DAY 2 - Exploring the ruins of Junagadh and the seaside temple of Somnath
Route: Bagodra - Rajkot - Jetpur - Junagadh - Somnath - Sasan Gir
Distance: 421 km
Trip: 990 km
Night: Umang Hotel, Sasan Gir After a pretty good first day, we hit the road again at 6.30 am. This stretch was part of the 6 lane Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway that ran straight and flat like a ruler. Cruising at 80 kmph was effortless and only gentle lane changes were needed to overtake or let others pass. We were riding west, and when the sun came up, we caught its glint in the rear view mirror. A crisp chill, lovely morning light and beautiful fields on either sides made an enjoyable ride. Breakfast was fafda, kadi-pakoda and chai near the temple of Chotila. Beyond Chotila, the 6 lane curved right to Kandla Port and we moved ahead on a 4 lane to Rajkot. After riding through Rajkot and Jetpur, we reached the edge of Junagadh. We asked a guy sitting in a roadside mechanic shop for directions to the fort. "Keep riding straight," "Okay," "City gate. Go straight. On your right, Mahabat Maqbara. Go straight. At the chowk, on your left you will see a 'No Entry' board." "Okay," "That's it. Just go inside that lane till you reach Uperkot." After passing through the city gate, we did spot the Mahabat Maqbara on our right. On our left were some dilapidated Raj-era buildings before we hit a chaotic chowk. The 'No Entry' board was indeed there. A narrow street through a bustling bazaar led us to the foothill of Uperkot. The Uperkot is a 4th century BC fort used by several dynasties including Mauryans, Solankis, Gujarat Sultans, Mughals and finally the Babi Nawabs (under the suzerainty of British India). The fort included 2nd century AD Buddhist caves, a couple of wells, a Jama Masjid with crumbling ceiling and the Nilamtope cannon (brought by the Turkish allies of Nawab to fend off the Portugese attack on Daman and Diu). The city outside the fort was an orthogonal maze of narrow streets with several crumbling havelis in advanced state of decay. The Nawab's palace sat in the city square and now housed State Bank of India and a museum. We took some local advice to find the Bangali Restaurant for non-veg food. Outside its grim entrance was a cart selling meat samosas. The inside was a tall room with four different coloured walls and a scatter of tables. Soot over the years darkened the ambience. "Try the samosas. We have mutton and we have bada (beef)," our enthusiastic waiter recommended. "Are they good?" "Try them once. Tabiyat khush ho jayegi." (It will lift up your spirits.) "Okay, we'll have the samosas. And we will also have .." "Let's see about that later," he said and swished away. Soon, a plate of hot samosas arrived in front of us. With my first bite, I knew I had never eaten anything like this before. The qeema was fully cooked in whole spices and wrapped in rumali roti before being deep fried to golden crispness. I could feel the wholeness of cinnamom and cloves hit the roof of my mouth. Mutton curry followed the samosas. Tender lamb shank that seemed like it was cooked over ages, neatly topped with a sprig of coriander, and a side of fresh onions and lemon wedges. One morsel in the mouth and we knew we were fans of Bangali Restaurant for life. I can safely say the mutton was one of the top dishes in my book that I have eaten out. After lunch, we came back to Mahabat Maqbara. The mausoleum looked like a mash between fine Islamic workmanship and Disneyland designs. Several domes sat on top of the tomb, intricate lattice work adorned the walls and spiral staircases wrapped around the minarates. The scale was nowhere close to grand. But the structure had its own charm, or rather, quirkiness. After saying goodbye to Junagadh, we started riding towards Somnath. As we neared the coast, the dry dusty landscape changed to wheat fields and palm groves. We reached the temple town a little before 6 pm. The sun was a pale orange disc and was beginning to sink towards the sea. The Somnath temple sitting on the edge of the sea blushed with a young pinkness. A friendly hotel guard agreed to watch our bike and luggage while we did the darshan in the temple. Inside, the evening aarti was sung by the zestful devotees with vigour to beats of cymbals and drums. That night, we rode from Somnath through Talala to Sasan Gir and stayed at the Umang Hotel (Rs. 400/night).
