Nice rural walking route in Puttaparthi; Pedometer data update

Last updated on 24th Jan. 2020

This post is further to my recent post (on another blog): Simple and useful 'Pedometer - Step Counter' Android app for measuring walking exercise, https://ravisiyermisc.blogspot.com/2020/01/simple-and-useful-pedometer-step.html.

Today I started the app as soon as I put my walking boots on, just outside my flat, and stopped it when I had returned and was just outside my flat. Though the walk path was the same as earlier, perhaps due to me starting the app's step counting earlier, the steps shown by the app today are: 8519 (as against 7727 in earlier post for walk on 20th Jan. 2020). The distance today is shown as 5.792 km (as against 5.254 km on 20th Jan. 2020). Cropped screenshot is given below.

As I mentioned in the earlier post, the actual walking steps (as against smaller steps while taking a break or going down the apartment stairs/ coming up in apt. elevator) would be 5 to 10% lesser. So the actual distance walked may be around 5.2 to 5.5 km.

I would like to share the walking route I use as I think it is a very nice rural/countryside walk and is picturesque for most of the route. Perhaps some readers may want to know about it and some may even want to try it out when they are in Puttaparthi.

The walk is first on the Puttaparthi to Yenumulapalli bypass road (30 feet road I think is the official name) which is next to Chitravathi river bank for most of its stretch. The main part of my walk on this road is from the Chitravathi Harathi Point till the road joins Yenumulapalli (or Enumulapalli) village. There I take the road from Yenumulapalli to Brahmanapalli but do not go up to Brahmanapalli. I turn back at the milestone marker on the road to Brahmanapalli - see pics below. The first milestone pic shows distance to Puttaparthi by regular road. The second milestone pic shows the other side of the same milestone giving distance to Bangalore and other places.

[To open pic in larger resolution, right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.]

The marker (first milestone pic) says Puttaparthi is 4 km by (regular) road (as against bypass road) but perhaps the actual distance is a little lesser even on the regular road. The regular road is the one which is on another side of Yenumulapalli village and comes from the airport/Super hospital on one side, having a circular junction at that side of Yenumulapalli village (with a Ganesh statue at the circle, if I recall correctly), going on to APSRTC bus depot, Gokulam and then Puttaparthi bus stand/Ganesh Gate of Prasanthi Nilayam ashram. This regular road has a lot of traffic.

My walk route is mainly on rural roads/ rural stretches of roads. Most part of the route has picturesque South Indian countryside views. But there is no separate walking path - so one either walks typically on the extreme left of the tar road (unless one chooses to go opposite the traffic flow) or on the grass/mud path next to it. When walking on the tar road, one has to be alert for honking of large vehicles (buses/trucks) coming up behind at which time one needs to get off the tar road into the grass/mud path. Two wheelers (scooters & motorbikes) and autos are not so much of an issue as the road is wide enough to accommodate a walker and an auto/two wheeler.

The area is quite hilly and so the roads go up and down and have lots of curves. Views from high points on the road looking down on rural scenery are wonderful and makes one feel real good and peaceful!

There are quite a few places where one can take a break and sit down. On the road itself there are some concrete blocks where one can sit. And in Yenumulapalli village there is a big tree around which seating areas have been made. Tea and snacks are also available in Yenumulapalli village. The folks one comes across on the road do not bother the walker and can be quite friendly too.

Once a week there is a weekly market in Yenumulapalli which is on the Yenumulapalli to Brahmanapalli road. But I like going through the rural weekly market as well, even though it can be quite crowded in some patches of the road at times, and parts of the road can be somewhat messy due to some crushed fruits & vegetables on it.

I would strongly recommend this walk route to people who like walking in Indian countryside and have some exposure to such walks. For those who have not done walks in Indian countryside roads, especially those from Western world countries which I think have more safety for walkers, but are interested in trying this out, I think they should do this in company with some local person who is better adapted to the issues/risks (e.g. getting off the road when a bus/truck coming behind starts honking).

And I recommend that such walks be done by people new to this route only during daytime. At nighttime most of the road is not lit and it can be somewhat dangerous when heavy traffic (bus/truck) comes up behind (usually at speed).

Snakes are spotted at times but I don't think it is a big risk in daytime.

Stray dogs are quite a few. But unless one is walking fast or running, I don't think the stray dogs bother the walker. [At times when I am walking fast and the walking shoes make more noise, I have had some dogs barking at me.]

Herds of sheep usually with a shepherd(s) is common. One may have to walk on the other side of the road to avoid getting right into a herd of sheep!

One issue is potholes on the tar road with loose stones. There is a possibility of a passing vehicle's tyres sending some loose stone shooting to the side of the road (where it could hurt a walker or a cyclist). But I think that possibility may be rather low. Note that many locals walk on these roads and some use bicycles on it (including young school children). So if there are some risks, the walker shares the risks with many locals walking or bicycling on these roads.
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24th Jan. 2020

Readers may want to read my later and recent post: Many pics (75) of my rural Puttaparthi walking route, https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2020/01/many-pics-75-of-my-rural-puttaparthi.html.