[hvkumar]

To add to what LongDrive lover has said:

- If you want to go to Kajuraho, you can drive from Jhansi to Chhatarpur and Kajuraho. I did it in Jan '10 and the roads are outstanding. You can follow that route in the following log book:
CENTRAL & SOUTH INDIA, January 2010 - hvkumar | Google Groups

From Kajuraho onwards, the road to Satna via Panna is also very good.

You can reach Kajuraho on Day 2, spent Day 3 there and move on. Alternatively, you can camp overnight at Orchcha, and move on to Kajuraho the next day - takes under 4 hours from Orchcha to Kajuraho, which means you can spent most of the day at Orchcha and leave in the late afternoon for Kajuraho.

[kingshukt]

@ LongDrive Lover, HVK Sir and ALL OTHERS....

All your inputs, suggestions and support has made me want ALL (Yeh Dil Mange More). And that is not possible considering the time frame of this trip.

Let me explain the time frame under which this trip is being planned.
- I have managed 27 days leave starting 09.05.10
- My wife (working - a teacher) has to rejoin on 07.06.10 (+vely)
- She wants 14 days with her folks at Ranchi
- This leave a total of 13 days (to and fro) for travel.
- I will require 1 day to nullify the after effects of travel when I reach Pune.
- I have a dictat that Agra is a must on the return trip (1 day) - for our daughter (Only the Taj and Fort will possible).

The return trip will be an anticlimax and speeds / energy / enthusiasm levels will be low. I therefore must keep max possible for the return trip w/o making to-trip a car a driving exercise or as Mercedised mentioned - a Desert Rally.

- Lucknow holds no interest other than Chikan work garments / sarees and I am doubtfull how we can find good shops in the short time available (say half a day)
- Orchha, Khajuraho, Shivpuri(?) are interesting.
- So is Bandhavgarg / Panna National Park.
- I have'nt been to Benaras ever - and TBHP has good travelogues of Benaras.

I think the major task for me will be making this trip:
- uneventfull
- exciting (opposites - don't you think so ?)
- exactly the opposite of a "Desert Rally"
- Reach in the shortest time possible.

The above is an uphill task and all your support / help / suggestions can help me surmount the same.

Therefore keep it coming folks....

[hvkumar]

Nothing interesting in Shivpuri, although it is supposed to have a national park of sorts.

Between Orchcha and Kajuraho, I would choose the latter. If I'm coming back the same route, I would stop by at the latter on return.

National Parks - are they open at that time? I think they all close down around that time. IN any case, it will be too hot to go wildlife-spotting at that time of the year.

I would work out on the basis that I halt at Kajuraho at end of Day 2.
On the return journey, I would halt at Agra at end of Day 1.

[kingshukt]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

To add to what LongDrive lover has said:

- If you want to go to Kajuraho, you can drive from Jhansi to Chhatarpur and Kajuraho. I did it in Jan '10 and the roads are outstanding. You can follow that route in the following log book:
CENTRAL & SOUTH INDIA, January 2010 - hvkumar | Google Groups

From Kajuraho onwards, the road to Satna via Panna is also very good.

You can reach Kajuraho on Day 2, spent Day 3 there and move on. Alternatively, you can camp overnight at Orchcha, and move on to Kajuraho the next day - takes under 4 hours from Orchcha to Kajuraho, which means you can spent most of the day at Orchcha and leave in the late afternoon for Kajuraho.

Mods: Please forgive another instance of Back to Back Post.

@HVK: Your Travellogue (above) mentions on Page 1 about efforts to Challan your car by MP Police. How serious are these incidences ? (The photos by Btirthankar shows it occurred in the the day time.
Are such incidences regular ? Should I be worried ?

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by kingshukt

Mods: Please forgive another instance of Back to Back Post.

@HVK: Your Travellogue (above) mentions on Page 1 about efforts to Challan your car by MP Police. How serious are these incidences ? (The photos by Btirthankar shows it occurred in the the day time.
Are such incidences regular ? Should I be worried ?

No need to worry!
What happened with HV is still un-understable, I mean how can one cop fine him for nothing. Either 'HV' was too firm to pay them or there is some story behind this.

I have never been fined in any of the states like or unlike 'HV'.

[hvkumar]

The MP episode happened because:
- the cops wanted to seize my car for election duty (local elections going on).
- it was a SUV, which is in big demand during elections
- and we were just 2 gents, no family with us

Same type of incident happened to me in Bihar also last year during the general elections.

Such episodes are uncommon, rarely happen, so I don't think you should be too concerned. I doubt if anyone will touch you if your family is there with you. Nonetheless, if anything like that does happen, remember to keep your cool and use any "connections" that you may have in that area. As for me, I talked and bribed my way through on both occasions, although it was a touch-and-go situation.

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by mercedised

No need to worry!
What happened with HV is still un-understable, I mean how can one cop fine him for nothing. Either 'HV' was too firm to pay them or there is some story behind this.
I have never been fined in any of the states like or unlike 'HV'.

Yes, there is no safety issue on this route during day time. But what happened to HVK can happen to anyone in these states - I mean UP, MP, Bihar etc. It'll be OT to detail it here as it has been discussed in detail in the concerned thread. Suffice to say it here, that while on a long trip across states, and cops seizing vehicles for election duty, you can't talk law to cops in that situation. HVK and B.Tirthanker are seasoned enough road travelers to having resorted to the best course of action in the circumstances.

