Day 1 – Chitradurga
The tour starts from Bangalore at 7 am.
Chitradurga, the fort town located 200 KMs away. We take a short break after a drive of 70 KMs for breakfast at Tumkur, town famous for growing coconuts, millets, rice, pulses, arecanut and oil seeds. We will reach Chitradurga around 1130 am. Chitradurga is an ancient town and was part of the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka the Great, in the 3rd century BC. Chitradurga Fort covers an area of 1500 acres and its walls cover a distance of 8 KMs. It is a fascinating experience to explore this fort with its seven concentric fortification walls, 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, 35 secret pathways, four invisible passages, water tanks and 2000 watch towers!
Post lunch, we do 122 KMs to reach Hadagali, our abode for the night. We will stay in tents in a farm house in a village on top of a hill with great views.
Day 2 –Bear Sanctuary Hampi
After breakfast we leave the village and ride 92 KMs to reach Hampi by noon. We check into our Hotel and have lunch.
After some rest we drive again for 20 KMs to a fascinating sanctuary for the Indian Sloth Bear at Daroji. Spread over 5500 hectares Daroji Bear Sanctuary was created in 1994 and is the first of its kind in Asia. Other than 150 Bears, other inhabitants of this reserve are Leopards, Hyena, Jackals, Wild boars, porcupine, Pangolins, Star tortoise, Monitor lizard, Mongoose, Pea fowls, Partridges, Painted spur hen and Quails.
Day 3 Sacred & Royal Trails in Hampi
Today we spend half a day walking around the sacred area along the Tungabhadra River. This region has held religious and cultural significance long before the Vijayanagara kings came here to establish their capital. We will cover all the important monuments spread across the southern banks of Tungabhadra river.
Lunch will be served in a Banana Plantation.
Post lunch, after a bit of rest we head towards the Royal structures of Hampi. Over the next couple of hours we will explore the courts and military structures of the once mighty Vijayanagar Empire.
Day 4 – Kishkinda Trail
Today we start early at daybreak at 545 am. We ride to Anjanadri hill, the birth place of Lord Hanuman, for a glorious sunrise. After breakfast we start the tour of Kishkinda, the legendary monkey kingdom mentioned in the great epic The Ramayana. A guide will show us where all the key events of Ramayana happened at Kishkinda. He will tell us stories and legends pertaining to the places we visit. In fact it is here at Rishyamukha hills that Lord Rama meets Hanuman for the first time as he is looking for his kidnapped wife, Sita. Pampa Sarovara is another highlight of this tour where Rama met the old woman Shabari who advised him to seek Hanuman. We will also see the legendary Sugreeva’s cave where an interesting episode happened in Ramayana which altered the course of events to follow.
Day 5 – 380 KMs of riding, Badami, Aihole & Pattadakal
Today we will see the legendary cave temples built by the Chalukyas at Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal. Dating back to the 6th century, these are considered one of the best remnants of temple art in India.
After breakfast we do 150 KMs to the erstwhile capital of the Chalukya Kings, Badami. Located in a ravine at the foot of red sandstone hills Badami looks mesmerizing surrounded by the Agastya lake. The cave temples are made of made of red sandstone and feature a hall with numerous pillars and a square shaped sanctum. Paintings cover the ceiling. A must look out is the pose of Lord Shiva and his consort Parvathi with a coiled serpent. An 18 armed lord Nataraja in 81 dancing poses is the other item of interest. Badami is also famous for its inscriptions. An important inscription to look out for would be the first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dating back to 543 CE.
We go from Badami to Aihole, located 34 KMs away. There are more than a hundred stone temples from 5th century onwards to see. After Aihole, we move to Pattadakal located 14 KMs away. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is an epitome of the Visara style of architecture. The grandest of all temples here was built in 8th Century by Queen Lokamahadevi in 745.
Day 6 – Village experience
We spend the day at a leisurely pace around the 29 villages surrounding the ruins of Hampi. People have been living in this area for over 5000 years. We will get to see the life in a typical Indian village. We will ride on bikes and bullock carts as we explore lakes, canals and cave paintings in Anegundi village and other parts of the countryside. You will also be able to look at the local handicrafts which keeps the livelihood going for these folks.
Day 7 – Bangalore
We commence the final leg of this tour after breakfast and go back to Bangalore. The distance of 340 KMs would be covered in 7 hours including a Lunch break. We would reach Bangalore by around 4 PM. End of Tour.
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Note: The tour can be customized in terms of duration as well as nature of activities. Guests can choose from SUV, Car, Coach or classic motorcycles.
