The road to Penukonda fort started from outside the town. As I crossed the farmlands, the road began to wind uphill. It took a few turns and abruptly ended in a dirt track. It looked like an under-construction road. I stopped, contemplating whether to proceed, when I saw two guys on a scooter coming from the opposite direction. If a scooter could make it, my bike certainly could. I started the engine and moved on. The road wasn’t as bad as I had imagined, but as it gained altitude, it became steeper and rougher. This was my first-ever venture into off-roading. I was a bit scared but thoroughly enjoying the adrenaline rush.
In about 30 minutes, I reached the hilltop. The air up here was much cooler. To my left stood the ruins of the Lakshmi-Narasimha temple. I climbed the steep stairs of the Gopuram and entered the temple premises. Though in ruins, the overall structure was quite intact: the Gopuram, the Mandapam, the Garbha-griha—everything was recognizable. A small Hanuman statue was placed at the entrance. The air was filled with a mystic silence, disrupted only by the slow wind blowing through the broken walls and pillars. It was quite an “another-world-like” moment.
After clicking some pictures inside, I climbed down to explore the surroundings. Right in front of the temple was a Pushkarani, a water tank with steps on all sides. The tank was overgrown with weeds and shrubs, with a little rainwater accumulated at the center. A few sparrows were having their own pool party in the water. Most importantly, there was not a single human being around. I was savoring the solitude, busy clicking pictures, when I suddenly felt a few raindrops. It looked like a heavy downpour was minutes away. I was in no mood to ride the treacherous dirt track in the rain. I quickly wrapped up my camera and rushed back to the bike.
As I rode down the hills, I could see humongous black clouds raging from a distance. I sped up and soon reached the Bangalore–Hyderabad highway. The weather here appeared clear, and I felt happy that I had escaped the showers. I stopped at a restaurant on the way for lunch and continued my journey toward Anantpur. I had planned to stay the night there. By the time I checked into the hotel, I was completely exhausted. I had covered almost 300 km in one day. For a 100-cc bike, this was quite an achievement. I finished my dinner early and went straight to bed.
To be continued…