The route to Bijapur via the Pandharpur road was bad. The road is simply broken down completely in places and there its about 30 km of gavel-covered dirt road after crossing Pandharpur. The 200 km trip took about 5 hours with ample breaks in between.
I reached Bijapur at 9.30 pm and was waiting for my friend who was to join me from Belgaum. I rendezvoused with my friend at the bus stand in MG road and we headed to a friends house where authentic north Karnataka festival dinner was awaiting us. We dined and exchanged tales, caught up after the years and planned the day ahead.
There are over 65 places to visit in Bijapur. Of them, the most popular is obviously the Gol Gumbaz. Our plan was to visit the Gumbaz, have a quick lunch and push off to Hyderabad
Gol Gumbaz or Gol Gumbad meaning rose dome, (a reference to the flower/rose/lotus petals that surround the dome at its base, making it appear as a budding rose)-- is the mausoleum of Mohammed Ali Shah, Sultan of Bijapur. The tomb, was completed in 1656 by the architect Yaqut of Dabul. The structure is composed of a cube, 47.5 metres (156 ft) on each side, capped by a dome 44 m (144 ft) in external diameter. Eight intersecting arches created by two rotated squares that create interlocking pendentives support the dome. At each of the four corners of the cube, is a dome-capped octagonal tower seven stories high with a staircase inside.The upper floor of each opens on to a round gallery which surrounds the dome. Inside the mausoleum hall, is a square podium with steps on each side. In the middle of the podium, a cenotaph slab on the ground marks the actual grave below, the only instance of this practice in the architecture of the Adil Shahi Dynasty. In the middle of the west side, a large half-octagonal bay protrudes out. With an area of 1,700 m2 (18,000 sq ft),the mausoleum has one of the biggest single chamber spaces in the world. Running around the inside of the dome is the "Whispering Gallery" where even the softest sound can be heard on the other side of the mausoleum due to the acoustics of the space. It is said that the Sultan, Ibraheem Adil Shah and his Queen used to converse in the same manner. During his time, the musicians used to sing, seated in the whispering gallery so that the sound produced could reach every corner of the hall.
After immersing ourselves into the rich history of the Gol Gumbaz and the adjacent museum showcasing the Adilshahi curios, we headed to an authentic north Karnataka Restaurant for lunch.
The route to hyderabad was via Gulbarga-Humnabad-Zaheerabad-Sangareddy. A total distance of 400 km. We started at 2.30 pm post lunch and reached hyderabad by 11:30 pm with ample breaks for chai and dinner. This leg of my journey was less taxing; besides I had a fellow rider for company and we split the ride time.
Total trip analysis: Hyd-Pune-Bijapur-Hyd
Total km covered: 1390
Best fuel economy: 38 kmpl
Worst fuel economy: 27 kmpl
Bike handling: steady and easy to ride on highways
Top speed: 125 kmph
Average Speed: 60 kmph
Suspension: needs improvement. Tends to be hard even when adjusted the load setting.
Seating: saddle shaped split seat is great for the rider. Beyond 300-350 km, seating becomes uncomfortable. pillion seat: small size. Does not offer adequate padding; can get a tad uncomfortable beyond 350 km.
Engine: continuous riding for over 100 km heats up the engine. Beyond 40000 rpm, noticeable vibrations occur (service team warned me about this. This should come down after the second service).
Lights: the fancy projection lamp its very useful and on the highway. The blinkers (hazard indicators) were very useful on the highway to signal my presence to speeding four Wheelers.
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