[airbus]

Prologue:

What’s wrong with this car?

While returning from another visit to a car showroom, I asked my family. Serious planning for this road trip started with this question in mid-February 2022.

During mid-2017, we began to follow travelogues on Road to London and started contemplating a road trip to our native place in Assam. Year 2022 was giving us a perfect window for this once in a lifetime road trip to Assam, plus we were also looking for a good break after Covid-19 induced restrictions during the previous two years.

Planning and Preparation:

Being a BHPian as well as member of multiple enthusiastic WhatsApp groups, I was regularly getting updates from fellow members having a thirst for adventure with all the latest and greatest ideas, information, adventures and other details to be emphasized while preparing for a long road trip.

First and foremost, we needed a good vehicle. From October 2021, we hopped from one car showroom to the other in search of a new vehicle, which would give us a comfortable ride throughout our journey. We gave up the idea of purchasing a new vehicle and decided to drive our six years old battle tank, when we were inspired, motivated and encouraged by Bikash Moharana, a hodophile and a member of Bengaluru TUV Owners club. He, being a solo driver, did road trips from Bengaluru to Ladakh and Odisha using his Mahindra TUV3OO.

We got the ball rolling for this road trip in mid-February 2022 by planning the drive route as well as giving a transformation to our car. I had started this thread (Suggestions for Bengaluru - Assam - Bengaluru road trip).

Route:

It was decided to use the Central India route for the onward journey and the East Coast route for the return journey.

Day 1: Bengaluru to Kurnool and night halt.
Day 2: Kurnool to Seoni and night halt.
Day 3: Seoni to Varanasi. Stay 2 nights.
Day 5: Varanasi to Muzaffarpur. Stay 2 nights.
Day 7: Muzaffarpur to Gossaigaon and night halt.
Day 8: Gossaigaon to Gohpur. Stay 2 nights.
Day 10: Gohpur to Sivasagar.



Plan was to stay in Assam for one and half months and work remotely during this period.

Day 1: Sivasagar to Khetri and night halt.
Day 2: Khetri to Barapani. Stay 2 nights.
Day 4: Barapani to Guwahati. Stay 2 nights.
Day 6: Guwahati to Bahalpur and night halt.
Day 7: Bahalpur to Malda and night halt.
Day 8: Malda to Kolkata. Stay 4 nights.
Day 12: Kolkata to Puri. Stay 2 nights.
Day 14: Puri to Visakhapatnam. Stay 2 nights.
Day 16: Visakhapatnam to Nellore and night halt.
Day 17: Nellore to Bengaluru.



Vehicle:

Mahindra TUV300 T8 (December 2015) with little less than 36K on ODO.

I got the tyres replaced at SLD Tyres, Domlur. I opted for Ceat Czar H/T 215/75 R15, same as the stock tyres because stock tyres never gave me any trouble.





I had installed SensAiry TPMS sensors in 2020 and during tyre replacement, technicians also checked that sensors are secured properly.



Then I went to Sireesh Auto, Marathahalli and met Zaid Iqbal, Service Manager and requested him to prepare the vehicle for a 10,000 km road trip. They kept the vehicle in the service centre for two days. Total service and parts cost was ₹18,613. My normal yearly service cost used to be less than ₹10K, but extra expenditure here was due to coolant replacement, two vacuum modulators and AC evaporator cleaning. Later I got a new battery and changed the number plates to HSRP. I have spoken to my RSA service providers and noted down their phone numbers in my diary.

Here is how my cockpit looks like:



Personal:

Being the only driver, I tried to adjust my biological clock with the driving time for more than a month and stopped my afternoon nap. Both me and my wife went for a health checkup.

Our family friend Mukesh Sharma da suggested creating a small WhatsApp support group to track us live during our trips. Accordingly, I have created a WhatsApp group with Mukesh Sharma da, my friends Mrinal Singh Raja and Pankaj Lahon, and my brother Bulendra Gogoi. Mrinal Singh Raja suggested creating a facebook page and live stream videos during our trip. This helped us to keep our son (11.7 years) and daughter (9 years) somewhat busy while we were on road.

My wife and daughter had planned dress codes for the family on different days during our road trip.

The Team and the Machine:

Preparation Video

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Day 1 (25 March): Bengaluru to Kurnool

Our daughter had her last online exam in the afternoon and we started our great Indian road trip at around 4:00 pm. Another reason was that if I plan for an early morning start, it would be difficult for me to get more than 4 hours sleep (due to first day excitement), however early I go to bed, which is not good for a long drive.

ODO at start:



Luggage:



Customary selfie:



We took the Outer Ring Road in Bengaluru, also known as NH-44, which we continued until Lakhnadon, Madhya Pradesh.

Spotted this truck met with an accident at Abachikkanahalli:



Sunset:



Tea time selfie:



Around 7:00 pm we crossed the Kia factory in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh.





We stopped for dinner at Vaishnavi Family Restaurant.



We reached our hotel Keshav Grand, Kurnool at 10:30 pm and immediately went to bed as we had a very long drive planned for the next day.



Day 1 Summary: Bengaluru to Kurnool, 373 km done in 6.5 hours, including 2 breaks.

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Day 2 (26 March): Kurnool to Seoni

We got up at 5:30 am and were ready within an hour to start our drive to Seoni, which was a very long one, covering a distance of nearly 900 km in a day.



We met a gentleman with an Audi, who had shown great interest in such long road trips. He helped us take a few photos.



At 7:30 am we stopped for breakfast at Sri Krishna Delicacy Udupi Hotel.







After breakfast we resumed our journey on NH-44 i.e., North South Corridor or Srinagar Kanyakumari Highway.









Just after 10:00 am, we reached the Nehru Outer Ring Road, an 8-lane expressway encircling Hyderabad.











