The Southern Odyssey: A Vizag youngster’s 4500 km long biking expedition of South India

Dabbiru Harish of Vizag went on a 4500 km long biking expedition covering South India to script an everlasting experience. The 23-year-old shares his journey with Teja Kovvali.

Passion for biking

Currently working with an MNC in the city, Harish has been a passionate biker since his younger days. His love for biking assumed a professional form when he joined the biking community called ‘Naked Wolves’. A staunch advocate of safe riding, Harish has taken part in several awareness programs conducted by the community across the city. Over the past few years, he also took up short bike tours in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. However, a dream to achieve something more substantial pushed him to undertake an epic biking expedition across South India.

‘Orenda’ gets rolling

Despite not receiving any appreciable encouragement, Harish found an associate in his friend, Ejaz, who had come forward to join the journey. Christening their journey as ‘Orenda’; which signifies a mystical force that empowers change in one’s life, the duo was set to go on a life-changing trip whilst creating awareness on safe-biking.

Equipped with complete protection gear, Harish, along with Ejaz, kick-started the journey on 19 July from Vizag, on his Bajaj Pulsar NS200. After touching base at Warangal in Telangana, the bikers eventually rode to Bengaluru, Coorg, Mysore, Ooty, Coimbatore, Munnar, Kochi, Alappuzah, Kanyakumari, Danushkodi, Pondicherry and Chennai before returning to Vizag on 31 July. The 13-day trip, spread across 4,500km, had plenty of unforgettable experiences en route. From getting familiar with different cultures to making new biker friends, ‘Orenda’ proved to be an exciting journey. “It is always a thrilling experience to meet people from various backgrounds. Getting to know their language, lifestyle and culture, was truly amazing. We also had the opportunity of sampling some delectable regional cuisines along the trip,” Harish shares.

Their most well-spent time though was in Munnar and Alappuzah, where they explored the stunning natural beauty of South India.

The roadblocks

‘Orenda’ though, as is the case in most expeditions, couldn’t go unharmed by challenges. Enduring a ride for about four and a half thousand miles comes as a no-easy feat and the bikers had to face a fair bit of ordeal on their course. While the high altitude at the Kolukkumalai Tea Estate, in Munnar, put the bikes’ capacity to a stern test, constant rains in Ooty spelled a trying period of off-roading. The weather continued to play the spoilsport when gusty winds and blazing heat posed an imposing obstacle to ride along the stretch from Dhanushkodi and Kanyakumari.

“Travelling thousands of kilometres on a bike is not a simple task. Fitness plays a crucial component while journeying and it is imperative that the riders maintain sound health to see success,” he says.

The road ahead

After essaying a memorable odyssey, Harish looks forward to exploring India further. The biker has set sights on the North Eastern region for his next journey and hopes he would succeed in spreading awareness on safe riding.