Hubli-Dharwad Trip : Part 1

Hubli trip was at a short notice. We were going to attend the marriage of our former colleague on 10th Feb 2008 at Hubli. So, we four, me, Nithin, Guru and Harsha had booked our tickets with KSRTC Volvo for 10 pm slot on 9th Feb 2008.We were at the right time, waiting for Airavatha (KSRTC name for Volvo buses). 10, 10:30 and 11, but there was no sign of Airavatha arrival. Repeated assurances by KSRTC control room personnel about its new arrival times kept the passengers waiting little more every time. Finally, Airavatha (Airavatha literally means Elephant from heaven) majestically arrived at 11 10 pm!

Kitturu Rani Chennamma Circle
Picture courtesy hdmc.gov.in

This was my first journey towards north of Karnataka. When the bus reached the old bus stand at Hubli it was 7 30 am. The famous Kitturu Rani Chennamma circle is nearby. As most of you would know, the famous Kannada song Huttidare Kannada Naadalli Huttabeku sung by Dr.Raj in the film Aakasmika was shot at this circle only. Our lodge was near Gokul Road close to the new bus stand in Hubli. We got into a bus towards the place which was some 3-4 kms away from the old bus stand. Public transport here is similar to Bangalore with KSRTC owned buses providing the service for majority of the routes and in other parts Private operators chipping in.

Near Old Bus Stand, Hubli

Hubli or now Hubballi in this part of Karnataka is called Chota Bombay for it being the commercial hub of north Karnataka. Dharwad which is 20km away from Hubli is the seat of learning but both cities are clubbed together under Hubli-Dharwad City Corporation. Hubli is being seen as the tier II IT destination in Karnataka along with other cities like Mysore, Mangalore, and Belgaum. To substantiate this fact, we saw the Hubli IT Park on our way towards Gokul.

Hubli IT Park
Picture courtesy hdmc.gov.in

After attending the marriage, we came back to the lodge eager to watch the India Australia tie at Melbourne. Unfortunately the cable connection which was working perfectly in the morning had a half day! Regular score updates by cousins back in Bangalore kept us well informed. Then at 3 pm, as per Guru’s plan we headed towards Sadhanakeri near Dharwad, place where great Kannada poet and Jnaana Peetha Awardee Sri.Da Ra Bendre lived. I will be writing a detailed post on this place which is a nature lover’s paradise.

A Commercial Complex in Hubli

Hubli to Dharwad is one hour journey by bus. On our way to Dharwad we rued ourselves for having missed the opportunity to spend time near Unkal Lake, when we saw it passing by while traveling in the bus. The lake is about 110 years old and has the statue of Swami Vivekananda at the center. We were told by the co-passengers about the prospect of enjoying the boat ride there.

Basaveshwara Statue

From Dharwad we went to Sadhanakeri, spent some time there and were back in Dharwad at 7 30 pm. When in Dharwad, you should never miss enjoying the famous Dharwad Pedha, a milk based sweet. We bought some packets of Dharwad Pedha for the people back home in Bangalore. From Dharwad we were back in Hubli, searching for a hotel to have dinner. Unanimous opinion was to go to Basaveshwara Khanavali near the Kitturu Chennama circle. Though we had to wait for some time for our turn, we thoroughly enjoyed the Jolada Rotti meals(Jowar Roti meals) there. Yun hi nahin kehte hain ki, sabr ka phal meetha hota hai. So, next time you are in Hubli don’t miss the north Karnataka special Jowar Roti meals. After finishing the pet pooja we were at VRL pick up point for our journey back to Bangalore.

In Dharwad

Though we could not explore the city far and wide, I felt Hubli as a city which is large and wide but modernity is yet to cast its spell over it fully. Already some of the retail majors have set shop here and IT revolution is slowly picking up. Language spoken here is another flavour of Kannada with Hindi words mixed!

Regards,
Raveesh

Also Read,
Hubli-Dharwad Trip : Part 2 - Sadhanakeri

Click the image below to see all the photos from Hubli