[ABHI_1512]

This lockdown is doing some strange things, at least for me. Regimented rituals have taken over the normal time of the day and made some elementary changes to our daily lives. Sleep patterns have altered and we find ourselves saddled with going back to the hobbies that we ceased to enjoy due to paucity of time. And i find myself writing about another journey that i undertook one winter back on a chilly evening from Calcutta.

Initial route planned was CALCUTTA-NEW DELHI-AMRITSAR-KHAJJIAR-DALHOUSIE-MCLEODGUNJ-NEW DELHI-CALCUTTA.


A picture from the surprise stoppage


Not withstanding the initial plan,road travel often presents itself with surprises.This time a massive grid locked traffic mess near Handia toll plaza took two hours of our journey time and one near Allahabad bypass set us back by around 45 minutes.So the initial plan now included AGRA as well


Delhi is not that far or is it !


Baahon clicked in the morning after driving through overnight heavy rains


Our food stop at Aurangabad


The place was nicely done up and presented a perfect picture opportunity


Entering Ramada Agra


So started our journey in the evening around 8 in the evening from Calcutta and got sucked into some heavy rains till Dhanbad. Progress was slow somewhat and we reached Aurangabad the next day morning at around 6 and stopped for the breakfast. Little slow on schedule due to the rains but yet in no hurry since the buffer time was accounted for.Took breakfast at a very decent eatery with lots of parking space in front with clean toilets. Food was good and tasted wonderful as well. Breakfast done and we were on the highway again.There was no trace of any rains and hence we maintained a decent speed and the Sasaram toll was crossed without any problem.Problem arose when we were about to reach Handia toll,i could sense the long traffic mess but couldn't crossover to the wrong lane which the local cars were taking with impunity.Coming to a grinding halt for an hour and a half and then when the traffic moved somewhat, found a cut to be on the other side and reached the toll plaza.Surprisingly,the other side had a toll plaza accepting toll from cars through the wrong lane. Two hours wasted and so decided to skip lunch and moved through the nice roads until Allahabad bypass. Another traffic jam was waiting for us and after some frustrating times through the town of Etawah, we could finally be on the lovely ALE and towards New Delhi. But all these delays forced us to alter our plans somewhat since reaching Delhi at 2 in the morning did not make any sense at all. Out of the jiffy, planned to stay at AGRA for the night and depart for New Delhi the next day. Calls were made to the hotel and once the confirmation was done, we decided to book the Taj Mahal tickets online for the early morning view. It was all done by my better half while I was enjoying driving all along the wonderful ALE. Reached Ramada Agra which is just at end of the bypass exiting through the ALE. Checked in for the night,took dinner and slept like a log with the alarm set for 4 in the morning giving a sleep time of only 3 hours

Some pictures from the Taj Mahal trip-

Entry view


The view of the Taj Mahal in the morning


Kind of feel sad to see when the history is not taken good care off


The surroundings of the Taj are equally magnificent


One for the ages,could have been better though


The magnificent Taj from another angle


Taj again in full morning glory


Clinging on and making some decent noises


Last shot of the entrance


Found this lovely cafe outside Taj at the parking area


Aptly named El Classico Cafe and I am sure every football lover will love the place


View of the Taj from the hotel room, although far the top can be seen clearly


The surprise stoppage at Agra was a blessing in disguise and we could get some beautiful views of the Taj in the morning. Visit to the Taj over and done with, we came back to the hotel, took our breakfast and checked out for our onward journey to Delhi.

[ABHI_1512]

A day in the national capital

We started for New Delhi knowing that it’s hardly a two hour journey through the magnificent Yamuna Expressway. Reached Connaught Place by the lunch time and treated ourselves a delectable lunch at Pind Balluchi. Kind of felt sad the iconic cinema hall Regal had closed. To see the landmark cinema halls closing across the cities is such a shame. Lunch over and better half wanted to stroll around the CP and so we did stroll. Some hours spent by wandering around, we decided to move to our second night halt( which actually was to be our first halt ) Ramada Central Gurgaon. Now there were two reasons for choosing the place- first I wanted to meet one of my school seniors from Sushantlok Gurgaon and secondly, wanted to avoid the morning rush hours towards Murthal and onwards. This day was spent at leisure and we checked in the evening. Later in the evening we did check the Durga Puja celebrations at Sushantlok society along with my school senior and enjoyed the ambiance. Next day was the start of our journey to Amritsar and hence after taking dinner we slept off early.

