Ride to Gandikota, Belum caves and visit to CSI Campbell mission Hospital.

Ride to Gandikota, Belum caves and visit to CSI Campbell mission Hospital.

      I was looking for a place to visit for my next bike ride and here came the first sight of the gorgeous gorge in BCMT travelogues. As is my concern to make the ride meaningful I contacted my church office, St Johns fort Vellore to find out if there are any mission activities that are happening in that region. I always like to visit and encourage missionaries who are working staying away from their homeland, living as aliens in the regions and serving the people for the sheer love of Christ which they experienced. conversion is a misnomer. Missionaries serve the underprivileged people by providing mainly health and education. 

      I was always ready for a solo ride but as usual by passing the trip information to my friends many were interested with the catchy word Gandikota - Great Canyon of India.
  After the initial excitement, later work excuses, finally, it was Samson Peter my friend, a 5-star hotel manager in Africa, came forward to join me and we started planning for the trip.
 From the church office, we were given contacts of the manager, Mr.Jayanna of CSI Campbell hospital, Jammalamadugu and an independent pastor Mr.Prasad of believers church serving the Lambadi community in Mudannur.

About Campbell  hospital:

OPD, main block

OPHTHAL block

campus

chapel, Campbell hospital

This CSI Campbell Hospital was built in 1896. The former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Dr Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy was also born and worked in this hospital as a doctor.
Thomas Vincent Campbell (1863-16 December 1930) was a physician, missionary and an entomological collector in India. He helped establish sanatoria for tuberculosis treatment in southern India and the Ralph Wardlaw Thompson memorial hospital at Chikkaballapur (now known as the CSI Hospital) and was awarded a Kaiser-i-Hind for his contributions to the health of the poor. His collections of Hemiptera from India resulted in the descriptions of many new species of bug, several of which were named after him.
Thomas followed his brother in 1890 to work with the London Missionary Society at Jammalamadugu in Cuddapah district in India. He married physician Florence Gertrude (born 1866, daughter of John William Longbottom and his second wife Elizabeth) of Halifax on 29 August 1891.[2] Together they worked in India but exposure to patients led to him contracting tuberculosis and he returned to England to convalesce. Treated by his wife, he recovered and they returned to India to establish the Ralph Wardlaw Thompson memorial hospital in Chikkaballapura. Wardlaw Thompson (1842-1916) was a Bellary-born missionary who had served as the foreign secretary of the London Missionary Society from 1881 to 1914. Campbell's wife worked on the health of women while his work included the treatment of nearly a thousand cases of cataract. In 1908 he was awarded the Kaiser-i-Hind medal for his services to public health.
At present, the hospital runs a bsc nursing course costing 65,000 ₹ per year including food, accomodation and tuition fees. The course is recognised under NTR University.
 The hospital is trying hard to bring Intensive care unit under a newly joined anaesthetist. 
This hospital needs support of philanthropic minded people to bring back to its glorious days. 
Back to the Bike trip

23rd February Saturday 2019

I couldn't sleep because of excitement and too much planning as we want to leave early around 3 am to reach Jammalamadugu before 10am. so got up after few hours of sleep. loaded the bike with via terra claw bag

Samson reached exactly at 3 am. he had a problem tying the via terra claw in his bike and I showed the right method to secure via terra safely in his bike.
sharp 3.30am we hit the road to chittor from Kasam, Vellore.

Filled our bikes at a reliance petrol bunk in Chittoor.

started off to Rayachoty. The road till Chittoor was very bad as construction was on process. but after Chittoor, it was a good road but with no dividers from oncoming vehicles.

after passing Rayachoty town, stopped at a roadside shop initially for coffee but then went on to eat dosa. very bad food. we didn't expect from Andhra.

we decided to ride non stop to Kadapa, and to Prodattur to reach Jammalamadagu. Samson missed a left turn while I was waiting to take the airport route in Kadapa to bypass the town. rode fast to catch him and we both were on airport road. then went to Mydukuru (guess google maps did not update the completion of road work in Kadapa Kurnool high way). we reached Jammalamadagu and went to the Ashwatha Narayana lodge in Jammalamadagu at 10.40 am. (the rude behaviour of the lodge in keeper and bike parking at roadside made us eventually move to the guest house in CSI hospital campus by evening.)

after refreshing, we went to meet the manager of CSI Campbell hospital. he was very cordial and took us for lunch in the Abiruchi restaurant. we had chicken biriyani which was very delicious. guess its 200rs. large quantity and nice selective pieces of chicken. samson and I decided to have the night dinner there in the same Abiruchi restaurant in the Prodattur road, Jammalamadagu. after lunch, we met the medical superintendent and left for the lodge and then to Belum Caves.

