Serene Sirsi: Edition 2: Through Green Western Ghats…

Living in this hectic world, we all are in urgent need of taking the pace down a notch and exploring the other side. The Serene side…

And on that thought we are happy to announce CyclingMonks’ association with Serene Sirsi. Because monks and serenity are made for each other!

Where is Sirsi?

Sirsi, located in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka is a gorgeously green part of the country. Set in the Western Ghats, it is home to buckets of torrential rain during the Indian monsoons. And when the rains recede, the world around is lit up in every shade of green imaginable.

There is nothing quite as calming as pedalling your bicycle through lush green ghats and exploring the numerous waterfalls this place is famous for. Your ride will forever be blessed, as Sirsi is dotted with hundreds of temples. From ancient, to old, to relatively new. You have temples of every hue.

This 4-day tour is organised by VeloIndians, a Bangalore based outfit. They have oodles of experience in organising bike tours like this. Their biggest is Tour of Nilgiris, one of the oldest and most respected bicycle sportive events in the entire country. With Serene Sirsi, the team is bringing another large swathe of the state for you to explore on your bike.

Sirsi is relatively unexplored. Which makes riding through it a joy and managing logistics for it quite the challenge. Which is where the backup and support provided by the VeloIndians crew, becomes even more crucial.

As we stated at the outset, slowing the world down every once in a while, is of paramount importance. Bicycles are built to travel the world slow, if you want to go fast, you can always use an automobile. But it is only at bicycle speeds when you truly absorb the world around.

Serene Sirsi: The Route

The second edition of Serene Sirsi will be starting at Jog Falls on the first day and going via Unchalli Falls, before ending the night at Sirsi.

The second day you ride to Yellapura, enjoy the majestic views of the Kadra Dam and challenge yourself with the Kadra climb.

The third day is spent riding to Yana and the mesmerising Viboothi Falls.

While on the fourth and final day of the tour, we ride to Dandeli, a popular river rafting spot of the state on the Kali River. Which is a 184 km long river which empties out into the Arabian Sea, but not before supporting the livelihood of the thousands of people who live near it.

While scenic, the route is relatively easy for most cyclists. If you are reasonably regular on the saddle, you will not have any trouble riding the rolling terrain. For absolute new riders though this will be a bit of a challenge. But easily manageable with the support crew to egg you on.

The crew of VeloIndians are people who have done this multiple times before, and each crew member has his task cut out. A smoothly oiled machine, so that participants can focus on just enjoying the ride!

Places of Note

It is not just the serenity of the land that you will be enjoying but also the sound of violently cascading waterfalls. A sound so voluminous that it will knock you out of your reverie…

Jog Falls

Jog Falls is the biggest thing you will be seeing, more literally than figuratively! This is the third largest waterfall in India and is a joy to behold. Soon after the monsoons, it is brimming to the top. This place has always been a must visit in this region.

Unchalli Falls

Known for the deafening sound it makes. This waterfall is not quite as high as Jog, but much louder and rowdier!

Marikamba Temple

Also known as Marigudi Temple, it was built in 1688. This Durga temple is known for its Kaavi Art, which was popular in Konkan Karnataka.

Kadra Dam

This dam built over Kalinadi will be of great interest to the engineers within the group. As dams always are!

Kaiga Nuclear Power Station

Some more for the infrastructure enthusiasts, this nuclear power plant has been in operation for more than a couple of decades and is still a beacon for the future. With our country’s growing power needs set to be provided by nuclear energy.

Yana Caves

Known for its Karst Rock formations, Yana Village also has the splendid distinction of being the second cleanest village in India and cleanest in Karnataka. The Bhairaveshwara Shikhara and Mohini Shikara rock formations are 390 and 300 metres tall. Enough to get all you recreational geologists intrigued!

There are other interesting places including tiger reserves, rock formations, waterfalls and more. It needs to be seen to be experienced!

Cuisine

For cyclists, no matter how pretty the place, what goes into the stomach equally important.

And for those visiting from the north, the southern delicacies are what you are going to enjoy. With the place being a mostly rice eating belt, you are treated to idlis, dosas and more. This temple region is also primarily vegetarian and the local food has that special touch.

For the non-vegetarians among the group, VeloIndians rises to the challenge. They ensure that you are treated to your regular supply of non-vegetarian delicacies!

Treat Your Eyes!

Enjoy more photographs from the first edition of Serene Sirsi on the VeloIndians Website. And get in touch with them at 9482258768…

We are super excited to be riding in Uttara Kannada with the VeloIndians crew next month!

Photos: Deepak S / VeloIndians