Some snaps from the day

First thing in the morning- getting the car cleaned up


Leaving the Ring Road Agra and towards Delhi


Yamuna Expressway and the now famous board


One for the album


Reaching CP and now closed Regal cinema building


Statesman House


Lunch at Pind Baluchi


Usual hot spots back then


This I found real cute then

[ABHI_1512]

Towards Amritsar

Day 4 started with a hearty breakfast at the hotel itself and the spread at Ramada was fabulous. In fact spread at Agra Ramada was also very good. Started for Amritsar at around 9.30 but since it was a holiday, the roads were comparatively empty. Although we did find some traffic towards the ring road but by the time we touched the highway it was okay.Since this travel was made some time back,i am just stating the normal happenings during the travel.Soon we reached Murthal and the familiar dhabas started lining up.It baffles me no end by the sheer number of dhabas along the highway. Coming from the eastern India where there are limited number of eating places on the highways, it's surely makes the foodie in me happy whenever I travel through the northern India or for that matter southern India as well. Since we were already stuffed, decided to skip the usual stoppage and moved on till we reached Karnal. We stopped for some coffee break at Danapaani and spent half an hour there. The facilities were top notch and washrooms were spanking clean. The road surface was top notch till Ambala and somewhat deteriorated near Jalandhar. Marching on and with not much stoppage we finally reached Amritsar by the evening and went straight to our pre booked hotel at Ranjeet Avenue.

Daanapani en route near Karnal


Mannat Dhaba at Murthal


Amrik Sukhdev Murthal



Checked in and got freshened up and within a flash we were ready for our first visit to Harmandir Saheb. Our hotel was little far and hence taking the car was prudent. But better half had other ideas and in order to provide me some rest, she had already booked an UBER and the car was outside the hotel in a jiffy. So off we went 'The Golden Temple’. It took us around 20 mins to reach the promenade beside the temple complex. The UBER driver was very friendly and helped me chalk out the next day itinerary pretty well. First view of the Harmandir Saheb Mandir was awe inspiring. As soon as we entered the temple complex, the first thing what struck to us was the constant hymne and the silence together. We entered the temple at night since the desire to visit the place was so strong. Took a round of the whole complex and sat there for some time before deciding to come back again the next day early morning to witness the daily ritual of departure of Palki Sahib Granth. Went back to the the hotel and after dinner, retired for the night.

Harmandir Saheb at its glowing best


The sanctity of the place makes for such a profound impact


Another view


Just outside the temple complex and along the promanade

[ABHI_1512]

Amritsar and Wagah

Woke up little late and did our breakfast at the hotel itself. Today was going to be a hectic one since there were many plans lined up together. First plan was to visit the Jallianwala Bagh which we have all studied in our school books. So accordingly, landed up at the parking spot of the Golden temple area. The road leading upto the parking lot is narrow but the cops were super friendly. They guided me to the parking lot and after taking the ticket, went up and found a spot to park. Now funny thing happened while I was exiting- will come back to that later !
Going inside the Jallianwala Bagh entrance gave us goosebumps, the entrance made me re collect the whole of history lessons that I once mugged up during the childhood. The narrow entrance, the well where the martyrs jumped, the bullet marks everything came alive in a moment of flash and we both were speechless for some moments. Almost choking and thinking that we who are living in an independent India doesn’t know the importance of independence which we take so casually and for granted. People have laid down their lives for us and we should eternally be grateful for that. Nevertheless, after spending some time we were out and spent some time around the promenade.

