Cycling in 4 states on single gear cycle 5: Lokapur- Bagalkote- Kolhar (71 kms)

✪ Connection with Bagalkote!
✪ Beautiful Ghatprabha river
✪ Meeting massive Krishna river
✪ Bipolar village- Kolhar
✪ Acclimatization of the body and the mind

Hello all. There was long gap in writing my experiences related to cycling done in September- October 2022. Due to sky watching activities and other works, I was not able to write next part. Also I was enjoying early morning running feast and glorious foggy rides these days. It is a never to be missed joy! So writing these blogs slightly slipped behind. The cycling expedition itself was completed in 18 days, but writing those experiences is still going on! So you can imagine which is more easy. :) But people who were with me in this process reminded me again. So now finding time for this. It makes my eyes teary when I recall experiences during this 1500 km expedition. So many people were there with me, nature accompanied me beautifully! That Chorla ghat, then Sironcha- Gadchiroli forest and affectionate people everywhere1 The cycle also supported me and remained not out till last. This cycling expedition was actually a joyous pilgrimage into nature. Outline of this cycle expedition can be read here. Through this article, sharing my joy of this nature pilgrimage with you all.

...Yesterday, on 26th September as I could not find a shelter at the planned village, I had to ride 18 kms more to find a shelter in Lokapur. So accidentally, instead of 90 kms, it was a hundred with 108 kms! I had good rest in Lokapur. As there was no contact persons or organizations in Lokapur, there was no interaction. I took food in the evening and took rest. Our body has a miraculous strength. Yesterday was the third day, now I am used to the cycling. Now I get less tired. Also, the body is getting adjusted to things such as new place of every next day, different food, mosquitos etc. So I could get good rest in the night. Of course, as this expedition involved back- to back riding, not a single day I could have complete 100% rest. But the mind and the body is used to that also.

 

 
(All articles with photos can be read on this blog):  My experiences about trekking, cycling, running, meditation and sky watching etc. can be read on my blog.)


Forth day, 27th September! As I had ridden more 18 kms Yesterday, today's distance is small, just 63 kms! Today I will cross Bagalkote. One memory for our family is that my Grand father Narayan Welankar had worked in Bagalkote 80 years back, in 1942 as a RSS worker. So this village was known to me. I left Lokapur at 6:30 am. The road inside the village was ordinary, but once I crossed the village, the highway is as smooth as earlier. From Kudal- Goa- Belgavi- Lokapur and now towards Kolhar. Direction of the route is such that everyday I face the sun. There are no mountains after Belgavi. Flat terrains, spacious highway and glorious morning! As it is the fourth day, there are no nerves. Now cycling is almost on auto pilot mode. Like all days, I am having some interactions with the people on the road. Today I will cross two rivers and so I will have a slope.

In Bagalkote I had to run left. But I made an error. I was feeling that I have to cross Bagalkote and then turn. I missed turn towards Vijaypura and enetered Bagalkote! Some outskirts of the city and then Bagalkote started! There I took quick breakfast of Upit and tea and checked the map. Then I realized that I have crossed 4-5 kms more! No worry. This only means that I will get to ride a little more distance! Took u- turn. This time carefully took the right direction. As it is morning times, there are many school going children. When they see me, they react, smile and their faces talk a lot! I also crossed one cyclist, probably he he was having a long ride like a BRM.

Felt good after I took the right road. I am seeing some water-body nearby. Firstly I wondered whether it is Almatti. But it is towards south from here. After I crossed some distance, I saw a river. It is Ghatprabha river! Long back I had seen Gokak waterfalls coming from the same river! Here it is much broad. In Bagalkote, my Grand Father had come and my Grand Mother's name is Snehprabha, similar to Ghatprabha! I am now eager for Krishna river. The morning is slowly turning into noon. The temperature is increasing. But there is some slope on this road and it is forth day today. So I just effortlessly continued. Continued enjoying pedaling! Took another break for tea and biscutes at around 55 kms.

Krishna! Vastly massive Krishna! I can see its bank from a long distance. It almost resembles a sea. Of course, here Krishna is with backwater of Almatti dam. That's why it is so vast here. How long the bridge it is! Its length should be at least 3 kms. I took many photos. As the road is narrow on the bridge, I have to look for other vehicles. I spent some time with this great river and left. Old Kolhar village is just after the river. Actually it is a displaced village due to the backwater. Therefore now it is relocated at some distance. I had talked with Bharat Vikas Sangam workers in Kolhar village. Maheshji had told me to reach the bus stand. I reached there. One person- Bassuji had come to receive me. He accompanied me to one house. Despite of extra 8 kms due to Bagalkote, today's ride is only 71 kms. And now definitely I can say, it is only 71/- kms! Bassuji stayed with me for some time and helped me settle there.

Maheshji works in a bank. Till he came in the evening, I took rest. There was one difficulty. My stomach is not well after eating street food and hotel food for 3-4 days now. I am not having diarrhea, but I had to go multiple times. Actually it was going to happen. Because my digestion system is not as strong as I can cycle. Therefore now I have to change one thing. Henceforth I will only take banana- tea- biscuits- chikki- chips on the road. I cannot digest hotel food. I will also take only light meals.

In the evening I roamed in Kolhar with Bassuji. He can speak Hindi well. He informed me that although Kolhar is a very small village, it has two stands. And they are for Hindus and Muslims! The same buses and also the people are same, but two stands! This also has history of riots, he stated. There was no programme in a school or a college. But I had small interactions with some people. In the evening I had dinner with Maheshji in his house. I had some discussion with him in Hindi- English. But his son was plaing in the house, and I could not interact with him. This difficulty with language is there sometimes. Also my stomach is having problems. As a result, I could not have a great discussion. For a moment I cursed my digestion system. But then realized that everyone has some issues. When women do such rides, they too must be facing many problems, I told myself. Now I will take proper rest so that tomorrow's ride will be smooth. In the night there are clouds. In the mornings, the sky is vacant and there are clouds in the afternoon! 

 

 

Here village- names are interesting. Basavana Bagewadi village is nearby and it is birth place of great Shri Basaveshwara. Tomorrow I will go to Sindagi. One short road towards Sindagi goes through this road. But after discussion with people, I decided to go via the longer route passing through Vijaypura. As it is highway, despite of more distance, it would take less time. One village nearby has a name- Telagi. After Sindhudurg and Goa, in Karnataka too, there are many villages which are also surnames. This way the fourth day in the expedition got unfolded! Tomorrow I will have one more hundred!

 

Next: Cycling in 4 states on single gear cycle 6: Kolhar- Vijaypura- Sindgi (101 kms)

(Thanks for reading! You can enjoy the photos on the blog link given above. You can also read about my experiences of trekking, cycling, running, meditation, sky watching etc. There. If you wish to get updates of such activities, you can contact me. Niranjan Welankar 09422108376)