Travel to Belum Caves

Since Samson had a small mishap with the bike (a loaded auto took a sudden turn and Samson bike skidded and fell while he stood on the ground), we decided to go in my bike and Samson was pillion rider for Belum Caves. 

the road to Belum caves was boring with scorching sun and with speed breakers for every small village crossing. the heat really took the mood of enjoying and exploring the caves.

The road to Belum caves snaps

finally, after one hour of a continuous ride at less than 60 km average, we reached Belum caves.

That planned shot at Belum caves IN FRONT OF BUDDHA STATUE

ENTRANCE TO BELUM CAVES

CAVE ENTRANCE AND THE ROCK FORMATIONS INSIDE

We didn't explore much inside Belum caves as Samson was feeling claustrophobic and I was also in out of the mood to explore further due to heat. we came out of caves and drank water from the cooler near the ticket counter. I did ride back in shorts from then on to Gandikota gorge view.
Travel to Gandikota from Belum Caves
around 3.300 in the evening we left Belum caves and rode to Gandikota. we stopped for juice had local cola surbath and also minute pulp orange. stopped back at Ashwatha lodge to leave my riding jacket and pants. with the helmet on we both rode to Gandikota gorge view. Saw few bikers from Bangalore (probably because of KA registration number plates..... that's why we didn't get rooms in Haritha resorts☺☺☺)

Gandikota !!!

we rode through the fort. I saw a few bikers parking outside the fort but later followed us. (thanks to BCMT guys who wrote in detail about the village which is there inside the fort)

Riding through the fort

The gorge view was beautiful........

samson

Tilak Francis

Samson dropped his helmet BUT  luckily it didn't fall of the cliff. Samson had a bad day of falling, bag, bike and helmet but by God's Grace, nothing happened to him.

Reached back to the lodge and vacated to go to the guest house in Campbell hospital. The Campbell hospital campus was quiet and beautiful with British stone buildings. we stayed in one such stone house. 

had a refreshing bath. samson decided to stay and relax. the manager of CSI Campbell hospital came to take me to meet believers church pastor Prasad who is ministering among Lambadi community for 20 years. I took him on my bike and we went to mudannur. the road from Jammalamadagu to Muddanur is a smooth toll road which is yet to be opened with toll plaza. i enjoyed the night ride with quietness for 20 min and met the pastor. we had a small chat while the manager helped me as a translator. we bid him good bye and left to csi mission hospital. after reaching hospital campus, I and Samson went to the Abiruchi restaurant and ordered chilli chicken, mutton gravy and Rotis. Enjoyed the dinner and i completed with ice cream.

 took a stroll, with a fear of constipation during long rides, bought grapes and had fruit mixture juice in a local shop before going to bed.

TIMELINE ON 23/2/2019

24th February Sunday 2019

In the morning got ready and went to CSI Town church at 7 am. actually there were three services 6-8am, 8.15- 10.15 am and 10.15- 12.30 noon.

town church, 

I saw another traveller couple whom I spotted in Gandikota was there in church. I guess they were also doesn't want to miss the church on a Sunday though was a barrier.

 after the service went to a hotel called NAVAYUGA, Tadipatri road, Jammalamadagu.

 I guess its popular among locals for the authentic vegetarian. so crowded but good and fast supply by waiters. people occupy and share the dining table as it is very crowded. had idli sambar and onion uthappam. too delicious.

came back to the guest house. packed our bags and saddled to our bikes. dressed in full gear. bid farewell to the CSI hospital manager and his friend who is in-charge for maintenance and left to Vellore

 it was exactly 10 am when we left Jammalamadagu. by the time we hit the Kadappa highway near Mydukuru, again GPS suggested to go through Mydukuru but this time as we know the way we went through high way to Kadappa without deviating.

THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL GHAT SECTION BETWEEN KADAPA AND RAYACHOTY

 we were riding very slow and we wanted to eat after Rayachoty. found a highway hotel vennela.

 more like Dhaba in Andhra style. had roti, omlette, and naatukoli gravy. yummy tummy. after lunch we started riding slowly maintaining 60 km and stopped around 3pm for tea,, and juice relaxed a lot as the heat was taking a toll on us. waited till 4pm and started riding again.

my Chevik mobile charger and holder started giving problem by not charging the phone but only maintaining the charge to some extent and I ended up having my mobile screen switched off and followed only voice commands of google maps over my Bluetooth headset (charge went below 10%)  

on entering Chittoor, the GPS commands took me to Chittoor bus stand and then through forest and military area and brought us out of the city avoiding the traffic.

after Chittoor, I took the Madras Ranipet highway to reach Kasam, Vellore and Samson bid bye after praising and thanking God for a safe and wonderful trip. Samson took Katpadi Chittoor road to reach Katpadi Vellore. we both reached our homes around 5.45 pm and 6pm.

TIME LINE ON 24/2019