more to life...: Team Bike Trip - Mysore

It has been more than 6 months since we went on a bike trip as a team and Lakshmi was all geared up for it. We decided that we would go to Mysore via the Sathyamangalam forests as most of them hadn’t been there and route is very good. After some last-minute cancellations and new additions, we finally were 11 guys and 6 bikes.

We started on August 4th morning straight from office. Before that we searched in net and booked rooms in Hotel Calinga. The hotel turned out to be hi-tech only for the fact that it was mentioned in the net; we got a shock when we saw the hotel and the locality. The route from Bannari to Nanjangud is good with rolling hills and lush green forests. Breakfast can be had at Puliampatti, which is around 1-1/2 hours drive from Coimbatore.

Nanjangud is the seat of a beautiful and ancient Shiva temple where Lord Nanjundeshwarar resides. It is situated on the banks of the river Kapila. Legend says that Lord Nanjundeshwarar got his name when he drank the poison that emanated when the demons and Gods churned the ocean in search of nectar. The saffron- and white-coloured gopuram is huge and beautifully made. Lunch can be had at Nanjangud. There are no good hotels near the temple, you have to travel around 3 km to a hotel called Ramprakash which is on Mysore-Gundalpet road for good food.

By the time we left Nanjangud, it started drizzling and developed into a heavy rain by the time we reached Mysore. As we reached only by late evening, we thought we will just roam around the city, and the guys’ eyes popped out when they saw the girls in Mysore. I, once again, had a tough time behaving maturely. Dinner can be had at Hotel RRR which is in Gandhi Square, it provides excellent veg and non-veg food.

The next day we left to St. Philomena Church. Built from 1933-1941 and in neo-Gothic style, this church looms 165 feet into the air with its twin spires. Next, we went to Mysore zoo, it is the only zoo in India which exhibits gorilla. After that, we went to the Mysore Palace. Completed in 1912, this palace was designed by the architect Henry Irwin. It is built in Indo-Saracenic style and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Gothic and Rajput styles of architecture.

By the time we left to Coimbatore around 4 o’clock in the evening, Andrew’s bike started giving some funny noises and by the time we reached Chamarajanagar, the sound became louder than that of a lorry. It turned out that the silencer connection had broken down and hence three of us had to stay that night in Chamarajanagar as it was a Sunday no workshops were open. The stay turned out to be good as the next day we had a chance to see Chamarajeshwara Temple. Built in 19th century, this temple is very silent and constructed beautifully. By the time we finished our tour of the temple, the bike had been repaired and we started. The return journey was uneventful with a brief stopover at Bhavanisagar dam.

Route: Coimbatore=Bannari=Dhimbam=Aasanur=Chamarajanagar=Nanjangud=Mysore.

Expenses: (For 3 days) Rs.750/= per head including food, stay, entrance tickets, and fuel.