Home · Day 3
Tags: India, Ride, Royal Enfield, Wildlife
Distance: 421 km
Trip: 990 km
Night: Umang Hotel, Sasan Gir After a pretty good first day, we hit the road again at 6.30 am. This stretch was part of the 6 lane Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway that ran straight and flat like a ruler. Cruising at 80 kmph was effortless and only gentle lane changes were needed to overtake or let others pass. We were riding west, and when the sun came up, we caught its glint in the rear view mirror. A crisp chill, lovely morning light and beautiful fields on either sides made an enjoyable ride. Breakfast was fafda, kadi-pakoda and chai near the temple of Chotila. Beyond Chotila, the 6 lane curved right to Kandla Port and we moved ahead on a 4 lane to Rajkot. After riding through Rajkot and Jetpur, we reached the edge of Junagadh. We asked a guy sitting in a roadside mechanic shop for directions to the fort. "Keep riding straight," "Okay," "City gate. Go straight. On your right, Mahabat Maqbara. Go straight. At the chowk, on your left you will see a 'No Entry' board." "Okay," "That's it. Just go inside that lane till you reach Uperkot." After passing through the city gate, we did spot the Mahabat Maqbara on our right. On our left were some dilapidated Raj-era buildings before we hit a chaotic chowk. The 'No Entry' board was indeed there. A narrow street through a bustling bazaar led us to the foothill of Uperkot. The Uperkot is a 4th century BC fort used by several dynasties including Mauryans, Solankis, Gujarat Sultans, Mughals and finally the Babi Nawabs (under the suzerainty of British India). The fort included 2nd century AD Buddhist caves, a couple of wells, a Jama Masjid with crumbling ceiling and the Nilamtope cannon (brought by the Turkish allies of Nawab to fend off the Portugese attack on Daman and Diu). The city outside the fort was an orthogonal maze of narrow streets with several crumbling havelis in advanced state of decay. The Nawab's palace sat in the city square and now housed State Bank of India and a museum. We took some local advice to find the Bangali Restaurant for non-veg food. Outside its grim entrance was a cart selling meat samosas. The inside was a tall room with four different coloured walls and a scatter of tables. Soot over the years darkened the ambience. "Try the samosas. We have mutton and we have bada (beef)," our enthusiastic waiter recommended. "Are they good?" "Try them once. Tabiyat khush ho jayegi." (It will lift up your spirits.) "Okay, we'll have the samosas. And we will also have .." "Let's see about that later," he said and swished away. Soon, a plate of hot samosas arrived in front of us. With my first bite, I knew I had never eaten anything like this before. The qeema was fully cooked in whole spices and wrapped in rumali roti before being deep fried to golden crispness. I could feel the wholeness of cinnamom and cloves hit the roof of my mouth. Mutton curry followed the samosas. Tender lamb shank that seemed like it was cooked over ages, neatly topped with a sprig of coriander, and a side of fresh onions and lemon wedges. One morsel in the mouth and we knew we were fans of Bangali Restaurant for life. I can safely say the mutton was one of the top dishes in my book that I have eaten out. After lunch, we came back to Mahabat Maqbara. The mausoleum looked like a mash between fine Islamic workmanship and Disneyland designs. Several domes sat on top of the tomb, intricate lattice work adorned the walls and spiral staircases wrapped around the minarates. The scale was nowhere close to grand. But the structure had its own charm, or rather, quirkiness. After saying goodbye to Junagadh, we started riding towards Somnath. As we neared the coast, the dry dusty landscape changed to wheat fields and palm groves. We reached the temple town a little before 6 pm. The sun was a pale orange disc and was beginning to sink towards the sea. The Somnath temple sitting on the edge of the sea blushed with a young pinkness. A friendly hotel guard agreed to watch our bike and luggage while we did the darshan in the temple. Inside, the evening aarti was sung by the zestful devotees with vigour to beats of cymbals and drums. That night, we rode from Somnath through Talala to Sasan Gir and stayed at the Umang Hotel (Rs. 400/night).
Home · Day 3
Tags: India, Ride, Royal Enfield, Wildlife