The narrow lane of Jallianwala Bagh


Bullet marks will give you goosebumps


Memorial for the martyrs


Martyr's well


At the end of the exit lane


The statue of Maharaja Ranjit singhji



Some little shopping and Knick knacks over, we decided for our next stop - the famous BEERA CHICKEN.Before that the parking saga,well the parking attendant had issued me a vehicle number slip of PB INSTEAD OF WB and the automated gate of the parking refused to open After many tries,the attendant let me go without paying anything.I insisted on paying but he refused saying you are our guest! Landed up at Beera chicken for lunch and had our fill with their specialties. I had good expectations from the place though but it was little disappointing to us.Probably too high expectations i had !

Beera chicken house menu, I was salivating by the fragrance all around the place


Butter chicken and that generous amount of chutney


To get to this place to eat


Keema naan


Lunch sorted and now was the time for the big one.The trip to Wagah was our next stop and my friend who is in the Indian Army had arranged for the trip. Accordingly,we reached the reserved parking and took our seats for the ceremony.Before that, we also got to see the Zero Point which is as close to the border as one civilian can be near Pakistan without the visa that is! The ceremony though was little jingoistic for my sensibilities but the retreat ceremony was a nice experience. The frenzied crowd cheering was ear deafening and the atmosphere was electric. Some pictures from the ceremony-

The humongous golden jubilee gate


View of the gates


Spot the glee


That's Pakistani Ranger in full view without the barricades


That's our pride near the Zero point


That's my pride near the Zero point


View of the filled up amphitheater


BSF female squad holding the tri colour aloft


March of our Rangers


March again,the synchronization was too good to be true


Whose is higher??


The final showdown before the lowering of the flag


Flag lowered for the day and the retreat back


The Wagah ceremony sapped us of the energy but we still found some time to visit the Govindgarh Fort but due to paucity of time we could't see the fort since it was closed by the time we reached. Not to be disheartened,we quickly went to other famed place of Amritsar-MAKHAN Fish. Had a hearty meal for dinner and gastronomically fulfilled,we came back to the hotel and retired for the day with the alarm set at 4 in the morning.

[ABHI_1512]

Early morning gurbaani and journey towards Khajjiar

The alarm set off at 4 in the morning and we were off to the Harmandir Saheb again. We both always had this desire to attend the early morning rituals at Harmandir Saheb and it was a wish fulfilment day for us. This time the parking was done the right way and the parking slip mentioned WB instead of PB
The roads were all empty and it was kind of weird driving through the promenade which otherwise remains a no entry zone. The Partition Museum was all lit up but closed and it was a surreal feeling to go past it. Nevertheless, went through the almost empty promenade only to find the inside of the temple all filled up. After a while we both sat at the pathway of the sanctum sanctorum along with all the other devotees. It took us around three hours to reach the inside and pay our obeisance. One snippet I would like to mention here is that at least three people gave me money of different denominations and went away without a word which I later understood. Since I was in the queue already and they wanted me to deposit the money in the donation box. I haven’t had this kind of experience ever before in my life and it was an eye opener. Some snapshots from the morning sojourn :

The empty promenade during the early morning


The same place is choc-a-block with people during some other time


View while entering the temple complex


The sun rise never looked better


Morning view of the temple


The Jallianwala Memorial for the Martyrs



The visit to the temple was over by 8 in the morning. Came back to the hotel and it was time to check out after the breakfast. We left Amritsar by around 10 and were soon on our way to Pathankot.The Amritsar- Pathankot Highway was a brilliant surface to drive on and soon we reached the bifurcation of Jammu and Pathankot. Stopped just near the Pathankot cantonment gate for refuelling and some chai and moved on. Our destination for the night was Khajjiar. Idea was to spend some time at Khajjiar and Sight seeing at Chamba and if time and road permits then a quick dash to Sach pass as well. Reached Khajjiar by the evening after some wonderfully curated mountain roads through Dalhousie and the Kalatop sanctuary. The surface after entering the Kalatop sanctuary gate deteriorated somewhat till Khajjiar though. Dalhousie we kept for the other day for leisure. Since it was already evening, we spent time wandering around the property and thereafter retired for the night after an early dinner. Some pictures en route to Khajjiar :

