Kamal Ghorui
People fall in love with scenic places and engineering marvels all the time, and so did I. The Sigandur bridge — inaugurated in mid-July last year and went viral on social platforms — captivated me instantly. Soon, I decided that I’d cycle there to get a glimpse of the engineering marvel across the Sharavathi river. Now, that meant a 375km ride from Bengaluru! My winter plan almost fell through, but I managed it by early March.The 2.5km Sigandur Bridge, officially known as the Sharavathi Backwaters Bridge, is a landmark infrastructure project in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district. Spanning the vast backwaters of the Sharavathi river, the bridge connects Sagara in Shivamogga with Sigandur and further onward to Kollur in Udupi. I set out at daybreak on March 5, planning to cover 250km on the first day and the remaining 125km the next. After being seen off on Tumakuru Road, it was just me on my bike, on the long Bengaluru–Honnavar highway.The breakfast halt was at Tumakuru. As the day progressed, the sun turned unforgiving — especially around noon. Despite carrying a camelback (water-filled bag) and electrolyte, frequent refills became necessary. Beyond Gubbi, the entire BH Road revealed itself as an endless bypass stretch — no trees, no shade — just flyovers, concrete, and retaining walls. I cycled through playlists: from Rajkumar and SPB to Amitabh Bachchan, and pedalled through the heat, well-coated in sunscreen.By the time I reached Tiptur, I was drained. A brief rest at a roadside farm helped, before I resumed after lunch at Arasikere. Kadur and Birur passed smoothly, but Tarikere slowed me down with roadwork and chaotic traffic, costing me precious 30 minutes. I wanted to minimise riding in the dark, but it was still 9.30pm when I finally reached my stop for the night at Bhadravathi.The next morning began early. Past Shivamogga, the road transformed — tree-lined stretches offered much-needed respite. Riding under a canopy of green, with light music and cheerful waves from schoolchildren, made for one of the most memorable parts of the journey. I slowed down, choosing to reach Sigandur by evening instead of afternoon, to take in the beauty of the countryside. To my luck, most of the Shivamogga-Sigandur route was downhill, the rest being a rolling terrain.At the Heggodu stopover, I paid a brief visit to Neenasam, the renowned theatre institute. After having lunch at a nearby hotel, I tried to take some rest in the cool comfort of an ATM, but its air-conditioning was not working. Soon, I found myself taking a short nap under the shades of coconut trees.The final 30km stretch through Genasinakuni brought me to the Sigandur bridge by 5pm. Families milled about, clicking photos, but I was drawn to the sheer expanse of the 2.5km structure. Riding back and forth across it, with the mellow evening sun casting a golden hue, felt like a reward in itself.Nearby, idle launches — once used to ferry devotees and vehicles across to the Sigandur Chowdeshwari Temple — stood as reminders of how the bridge has transformed connectivity. After capturing a video of the ride, I continued to the temple, freshened up, and completed a quiet darshan.As I exited, curious onlookers asked where I had come from. “Bengaluru,” I replied — and that was enough to draw smiles, selfies, and a few words of appreciation for the ‘pedal yatri’.At Sagar, I negotiated with a private bus operator — who charged more for the bike than my ticket — for transport. After a brief exchange, we settled on equal footing. By the time I reached Peenya early the next morning, the sun was just rising.