Kingshukt, I think you can plan for Khajuraho and Benaras (onward journey) and Agra (return journey) sight seeing. Both are en route. Nothing much to see in Shivpuri and even Orchha may not be an attraction in that much heat.

Return journey you can take longer but super fast route Ranchi-Barhi-Varansi-Allahabad-Kanpur-Agra-Gwaliar-Shivpuri-Indore-Pune. Driving will be much easier on this route then the shorter one via Rewa, Panna, Jhansi, Gwaliar, Agra. Barhi to Agra being part of GQ is a breeze, no matter which vehicle you are driving and even with lesser energy, low enthusiasm, etc, it'll not be an anticlimax! But, yes, maneuvering a Safari among heavy truck and local traffic on conventional 2-lane highways, with low energy/enthusiasm is tiring as it involves continuous downshifting and speed breaks, and as you know, how lazy this luxurious tata truck of ours is till 3rd gear!

So choice of return route is yours. If Agra was not a must see thing in plan, then it was no issue, direct NH 7 from Varanasi via Nagpur then NH 6 (Route 2) could have been the choice.

This is not an uphill task! Everything will work out nicely, don't worry. I am sure you'll remember this long trip whole life.

PS: Just now I see HVK has nicely replied his experience about that incident. So no need to worry on that account.

[hvkumar]

I have just now received an update from a friend who says NH3 between Gwalior and Dewas (before Indore) via Shivpuri, Guna, Biaora and Shahjahanpur is not in good condition any more. And this was the road which was quite good when I drove by in mid-Jan!

[LongDrive lover]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

I have just now received an update from a friend who says NH3 between Gwalior and Dewas (before Indore) via Shivpuri, Guna, Biaora and Shahjahanpur is not in good condition any more. And this was the road which was quite good when I drove by in mid-Jan!

Oh my God! fluctuating like our Sensex! Not a good news sir. Was planning to again take it for our proposed summer south trip! May be, have to keep an eye on last minute update on this important, classical but reliable seasonally only, NH.

[hvkumar]

Here is the update from my friend Shatrughan (who drove Bombay-Muzaffurpur,Bihar) 2 days ago. This is what he had to say about the Jhansi-Kanpur road, which he drove through at night:

"Jhansi to Pukhrayan from Orai is still bad with diversions and many stretches with mud/stone ramps with deep craters and trenches."
Note: Pukhrayan is the junction at NH2, near Kanpur.

And as to the status of completion of flyovers under construction on this route:
"I didn't come across any flyover till kanpur- it was dark when I crossed these places which I guess I may not have registered as I was concentrating on the road and driving and many times just following the dumper or truck ahead me in the clouds of dust"

[kingshukt]

I have made an excel file with proposed route (with alternates) and halts shown. The file is only upto Varanasi. I have yet to work on Varanasi - Ranchi sector. these are on the basis of various posts / suggestions by you all. Thank you again.

Indivisual distances / names are courtsey of Google map.

I request you to please go through and suggest changes / inform mistakes / OR wrong / bad routes etc

[mercedised]

Originally Posted by kingshukt

I have made an excel file with proposed route (with alternates) and halts shown. The file is only upto Varanasi. I have yet to work on Varanasi - Ranchi sector. these are on the basis of various posts / suggestions by you all. Thank you again.

Indivisual distances / names are courtsey of Google map.

I request you to please go through and suggest changes / inform mistakes / OR wrong / bad routes etc

What correction do you want now??
Everything is sorted out now, just choose your route and start your journey.

[kingshukt]

Originally Posted by mercedised

What correction do you want now??
Everything is sorted out now, just choose your route and start your journey.

Many thanks for the encouragement.

[hvkumar]

Originally Posted by kingshukt

I have made an excel file with proposed route (with alternates) and halts shown. The file is only upto Varanasi. I have yet to work on Varanasi - Ranchi sector. these are on the basis of various posts / suggestions by you all. Thank you again.

Indivisual distances / names are courtsey of Google map.

I request you to please go through and suggest changes / inform mistakes / OR wrong / bad routes etc

http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...ik-Ranchi.xlsx
I would suggest you look at the link above, where I have worked out the entire route profile for you from Nashik onwards. Needless to say, there are differences between your working and mine. Mine are based on actual log books of my trips, and I have done the entire route during different trips, except for the Panna-Satna-Rewa-Varanasi and Barhi-Hazaribag-Ramgarh sectors, which I have indicated in yellow, and have relied on signboards/maps.

IN my route profile, I have indicated turns, landmarks, facilities, etc.

[kingshukt]

Originally Posted by hvkumar

http://groups.google.com/group/hvkum...ik-Ranchi.xlsx
I would suggest you look at the link above, where I have worked out the entire route profile for you from Nashik onwards. Needless to say, there are differences between your working and mine. Mine are based on actual log books of my trips, and I have done the entire route during different trips, except for the Panna-Satna-Rewa-Varanasi and Barhi-Hazaribag-Ramgarh sectors, which I have indicated in yellow, and have relied on signboards/maps.

IN my route profile, I have indicated turns, landmarks, facilities, etc.

WoW is only one word that comes to my mind. (I hope the Smileys are commensurate with the efforts that you have taken)

That You have taken so much trouble, efforts - for me - makes me indebted to you. I owe you one.

Your data is very comprehensive. I will use a google map to co-relate with your data.
I need to assimilate your data and hence I will revert back with another round of Thanks and / or queries (if any) after I study it in detail.