Amritsar- Pathankot had brilliant surfaces to drive on


Just before the climb starts after Pathankot you get this beautiful view


And then when you climb up the vistas get even more wonderful


Nearby Dalhousie


This lone Dhaba along the way served some delightful hot rotis and gobhi roast


View from our cottage at Hotel Devdar and the parking lot in front

[ABHI_1512]

Khajjiar and Chamba diaries


The day started with some awe inspiring views of the sky.The morning sky looked resplendent with the glow of the sun and the famed hallows of Khajjiar wore a blanket of dew all around. It took us a while to just soak around the views while sipping tea at the balcony. The weather was fantastic and comfortable while we got ready for the breakfast.By 10 we had our breakfast and moved towards Chamba. Got to know from the local drivers about the Sach Pass and it was closed for some reason. So, decided to explore Chamba to the hilt. Chamba is a quite little town which is situated on the banks of Ravi river.The town is historical in nature and named after the daughter of Raja Sahil Verma whose name was Champavati. We reached Chamba and were looking for a parking spot since there was acute scarcity of parking spots in the town. Asked around and a policewoman helped us getting a closed car parking just near the Bhuri Singh Museum. Now another experience of the journey happened here. The car park was cramped and there was a spot for only one car and that too after maneuvering the car many times over. The person at the car park requested me to handover the keys of the car to him so that we can have our sight seeing without any delay and meanwhile he will park the car. I was a bit hesitant but nevertheless gave him the keys but telling him that everything valuable is in the car and i am trusting him with the vehicle. Assurance given and we left for the Chamba Palace. The palace though was closed for maintenance or something and so we first visited the Laxmi Narayan Temple through some narrow pathways passing right through the market area. I will let the pictures do the talking here:

The morning view of the sky from the cottage


Hallowed greens of Khajjiar


Forest rest house Khajjiar


Pathway leading up to the lone cottage of Devdar


This lone cottage of Hotel Devdar is oh so wow to look at and for stay


Hallowed greens again but this time somewhat filled with tourists and ponies


The mini switzerland board along with the instrument


View of Hotel Devdar from the parking lot


The view of the small little church on the way to the Chamba Palace


Laxmi Narayan Mandir complex Chamba


People at leisure sitting at the grounds just beside the Chamba market


Administrative building of the Bhuri Singh Museum


Bhuri Singh Museum


Chamba Palace


If only this was actually implemented everywhere


Chamba was a fabulous experience. After the visits to the usual spots we went to the market for some usual shopping of Knick knacks and memorabilia. The market place was buzzing and after spending some time going over the shops, decided to go to the Chamundeshwari temple which was little uphill from the market place of Chamba. The road to the temple is narrow and but the views from the place is pretty good. You get to see the entire Chamba town with the river Rabi flowing by. Spending some time at the temple and it was time for the return journey to Dalhousie. Now for the uninitiated, there are many adventure sports available at the Khajjiar greens and one amongst them is paragliding. While coming down to Chamba, we already had a talk with an operator for the same and we had decided to do it while returning from Chamba. Time was at premium and we hurriedly started our return from Chamba towards Khajjiar. Stopped at the notified point and parked our car. Now to reach the paragliding point, we had to trek upwards for around 1 km uphill through a track through the jungle. Upon reaching the point, got to know that the wind is not favourable for the glide and we will have to wait until the wind is favourable. The wind finally turned favourable after around an hour of waiting and it was one of the most exhilarating rides ever. Once in the Sky, it is literally a feeling of flowing with the wind. But yes, one thing I must add here - avoid paragliding at Khajjiar because of safety issues. I did regret it later although nothing amiss happened with me. The place is run by local guys without any proper gears and helmets and is not regulated by the government unlike at Bir Billing where proper safety measures are in place. I saw a guy fall while going up and he got injured pretty badly. Paragliding done and it was getting pretty dark when we finally reached for our car. Without any drama, we reached Dalhousie by 7 in the evening and went straight to our hotel. Evening was spent at the hotel with some decent snacks and dinner was good too. Some pictures from Chamba and the subsequent events:

Baahon showing up at Chamba Market


View of the Chamba Central from the grounds where incidentally we saw Durga Puja as well


