Shivaji Jayanti 2025: Hyderabad Cyclist's Unique Tribute to Maratha King

There is no stopping creativity. An idea can spark at any time and out of nowhere, it can lead to something beautiful and inspiring for the world to see. What started as a random observation on another cyclist's GPS tracking route turned into an interesting hobby for B. Anil Kumar, a Hyderabad cyclist, who creates artistic magic on the Strava app. 

Anil Kumar observed his fellow cyclist's GPS tracking route once and observed that it took the shape of a bird. This stirred his imagination as he thought of making more designs with his everyday cycling route. Using Strava, Anil started an incredible journey that led him to create 13 large-scale portraits, covering over 1000 km, and nearly 600 km of it within the city limits. 

One of his spectacular creations - was the design of Lord Shiva on Strava. Anil started by wanting to create a triangle with his daily cycling route and this journey led him to design the Hindu god on the app. An active cyclist for long, Kumar admitted that he has always been fascinated by maps. Once he decided to be an artist with his cycle, he outlined the design he intended to create on Google Maps and then mapped out a cycling route. 

However, it's not that easy. Especially when you intend to design art via maps. You need to carefully map out facial features such as forehead, nose, eyes, and mouth. Even when this is done, the actual challenge comes while cycling the fixed route. Anil had to navigate a city while ensuring that the route stuck to the precise shape. 

Anil narrated an example of the challenges he faces while cycling to get his design right. While taking his bicycle in the Nizampet area, Kumar revealed that what appeared like an open land on the map turned out to be a gated apartment complex. Determined to finish his project, Mr. Anil had to request 5 different watchmen to help him reach his goal. 

What Anil Kumar decided to do for the 395th anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is memorable. It's a known fact that Shivaji Maharaj is a Shiv bhakt and to honor the Indian king, Anil was determined to make a Lord Shiva design with his cycle route and managed to pay glorious tribute to the Maratha Emperor.