CHENNAI: Founded in 2012, Cycling Yogis has spent more than a decade curating heritage rides across Tamil Nadu, publishing books on the history of Madras and staging vintage bicycle exhibitions. As a way of commemorating Republic Day through movement and memory, Cycling Yogis will pedal along the Cauvery River Trail from January 24 to 26, marking the 14th edition of its annual Republic Day Heritage Ride that explores the historic landscapes of the Cauvery delta.
The Republic Day ride has become a fixture in the city’s cycling calendar. It is designed as a non-competitive leisure tour that showcases the cultural and natural landscapes of the regions it traversesRamanujar Moulana of Cycling Yogis
The 2026 edition will be based in Tiruchy, with around 40 cyclists from diverse professional backgrounds expected to participate. “Each year, we select a different theme to commemorate Republic Day. The core idea of Cycling Yogis is to promote bicycle tourism as practised in the Western world, where travelling by bicycle encourages closer engagement with local heritage,” he explains.
Spread over three days and covering approximately 225 km, the Cauvery River Trail will trace the historical heart of the Cauvery delta, often described as the cradle of Tamil civilisation. The route has been curated to combine riverside scenery, irrigation landmarks, and places of worship that reflect centuries of engineering, faith, and settlement along the river.
The first day’s ride, on January 24, will begin in Trichy and head towards the rock-cut Swastik Well at Tiruvellarai before proceeding to Srirangam for a temple visit, returning to the city by evening. “On January 25, cyclists will ride through the rural hinterland to Poondi Matha Basilica, the Koviladi (Appakudathan) temple, and the ancient Kallanai, or Grand Anicut, before looping back to Trichy. On Republic Day, the final day, the ride will culminate at Mukkombu (Upper Anaicut) dam, another major hydraulic structure that highlights the region’s long-standing relationship with river engineering.”
The cycling rides aim to promote eco-tourism and encourage slow travel through heritage landscapes, while maintaining strict adherence to traffic rules and safety protocols. With its mix of sacred architecture, historic dams, village roads, and river views, the Cauvery River Trail offers riders a moving perspective on the geography and cultural memory of the Cauvery delta, experienced from the saddle of a bicycle.