Blog 17 | Ride #2: Puri to Siruli Mahavir – A Short Ride, A Long Memory

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Ride #2: Puri to Siruli Mahavir – A Short Ride, A Long Memory

Hey folks!
 I’m back again with another amazing short ride story — one that I recently completed last week. This one wasn’t about distance or speed; it was more about exploring and reconnecting. Compared to my previous rides, this was relatively short, but as someone whose tea break doesn’t come before crossing at least 60 km stretches, it still had its share of moments worth noting.

The plan was simple — ride to the destination through the regular route most people take, and while returning, explore a completely new one. And trust me, that second part turned out to be the most memorable!

A Nostalgic Destination

Siruli Mahavir is a small yet spiritually significant place located around 27 km from Puri. I had been there many years ago as a kid with my family. The roads weren’t great back then, but the temple left an unforgettable mark on me — quite literally.

I still remember the temple as “the one whose entry gate was drenched in oil.”
 Sounds funny, right? As a kid, I had to clean my feet on a nearby stone and then — unintentionally — slide into the marble floor inside the temple. Later, I learned that the “oil” came from the continuous offerings at the temple’s holy diyas, which had formed a shiny, slippery layer on the entryway.

The Ride Begins

There are three main routes connecting Puri to Siruli Mahavir, and the most common one goes through Chandanpur town. I decided to take that route on my way there.

It was an afternoon start — yes, you read that right — around 3:00 PM. The weather was surprisingly perfect. The sun wasn’t harsh; instead, it seemed to be gently pouring golden light over the endless green fields. In short, Puri was sunbathing, with the cool breeze as sunscreen.

This route passes through quiet rural stretches — single-lane coarse roads lined with vast rice fields that fill your dil with calmness. I took a few pauses along the way, just to breathe it all in — the fresh air, the silence, the simplicity.

There were small, heartwarming interactions too. A passing car driver gave me a thumbs up. A bunch of kids playing by the roadside ran behind shouting, “RIDER! RIDER!” Their excitement was pure and contagious. I only wished I had carried chocolates for them this time.

I reached Siruli Mahavir around 4:45 PM — peaceful, calm, and glowing in the soft afternoon light.

The Return Journey

By 5:00 PM, it was time to ride back. But instead of retracing my path, I chose a completely new route — one that connected Siruli Mahavir to Brahmagiri Bazar and from there to Puri.

This route, too, wound through villages, but the beauty of Puri’s rural outskirts easily outshines the bustle of its towns. The roads were surprisingly good — slightly longer than the one I took earlier (about 40 km in total, via the Satapada–Puri stretch).

As evening crept in, the sky turned golden. The sun began dipping behind the fields, and the cool wind swept over the farmlands. With little to no traffic — just local folks and farmers returning home — the ride gave me a new realization:
 Life is simple. We’re the ones who complicate it in the quest for expectations.

I rolled back home safely by 6:45 PM, with a heart full of peace and a camera full of memories.

Final Thoughts

This ride may have been short in distance, but it was big on experience.
 Siruli Mahavir gave me more than just a destination — it gave me a reminder that every road, no matter how familiar or new, has a story waiting to unfold.

Another ride completed, another story written — and yes, this one definitely deserves a place in my diary.

Because at the end of the day —
 Rides teach us more about the world than debates ever can.

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