Monsoon Ride to Devaramane - God's Own Home | Chikamagalur | Adventure Bike Ride | SOLO | Dominar 400

Riding in monsoon is thrilling experience. It can turn into a disaster if you are not prepared. Here's what happened on my Devaramane Monsoon Ride.

There was no shelter to stop along and there were no trees by the side of the road either. So, I had to ride all the way without stopping. The water-resistant shoes that I was wearing could resist only so much before breaking and making my shoes all wet. It felt like a stream of water flowing underneath my foot every time I shifted gears or applied brakes.

Dear friends,

It's been some time since my last blog. Today I bring you a journey I had about a few months ago. It was a couple of months already that I got myself a new motorcycle, and I was itching to go for a short "long ride" 😛 Honestly, it was quite some time since my last solo ride. I can't even recall the last one.

It was the month of September, and the monsoon this year played a bit of see-saw and that brought in a lot of uncertainty. Notwithstanding my excitement, I planned my journey to Devaramane anyway. The plan was simple - to ride to a nearby place and stay there for the night. Drive to Devaramane the next morning.

Devaramane is a small secluded village in the hills of Chikamagalur.  The name of the village Devaramane means God's Home - it really is like one! I heard about this place from one of my friends. I checked up the internet for the photos of this place and it was truly mesmerizing. I thought the morning ride to Devaramane in the fog would be an incredible experience. I was just dreaming about myself riding through the winding narrow hilly roads and the light piercing through the fog so thick, that I could see only a foot away through the fog.

Day 1: Bangalore - Hassan - Mudigere | 250 km - 5 hours

The plan was to ride till Mudigere and stay there for the night, and next morning, I would ride to Devaramane which is about 25 km from there. Mudigere is about 250km from Bangalore. So keeping in mind the distance that I have to ride, I started my day lazily and after a good breakfast, I left my home at around 11.

First long ride with my Dominar😍

It was the first time I was riding on my new Dominar 400 outside Bangalore. Since my bike was still very new and still in the running-in period, I rode very slowly and didn't even cross 85km/h speed. It was frustrating that even with such a powerful bike, I could only ride at such low speeds. It was a test of my patience and my new found love! The weather seemed a little unpredictable, as it would rain a couple of times just for a few minutes and then stop thus wasting my time in wearing and taking off the rain jacket and pants.

READ ALSO: Kyatanamakki Xtreme Offroad

Greenery🌱 🌿

That's me!🤳

After riding for hours at ridiculously slow speeds of 80-80km/h, I stopped at a small village for a coffee near a road shop. I love these roadside village shops, where village people sit and chat about relevant - irrelevant topics while sipping hot tea/coffee and a beedi ( local cigarette ) The coffee I had was one of the best and it really took me out from the sleepy mood due to the gloomy weather.

Stopped here for a quick coffee ☕

Never-ending love for Coffee! ♥️ 

Just after a few kms ahead, I again stopped at this place which was surrounded by greenery, as I couldn't convince myself to ride past this spot without stopping. Such greenery, such great vibes!

Paddy fields 😍

My Dominar 😊

Happy Me!

I rode through some of the most beautiful roads. At the end of the stretch, it rained a bit and it was amazing to ride on those wet roads with greenery all around. It was around 7 PM when I finally reached Mudigere. I found a cheap lodge and stayed there for the night, hoping to enjoy the beautiful ride that I had dreamt of.

READ ALSO: Solo backpacking through Rajasthan

Day 2: Mudigere - Devaramane | 25 km - 2 hours

I could hear the sound of the rain from my room. The alarm was ringing furiously and after a lot of effort, I could finally get my hand on the phone to swipe right to kill the alarm. When I finally woke up, I could still hear the sound of the rain. I quickly went out to check and it was raining like crazy. There was no stopping rain that day.

I had breakfast in a small shop nearby and left for Devaramane amidst rains, hoping that it would reduce a bit or maybe come to halt totally. The small village roads were so beautiful and full of life. I would just come here to experience that ride again. It was that beautiful.

My breakfast... 😋 

The rains seemed to vanish away, and I was riding slowly enjoying the beauty around. I came across this spot, from where I could see lust green paddy fields on one side, and the green grass on the other. There were also these birds grazing in the fields, and it was the best sight I had seen. I immediately took out my camera and captured that scene.

♥️  

💞 

Ek selfie toh banta hai 🤳 

Wet roads

READ ALSO: Solo ride to Sirsi, Yana, Thirthalli

Devaramane was still about 15-20km when the rain struck heavily. There was no shelter to stop along and there were no trees by the side of the road either. So, I had to ride all the way without stopping. The water-resistant shoes that I was wearing could resist only so much before breaking and making my shoes all wet. It felt like a stream of water flowing underneath my foot every time I shifted gears or applied brakes. Needless to mention, the gloves were already wet and oozing water.

It indeed rained so heavily, that I could really see a few meters ahead - exactly how I dreamed of. But only due to rain. I finally reached Devaramane and took some time to let the feeling sink in, just like my shoes and gloves in this rain. I walked around for a good hour, clicked some photos in that crazy rains, some timelapses.

Temple at Devaramane

Peace!! ✌️  

Rain! 🌧 

READ ALSO: Why did I cry at the Rupin Pass Summit

The location was absolutely breathtaking. A few steps down the other side of the temple lead to this beautiful pristine lake which has a well at the banks. The fog and the cloud had set in, making it one of the best experiences I have had. Occasionally, it would get so cloudy and foggy that I couldn't see what's on the other side of the lake. A small road beside the lake lead to somewhere through the jungles which I did not dare explore in such weather.

Stairs to the well

Into the Wild!

So foggy!!

On the way back

Initially, my plan was to ride to Chikamagalur and stay there and go to Mullayangiri for the morning ride. Looking at the weather grow worse in the last couple of days, I decided that it was best to end the trip and get back to Bangalore.

I drove out of Devaramane enjoying the lustrous greenery and the wet roads and finally reached Bangalore. Although my clothes and bags were wet and it was irritating for the body, my soul was so at peace having experienced such a beautiful journey and a beautiful place! All in all, it was my first ride on my new Dominar 400 (2019) and I should say, this ride laid the foundation for a good bond with my bike for days to come!

Here is the vlog I made on this very ride. If you like it, please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel LittleDetours

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