Chamunda Devi temple


Chamunda Devi temple


Chamunda Devi temple


The place is popular with locals as well who come here to spend time amidst the scenic views


View of the Chamba Town from the hilltop temple


Ravi river flowing by quietly, the views from the temple are fantastic


Baahon en route Chamba


This giant Shiva and the temple complex midway through the Chamba- Khajjiar Road was our parking spot for paragliding


One for the album before the most exhilarating ride ever

[ABHI_1512]

One day at leisure- Dalhousie

Today we were to spend the day at Dalhousie and then move to Mcleodgunj. However the day at Dalhousie started with some noise -courtesy a large group of travellers. The group members were blissfully unaware of the serene surroundings and were equally demanding of the services they wanted from the hotel and resulting in some chaos and noise at the same time. Apparently they were the paid members of the hospitality chain and hence the demands. We kind of felt left out in the whole scenario. The staff went all out in fulfilling the demands of the guests some of which in my opinion was not necessary. Anyways, breakfast done at the hotel amidst the chaos, sometime later we left for the town of Dalhousie. Dalhousie as a town I found many similarities with our own Darjeeling. Beautiful views of the peaks, wonderful schools and little cafes dating back into the pre independence days. I liked the vibe of the laidback place which was moving at its own pace which we city dwellers always miss. Just walking around the town central was fun. Spent some time around and sat at the iconic Cafe Dalhousie for a delightful coffee and some sandwiches. The coffee reminded me of another famous cafe Keventer’s Darjeeling because the coffee was almost similar to the ones served there ! After spending some time there we started for our next destination- Mcleodgunj. Some snaps of Dalhousie here :

The iconic Cafe Dalhousie


St. John's Church at Dalhousie


Baahon at the resort at Dalhousie


Some usual suspects around the resort


Cottages at the resort,almost all open out to the mountains


Some flora as well


View from the open breakfast area


Beeji's park established in memories of mother's near the Dalhosie Public School


Tank displayed at the park


Air force fire power displayed as well



Dalhousie to Mcleodgunj passes through a place called Tannu hatti and from there the road bifurcates towards Dharamshala. Since it was the day of Vijaya Dashami, we encountered massive jams just about 45 minutes before Dharamshala. There was this large field where the Raavan- Dahan was to take place and people had lined up their cars on both sides of the road to catch a glimpse of the event. This lining of cars along the roads was almost for more than a kilometer and delayed us somewhat. In fact, I also stopped to look around the event but left before the actual event took place. Reached Dharamshala and a good cop directed me towards the bypass after hearing about the name of the hotel we were booked at Mcleodgunj. Without much fanfare reached the resort. Checked in and settled in comfortably.
Spent the evening at the hotel relaxing over a delightful plate of Trout fish and later on gorged over the dinner. The foodie in me loved the fish greatly and I have made promise to myself to go back to the northern lands again to eat just the wonderful fish again

This was clicked on the way to Mcleodgunj


Reached just in time for a glorious sun set from the hotel


Just couldn’t get enough of the beautiful sunset


This plate of Trout was pure joy and goes well with iced tea

[ABHI_1512]

A day in the life of Mcleodgunj

McLeodgunj presented us with views unparalleled from the hotel balcony itself. The location of the hotel made all the difference actually and it was perched just at the base of the strawberry hills( don’t know who named it), thus offering some great views. The breakfast was done at the open terrace and it was wholesome. Now for the start of the exploration of Mcleodgunj. Went little uphill towards the Dal lake( yes, Mcleodgunj also has a lake of that name) but it was all too disappointing to even call it a lake ! The lake was being cleaned and there was hardly any water, I am sure the lake would have some water now. Cursory look and off we went to see the Dalai Lama temple and the Tibetan Museum. Now the local drivers told me there would be a parking issue near the temple and told me to park the car on the road leading up to the temple. Reluctantly, I went upto the lone policeman to ask for parking and he directed me towards a parking mall just in front of the temple. My parking worries sorted as I went through the road which was witnessing little jams because of narrow width of the road. Saw maximum people and even the outstation cars parking their car on the road. Nevertheless, finally reached the gate of the parking lot and was kept waiting. This was a large parking lot of around four floors but the thing was everybody wanted to park their cars on the surface and not the below floors. Saw many waiting in queue just to park the cars but I could see that the below floors had spaces. Asked the attendant and pat came the reply- Sir niche parking mil jaayega par upar ke liye wait karna parega ( you will get parking in the below floors but will have to wait to park on the surface ). Cut through somehow and entered the parking lot down below and then I got the reason for the reluctance of the drivers above! The pathways were incredibly narrow and steep with hairpin turns where even my Ecosport was just about passing through. Any mistake while taking the turns and a scratch or a dent was definite. Went down two floors down and finally parked the car. The funny part, now I have to take the same path to come up to the surface as well !

