This story is from December 13, 2018

Discovering the wonders of AP on bicycles

Discovering the wonders of AP on bicycles
In a bid to explore the Sunrise State and discover its hidden beauty, 20 cyclists from across the country embarked on a three week-long ‘Tour de Heritage’. The cyclists, who were flagged off amidst much fanfare by AP CM Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada last month, came back with a sense of fulfillment and joy as they visited long-forgotten ancient temples, stunning beaches, man-made bridges, rolling hills, majestic forts and tranquil valleys on their cycles.
Speaking about this unique and exciting adventure, manager of the tour, Ranjit Reddy says, “They cycled through landmark cities and sites; exploring historical structures, observed the flora and fauna, sampled the local cuisine and interacted with the people of Andhra Pradesh over a span of 20 days.”
Over the course of their journey, the cyclists covered Vijayawada, Undavalli Caves, Chirala Beach, Ongole, Nellore, Nellapattu bird Sanctuary, Horsley Hills, Puttaparthy, Gandikota, Bellum Caves, Nandyal, Giddalur, Arthur Cotton Barrage, Coringa wildlife Sanctuary, Kakinada, Annavaram, Narsipatnam, Lambasingi, Kothapalli waterfalls, Paderu, Araku, Tatipudi Reservoir, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam.

Leading the group of cyclists is 35-year-old Dharma Teja K, a photographer from Hyderabad. “While at the beginning of the tour, we had a set agenda in mind and were sure about the places we wanted to visit, everything changed once we actually began interacting with the locals on the way. They told us about lesser known sites that can’t even be found on Google Maps,” he says with enthusiasm. “Our most exciting find has been the ancient 2000-years-old Buddhist Monastery excavated by the Archaeological department. We discovered several old temples, some dating back to 640 AD,” shares Dharma Teja, adding, “The weaving society of Chirala was wonderful to see with their interesting fabrics and dyes. We could see how many weavers and the effort that’s put in to make a single saree.”
The cyclists even visited tourist spots like Horsley Hills and Gandikota and took a safari at the Nallamala Forest. Dharma Teja says the quality of food that they found on the tour was incredible. “We discovered delicious local delicacies along the way. We ate the idly at Rangampeta on the way, which had the taste of Tamil Nadu’s idly, and fresh sea food like prawns and spicy fish curry. We even tried out one of the oldest eateries of Tirupati where authentic local thalis are served,” he tells us. For 45-year-old Rajesh Sethia, a sales consultant from Bangalore, the journey also served as a means to build new relationships and make new friends. “We couldn’t get proper signal in most places and it gave us ample time to spend with each other and the locals too. The natives told us about so many lesser known places along the way,” he says, adding, “A Rama Lingeswara temple near the Nellore Railway Station was so beautiful. It has been around since the time of Ashoka and has an interesting structure. I hadn’t seen a temple like this before.”

Rajesh reveals that it is not just this spiritual sojourn that enchanted him, the beauty of the Eastern Ghats and the heritage sites left him mesmerised. “I was surprised to see locals conversing so well in English and Hindi in most of the places we went to. What was even more surprising is that just within AP, every place had such varied weather conditions,” he says.
The cyclists even encountered a research centre along the way and spent some time there. “The centre was set on 100 acres of land and they were researching a variety of crops and seeds. It is one of the oldest research centres in India,” adds Rajesh. Sandeep Reddy Banoor, a 28-year-old Hyderabadi, says he’s just thankful for being a part of such a tour. “Earlier, I attempted to cycle through 19 states and two union territories on a solo ride, travelling 15,000 kilometers, but the last time I was restricted to only certain places of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. This time, I finally got a chance to get off the highway and explore country roads. It has been an incredible tour, discovering scenic places, historical sites and taking the metaphorical roads less travelled,” he says, rounding off.
_ Debalina.Talukdar@timesgroup.com
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