and fortify the massive structure with granite walls and barricades extending to nearly 7 kms in circumference.

It is said that the Hope Diamond, the Koh-i-Noor Diamond, the Orloff Diamond, etc. originated from this place. While the Nagina Bagh, the guard barracks and the Taramati mosque represent the splendor of the Fort even in its ruins, the Fateh Darwaza, the Madanna Temple, the Ramdas jail, the Rani Mahal and the Jama Masjid are the other major attractions. The Baradari atop the hill offers a clear view of the city.

Originally discovered in 1854 by H.B.Foote, these subturanean passages were explored by the Department of archealogy and Museums, followed by team of European spalelogist led by Mr Gebaner, Belum Caves are the second largest natural caves in Indian Sub. continent after Meghalaya Caves. These underground caves are located on a flat agricultural field, have 3 well like cavities with the central one being the main entrance to the caves. After a descent of 20 meters at the entrance, the cave is horizontal & has a length of 3229 meters. Longer than Borra Caves in Vishakapatnam district Belum Caves have long passages, spacious chambers, fresh water galleries and siphons. All this makes Belum Caves a geological & archeological attraction worldwide.

Gushing waters and imposing landscapes is what Mekedatu is all about. The Cauvery river squeezing through a narrow gorge before traversing its south-bound terrain is a breathtaking sight. It is 98 Kms south of Bangalore.

My second ride outside Bangalore. It rained cats and dogs but we kept thumping through the rains to Mangalore. The total distance covered was about 800 kms and we stayed at a nice beach resort called Sun n Sand. Though there was plenty of sand there but sky was overcast ;-)


This city is said to have been named after the famous Mangaladevi Temple. This temple, also a tourist spot, is situated 3 km away from main city area. This temple was built by the Ballal family of Attavar in memory of a princess of Kerala. Not much history could be found about this area though the local museum would be a right place to go for the history of this place.

Bhoomi Jathrae (BJ) is an Annual Musical event organized by FireFlies at their ashram on Kankapura Road in Bangalore. This was the second year when BJ was oraganized. Lotsa good performances and some boring ones too but over all a good event for just 200 bucks!!

My first outing with my collegues from Oracle. We went out for bowling and other stupid indore games ;-p The venue was Leela Palace in Bangalore. The lobby of the hotel overlooks the beautiful garden within the hotel premises.

Anyone who joins Oracle has to attend a tarining program called GoPlus. It's about team building ectera... ectera... We stayed at Eagelton Resorts which has one of the best golf cources in the country.

My first ride on my Thunderbird to Ooty and Coonoor. The total distance covered was about 650 kms. This was a solo ride though i had my collegue Samir as my pillion. We stayed at Welligton in Coonoor where the movie Roja was shot.

My first job was with naukri.com and i made some great friends there. Few of us from office decided to visit Daak Pathar & Chakrota in Uttaranchal. We went by bus and came back in a train. By the time we reached back home, Me and Suji were down with conjunctivitious :-(

My boss at naukri.com had bought a Ford Ikon and took us for a spin to Hrishikesh where we ended up rafting in the white and cold waters of the Ganges. This was my first ever rafting experience and we had blast out there!!

Sassy is one of the best things to happen in my life. She's a labrador and i got her home on Diwali in 2001. My parents din't spoke to me for over a month coz of Sassy, but now they are completly in love with her :-)