So parking done and off we went to the temple first and then the Tibetan Museum. The Tibetan Museum should be seen by everyone to at least know about the struggle of the people. The temple complex was large and one could see people meditating in front of Buddha at any given point of time. The temple visit and the museum took around one and half hour and we then sat around at Norling restaurant which came highly recommended because of authentic Tibetan delicacies. Took early lunch there and it was above expectations with the momos and thukpa was one of the best till date. Also carried some spicy red chilli mixture from them which we savoured for almost a year after coming back. Thought of going to Naddi as well but dropped the plan seeing the massive traffic congestion.

Next up was St John in wilderness Church but for that we had to bring up the car from the parking lot. The narrow roads were clogged with cars and now that I know, the narrow road is also one way. Had to wait around half an hour to bring out the car of the parking lot because of the logjam at the entrance. The bringing up of the car to the surface through that narrow pathway without any scratch was an achievement for me honestly



The real torture started once we were out of the parking lot and on to the road. Now to go the the church we had to make a turn going down and then again come up till the turn near the bhagsunath point. It was all okay till we made the turn uphill where the narrow road was choked with cars. Traffic was crawling and saw three of the cars burning their clutch and stalling midway amidst the uphill narrow road. It created further mess on the already choked road. Navigating through the mess and we finally reached the Church area after wasting one and half hours. It was past four already and we spent some time at the church before going back to the hotel.

Tibetan Martyr’s Memorial


The Tibetan Museum


Inside the temple premises


Entrance of the temple and bang opposite is the parking lot


Can someone spot the car in the parking lot ?


Artefacts on sale


Highly recommended you see


Walk around pathways


The Almighty Buddha


The Dhauladhars


St. John in Wilderness Church


To much to see and too little time we had because of gridlocked roads and traffic snarls. Hap hazard parking on the road sides creates log jams and people should realize this,specially for the places where parking is an issue.It would be wonderful if people park their cars in the designated places and not on random sidewalks for their own convenience.Rant aside, the day was wonderfully spent and it was kind of sad because this was also the last night before our journey back to Calcutta.

[ABHI_1512]

Journey through Dharamshala and Kangra Fort en route Noida

Today was our return journey to Calcutta and naturally we both were feeling sad at the end of this wonderful journey. The plan was to go see the picturesque Dharamshala Cricket Stadium and then to Kangra fort on the way to Chandigarh and onwards to Noida. Noida was to be our halt for the night and we had planned to book the hotel on the move depending on the arrival time. It was going to be a long day and so we checked out early after the breakfast and landed up at the stadium. Half an hour and some pictures later, we were on our way to Kangra Fort. Now,Kangra Fort is probably the oldest fort in India and which traces its origins to the Mahabharata epic.It is said that the original rulers hided treasures inside the fort and that at least three rulers plundered the fort for the treasures of the temples inside as well as the for the hidden ones. The present day people believe that hidden treasure is still there in one of the safe zones inside the fort. The fort is majestic in it's grandeur but much of it is in ruins now ever since the fort was heavily damaged during the earthquake in 1905. Kangra Fort might not be as grand as a Mehrangarh Fort but it has it's place in history alright.

The now famous view of the Dharamshala Stadium though the mountain peaks were not visible.


