Jejuri (Kade Pathar)

Date : 09 April 2011

Bike : Thunderbird twinspark (me)
Distance :
Kothrud Stand to Jejuri (Kade Pathar)(Kothrud stand => ChandaniChowk => NH4 => Katraj => Some confusion after tunnel U turn again U turn => Khed Shivapur - Saswad link road (which has Mariaai ghat) => Saswad => Jejuri => Kade Pathar) : @ 84 Km
Jejuri (Kade Pathar) to Kothrud Stand (Kade Pathar => Jejuri => Saswad => Dive ghat => Kondhwa => Pune => Kothrud stand) : @ 60 Km

Note :
Jejuri has 2 well known Khandoba temples, one I visited is on Kade Pathar (has got @ 750 steps) and it is said to be the old temple. There is way from Kade-pathar to visit new temple. I will advice to visit new temple first as I have heard that it usually has relatively long queue .

My age old Nokia E63 does not have GPS so I just read the map and missed the turn @ katraj for Kondhwa (my original plan was to go via Dive ghat). After crossing Katraj tunnel I realized my mistake and took U turn - crossed Katraj tunnel again and then a local told me that there is better road to Saswad after crossing Katraj tunnel - so I took U turn again and reached this Khed-Shivapur - Saswad link road. Thanks to that local guy, I love riding on NH4!.

Khed Shivapur - Saswad link road

The link road is also quite good, there was almost no traffic on this link road. I had never heard of Mariaai ghat - this is little steep ghat but road condition is quite good. Occasionally 1-2 vehicles were crossing (this was good sign :)). I was told by many friends earlier that Saswad region is not safe (looting happens in this area). So having 1-2 vehicles passing by was a good sign :). I gave lift to one old milkman on this road and he told me to visit Kade pathar since it is the actually Pragat sthan of Khandoba.

Stairs to Kade Pathar temple

Taken from Kade Pathar - new temple can be see in Right Hand top corner

My plan was to first visit the new temple and then go to Kade pathar, but Kade pathar and new temple are quite at distance and my bike was parked near Kade-Pathar so I lost the energy and willingness to visit new temple after visiting Kade Pathar temple (actually I think I should have visited new temple as well :().

Kade Pathar temple (in front of Khandoba temple - there is Ram temple)

The idol of lord Khandoba is very beautiful, photography is not allowed inside temple. Here are few photos of some other temples @ Kade pathar -

Inside Ram temple

Inside Lord Datta temple near Khandoba temple

Nandi @ Khandoba temple

Fire (this is probably called angi-kund) @ Khandoba temple

View around Kade Pathar

On my journey back home I came via Dive-ghat, this road is also very good. I bought some fruits, just before Dive ghat, the granny who was selling fruits was very good and kind hearted lady. She gave me few fruits to eat there (for free!) just because I told her they are good in taste. Overall the ride was amazing, I crossed Katraj Tunnel 3 times in a single day! Saw 2 new ghats and got good blessings from Khandoba!

As they say "Yel kot yel kot jay Malhar!!"

Bedse caves - a long waited ride

Day : 12 Mar. 2011

Bedse caves

Bike : Thunderbird twinspark (me - alone :) )

Distance :

Kothrud Stand to Bedse caves(Kothrud stand => ChandaniChowk => NH4 => Kamshet => Bedse village => Bedse caves) : 60 Km

Bedse caves to Kothrud Stand (Bedse caves => Talegaon => took wrong turn and landed in Pipri => Kothrud stand) : @ 70 Km

Note : 

There are no boards before Kamshet on NH4 indicating turn for Bedse village, even after Kamshet I did not see any boards showing "towards bedse caves" etc.

Do park your bike near Bedsai Devi temple, road after that is in very bad condition (rather it is not a road for vehicles)

My journey started looking at accidents on the highway.

Ice truck

Till Kamshet I could drive mostly @ 75 to 85 kmph. After Kamshet the road goes through village and it is not in very good condition. You will have to drive @ 40-50 kmph on this road.

You can visit temple of KedarNath (Shiv temple) on your way to Bedse caves, the temple is exactly on the road! 

KedarNath temple - on the way to Bedse caves

Inside the KedarNath temple

Shiv Pindi

The scenery around the road is quite beautiful, particularly if you reach little early in the morning you can enjoy  the nature's beauty in this area.I tried clicking few photographs on my way to Bedse caves -

Salunki

Probably kokil

Trees

I had little bad day today, for some unknown reason one of the screw supporting Thunderbird's front leg guard fell somewhere, being in little remote area and unable to listen to that noise I tried something simple to fix this problem :)

Temporary fix for Front leg guard support

When I was about to reach Bedse caves I thought of parking my TBTS near Bedsai temple (which was THE RIGHT THOUGHT), a villager told me that you can go further on your bike. Somehow I stupidly believed him and overconfident with my driving skills decided to go further on bike

What is seen in the image is just a little glimpse of this BAD ROAD,
ahead it is feels like mountain biking :(

I tried controlling my TBTS on this dirty road as much as possible. The front leg guard was already irritating me with noise. Finally when I almost reached there, I lost my balance :(. I did not have even minor injury but to add to driving pain, my TBTS's foot rest for gear shift was broken :(.

