Karnataka youths ride to Nepal and back in a 7k km, 22-day bike odyssey

HUBBALLI: Two youths from Vajjaramatti village in Bagalkot district have completed a 7,000-km bike expedition in 22 days. They travelled through four states and reached Muktinath in Nepal. On the way, they also visited several religious and historic places and the Himalayan mountain range.

Basavaraj Hanchinal, 36, told The Times of India that he recently bought a TVS Rider 125cc bike. "I was part of a Sabarimala padayatra and have toured many places in India. When I shared my wish to visit Muktinath in Nepal, where the Vishnu temple is located, with friends, Bhimashi Kuter, 26, a worker in a local sugar factory, agreed to join me," he said.

Bhimashi Kuter said travel has always been his hobby, but this was his first long bike expedition.

Both said they covered about 200 km a day on the onward journey, but clocked over 400 km daily on the return leg. "We visited places such as Tuljapur, Khajuraho, Chitrakut, Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Lumbini, Pokhara, and Kathmandu. On the return, we stopped only at a few places like Janakpur, Siliguri, Patna, and Varanasi. We rode mostly in the mornings and evenings to beat the summer heat. We also encountered rains in Meghalaya," they said.

Recalling a memorable incident, they said a Nepali citizen working in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiment invited them to his home for a night's stay at Lumbini. "He took us nearly 20 km into a deserted area, which made us uneasy. We asked him to verify his identity. Sensing our concern, he showed his social media profile on his smartphone and even a photograph with union minister Rajnath Singh. We then felt reassured. Though his house was small, he offered us a room and dinner. We pitched our tent outside. He served us breakfast the next day, and we gifted him 'mandakki' (puffed rice) in return. We were unaware that Nepali citizens serve in the Indian Army; he explained this to us," they added.

They said they often camped at petrol bunks in India, but were not permitted to do so in Nepal due to security norms. "However, Nepali police and locals helped us find budget accommodation. We managed in broken English and Hindi, but language was never a barrier. Riding at Muktinath at minus 6 degrees Celsius was another unforgettable experience. We obtained a seven-day permit at the Bhansar border, but completed the trip in six days. We also visited the India-Bangladesh border at Siliguri and the China border at Zero Point and Nathula Pass," they said.