Entrance of the Kangra Fort


The Fort is built in a unique way and that explains the repeated attacks


The reach to the inside of the Fort is quite a hike of steps


The small gaps were used to fire the weapons in the bygone era


View from the top


It is said that the fort still holds hidden treasures in one of the gates


This side of the fort was damaged heavily during the earthquake


With the river flowing on both sides of the fort,it was built to thwart the enemies in the best possible way


The dome destroyed during the earthquake


The grandeur was unmissable even through the ruins


The fort still has an operational Jain and Ambika devi mandir, Laxmi narayan mandir as well as Sitala devi mandir inside and the puja is done daily


This area is now used as amphitheater sometimes


Yeah, a gate named as such too along with Jahangiri darwaza


The temple stones



Kangra fort was an interesting visit and we spent time knowing the glorious past of the Kangra kingdom as well.Started for Noida at around noon and the progress was smooth till we stopped for lunch at Virsa food point. The place was nice but the food took a lot of time to arrive. Lunch done and after some smooth progress through,the first congestion was near the Nangal dam crossing. Maneuvering through some pretty bad traffic and we were soon nearby the Chandigarh jurisdiction and encountered some awful roads because of construction work. Rest of the route didn't disappoint and after a swift chai break at Karnal,we were on the Western Peripheral Expressway which had just opened back then.It was past 8.30 in the night and the road though well lighted had very less traffic. Meanwhile the hotel was booked on the move and we were on our way through Gmap. Asked the toll booth operator about the route and he was not very friendly at that hour. Anyways, reached the hotel somehow at around 10 and slept off immediately after freshening up.

Next day we woke up at leisure and checked out of the hotel by noon. Went to Karim's for lunch at Sector-18 for the last hurrah and shopped for some sweets from Nathu's. Last target achieved and we started for Calcutta at around 4 in the evening from Noida. Reached home the next day evening at around 6 and that too because of a massive snarl in the morning hours near the Handia toll where we had to go through some village roads for around 7 kms to get out of the humongous traffic snarl. A wonderful and memorable journey coming to an end with the hope that we would be on the roads again for our next endeavor.Little did i know back then that i would be writing a log for this trip sitting at home during an unprecedented lock down and the car sitting idle for the past 30 days

However i am an eternal optimist and i would like to believe that the sunny days will be here again soon and we will be able to defeat this current pandemic with all our might.Until we hit the roads again,please stay safe and stay well,cheers to all of us.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[haisaikat]

Let me congratulate you by saying its another epic TL that will inspire us to make a trip to these marvelous hill stations of the North. Rated 5 stars. How long back was this made? During your return journey, how many halts did you make, seems you drove for 24 hours?

[Aditya]

That's an amazing travelogue with a lovely write up and beautiful pictures. This one will surely help a lot of people planning to travel in the areas you have covered.

Your travelogue refreshed my memories for sure. I am particularly fond of the the Khajjar - Chamba - Dalhousie area and of course, Dharamshala. Some of the views are just stunning. It's been quite a while since I last toured the north, but I cannot forget it. The tasty food just adds to the experience.

Kangra Fort is still on my to see list. Hope I get to see it soon.

[Sukanta73]

Great travelogue. Thanks for sharing.

What about the car parking facility in Wagah border? Appreciate If you could share the details.

[sidzz]

Originally Posted by Sukanta73

Great travelogue. Thanks for sharing.

What about the car parking facility in Wagah border? Appreciate If you could share the details.

I was at the Wagah border last December. There is ample facility and space for car parking. Very well organized.

But as soon as the show ends in the evening, as expected everyone wants to exit at the same time, causing a huge traffic jam. So it is better to wait for the chunk of crowd to move out and then proceed, like we did. Till then kill some time in the stadium itself, clicking photos and enjoying some fast food.

Do plan to visit the Sarhad restaurant on your way.

[DBeast]

A great travelogue ABHI_1512 with awesome pictures especially in this lockdown.
Delhi is like a second home to me and it feels great when you see pictures of the areas; nostalgic.

Also, you and your partner have great driving stamina, if not wrong, you drove from Noida to Kolkata in one go (close to 27 hours). Cheers to that!

-DB