Broken foot rest

Now I was in dilemma "Whether to go up stairs and visit Bedse caves or should I return from here itself". Finally I thought after all this pain it is not worth going back without visiting these caves. So finally I went upstairs to see these caves. It was worth that effort!!. No usual crowd, at the most 4-5 people, clean caves and beautiful nature. That is almost perfectly what I like. Sharing here few photos of these caves -

The lonely road, My Lonely :) TBTS - near Red mark, and the stairs for Bedse caves

Stupa

Another view of same stupa

Carvings - taken from inside the caves

Couple on horse

Couple on Elephant

Another carving

Carvings on walls

Inside Vihar - where monks meditate

Sun rays and water

Pune-Mumbai Expressway - taken from Bedse caves

I am sure these hills must be looking very beautiful in rainy season

My return journey was not so good. Saw few more accidents while coming back. With broken foot rest I really tried best out of me to control bike down the hilly area. I had never tried such driving before, to add to it while going down I tried to follow another villager and came down from a more difficult to drive road. But finally I loved this experience. Near Kamshet I could get a mechanic, who did not have foot rest for my TBTS, but I suggested him to use one of the pillion foot-rest and make it work for now :).

Pune - Kalamboli - Pune quick trip

Day : 15 Aug. 2010

Shrenik / Me / Shrenik's friend

Bikes : Thunderbird Twinspark (Me and Prajesh)
           Thunderbird Twinspark (Shrenik and his friend - forgot his name)
Distance : Round trip 264km
Average driving speed : 65kmph to 80 kmph (Pune to Kalamboli)
                                     55kmph to 70 kmph (Kalamboli to Pune) = in day time traffic increased.
Road condition : Mostly very good (I would say excellent)
Lessons learned :
1. Take break if you are tired... there is very less difference between driving of tired person and drunk person :)
2. Use indicator while overtaking

Note : quality of photos is poor - taken using my Nokia E63

I started from home very early - 4.45 am :), met Shrenik at Wakad chowk and started for Kalamboli @ 5.10 am (we both reached the spot earlier than decided 5.15 am).

This was my first experience of night (early morning) riding. As compared to my earlier ride experiences, NH4 is completely different experience. Thanks to Shrenik for teaching me few riding lessons.
From the start itself we were riding quite fast, mostly the vehicles around were heavy vehicles (and some very very heavy vehicles). In the early morning there was very less traffic and we could maintain speed of 70kmph + almost throughout ride.
We reached Lonawala @ 6.15 am - the view of Lonawala was very beautiful

Beautiful view from Lonawala 

Glimpse of NH4

On the way...

Road condition is mostly good - while going to Mumbai, ghat section is not much difficult to drive. We reached Kalamboli @ 8 am. There we met our friend Harshad Sharma (who went as a journalist with RE trip on NH17).

Harshad Sharma - aka Hiway

Another good thing was we got to see so many Royal Enfields in a row!! (and almost all varieties of them) -

Royal Enfields !!

Royal Enfields !!

Our return journey was equally good (except the traffic we experienced in Mumbai). In return journey the ghat section is little difficult to drive, the turns are sharp and you have to climb a lot. We took some photos near Lonawala.

Huge container

Monkeys

We reached home @ 2pm, that was a real quick trip :).

My first long ride experience :)

I took thunderbird on 22 nd April 10, since the day I took this bike - I wanted to go on long ride :). I drove 200 km in first 3 days and there came shock 'I had to wait for first servicing for ~15 days', there was no other choice but to cancel the long ride plan :(
I got the first servicing done on 11 th this month. None of my friends were ready to travel on week days :(. I had to go to Nrusinhawadi for first long ride (it is temple of Shri Nrusinha Saraswati), finally after some thought  I decided to go alone.

I left home on 12 th May 6.30am, for safety I took one extra clutch cable with me.

I must mention here that NH4 is pleasure to ride. The road is mostly in very good condition. I think this was the first time for me to ride through tunnel - Katraj tunnel is 1.38 km long and I could not believe that 35W light which comes (by default) with thunderbird is hardly of any use there :(. I was worried about crossing Khambatki ghat, but actually when I reached there I did not notice when I entered Khambatki ghat section and when it was over (I mostly used 3rd and 4rth gear - rarely 2nd was required). View from Khambatki is really good :).

About 12.15pm I reached Sangli - finding hotel was not that difficult, Ratna International looked quite OK to me. Food was really superb and very cheap. Room rents are OK but rooms are not great. I took some rest and in evening I went to Nrusinhawadi, the road to Nrusinhawadi is again quite good - mostly it goes through farms. The parking boy gave me permission to park thunderbird in car parking :).

Next day I left for Nrusinhawadi (2nd visit) @ 4.25 am, reached there around 4.50am the kakad arti (early morning prayer) has just started. One suggestion : now there are good hotels in Nrusinhawadi (I did not know this earlier) - try to avoid Sangli hotels (if you want good service then try hotel Ambassador in Sangli).

I started back for Pune around 8am. Because of sunburns on hands, it was quite difficult for me to drive after Satara (11.30 am). There is hotel by name Mahendra executive in Satara - I tried all orders "Veg Biryani / Dosa / Curd rice" for every option waiter told me please try Idli sambar in our hotel. Finally without asking me he bought Idli sambar???. I left that place and started journey back to Pune. I forgot to remove goggles before entering Khambatki tunnel :D (@ 838 mtr) it was real adventure for me till I finished that tunnel :).

Thunderbird gave me unbelievable mileage of @55-60 kmpl on hiway :). I did not face any oil-leak problem in this 600 km ride. Now waiting for next ride.

I had done one Konkan ride with friends few years back (that was on Bajaj boxer) and one to Shirawal (on Bajaj Caliber), but riding on thunderbird is totally different joy altogether. I missed friends in this journey :(, next time it would be great experience if I get company of friends :).

Happy thumping :)