Spotted a number of traffic cops with speed cam on the median.



Lane wise speed limit:



We took exit 6 of the Nehru Outer Ring Road to hit NH-44 again.



We had to struggle to find a place for lunch as options were limited on NH-44. We stopped for lunch at Baba Ramdev Dhaba, Gurjakunta, Telangana and ordered chapati with non-spicy curry. They made a sweet curry with pulses.



Both private and commercial traffic was light on NH-44 and I was able to maintain a good pace. We took a couple of tea breaks. I have a habit of washing my face every time we take a break to freshen up. For bio breaks, COCO fuel stations are a good option. I took 10.11L diesel in Telangana @ ₹98.91 and 20.45L diesel in Maharashtra @ ₹97.80.







Oversized cargo on NH-44:





Just after 7:30 pm we reached the Pench National Park / Pench Tiger Reserve, the first tiger reserve that spreads across two states, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.





We reached our hotel, Vatika Celebrations in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh at around 9:00 pm. Our kids were tickled pink to see three cats in the hotel and they made plans to celebrate their next birthdays in this hotel.











Day 2 Summary: Kurnool to Seoni, 897 km done in 14.5 hours including multiple breaks.

Day 1 and Day 2

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Day 3 (27 March): Seoni to Varanasi

We got up at 7:00 am, had breakfast and set out for Varanasi at 8:30 am.

ODO at Seoni:



Ready for the trip:





Customary selfie:



We again took NH-44 and continued until Lakhnadon. Traffic was light.













We took NH-34 from Lakhnadon and then NH-30 from Jabalpur towards Uttar Pradesh. Weather was hot and I had to adjust the threshold temperature of TPMS as it was alerting for high tyre temperature. NH-34 and NH-30 were fairly empty, but there were cattle on the highway. One must be careful, particularly during the night.







Family restaurants are very limited and for bio breaks COCO fuel stations are a good option. I took 26.25L diesel in Madhya Pradesh @ ₹95.24. At around 1:00 pm we stopped for lunch at Yadav Dhaba, Ghunwara. As the weather was very hot, we ordered a light lunch.





We entered Uttar Pradesh just before 4:30 pm.





Traffic was very light on NH-135 and we passed through the town Mirzapur. Filled up 52.94L diesel in Uttar Pradesh @ ₹91.42.



















Then we crossed the River Ganga to reach Varanasi. It took some extra time due to traffic congestion on narrow roads while entering Varanasi. Friends who were live tracking us made an inquiry about the delay. Finally we reached our hotel Vandana Residency at 7:45 pm.



ODO at Varanasi:



Day 3 Summary: Seoni to Varanasi, 609 km done in 11 hours including 3 breaks.

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Day 4 (28 March): Varanasi

It was a relaxing day for us. After breakfast we went to Asi Ghat and spent some time there. Weather was hot and we did not want to expose the kids so we returned to our hotel.





















After sunset we again went out and witnessed the mesmerizing and devotional evening Ganga Aarti at Asi Ghat and also other ghats during our one-hour boat cruise on the holy river Ganga.



















Kids loved these momos:

Day 3 and Day 4

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Day 5 (29 March): Varanasi to Muzaffarpur

After resting and relaxing in Varanasi, it was time for us to get back on the road again.





Customary selfie:



After breakfast we started from our hotel at 9:20 am. Topped up diesel to fill up the tank. We took NH-19 from Varanasi then NH-319 from Mohania. Construction work on NH-319 slowed us down. We had to struggle little bit to find a place for lunch and finally we landed at a nice restaurant - Mastiff Grand Regal Resort, Arrah. Food was good and the restrooms were clean.





After reaching Sakaddi, a long queue of trucks was seen and we were wondering about the same. Our son named the place as Truck Town. Trucks blocked one side of the highway and we had to drive on the opposite side facing oncoming traffic. Traffic jams due to these trucks continued until Arrah - Chhapra Bridge or Veer Kunwar Singh Setu. We also noticed many tractors carrying sand and there was dust all over. We spent one and half hours completing only 25 km and wasted 45 minutes in this mess.

























We took NH-722 from Chhapra and had a quick tea break at Katasa. Then we crossed Vaishali at around 6:00 pm.











My friend Dr. Ashim Kumar Mishra, who is a Senior Scientist at Tirhut College of Agriculture under Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU) came to welcome us at Sakra. Then Dr. Mishra guided us to his quarter located inside the campus of Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dholi, Muzaffarpur.





ODO at Muzaffarpur:



After dinner we went for a walk to see the campus of Tirhut College of Agriculture.







Day 5 Summary: Varanasi to Muzaffarpur, 342 km done in 10 hours including 3 breaks.

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Day 6 (30 March): Muzaffarpur

Another relaxing day for us. A barber visited my friend's quarter and after him, I also had a haircut and a shave.



Kids enjoyed riding a classic bicycle.





During office hours, I went to visit the college and labs with my friend Dr. Mishra.







High yielding turmeric varieties Rajendra Sonia and Rajendra Sonali, developed by Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University:





Some more photos from the campus of Tirhut College of Agriculture, Dholi, Muzaffarpur:

















In the afternoon, I washed the car as we crossed some dusty areas during traffic jams the previous day.



During the evening we visited the Pusa Campus of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur. This University was originally established as India's first-ever Imperial Agriculture Research Institute. The Institute was relocated to Delhi after 1934 earthquake and is now famous as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), commonly known as the Pusa Institute, New Delhi.

















We also visited the Vermicompost unit and saw how earthworms are used to convert organic waste into fertilizer.



We were then taken to a cow shed where we were told that each calf was given an individual number. When the number is called out, the calf with that particular number would come to drink milk.



A traditional mill:



We had tea and refreshments on our way back.



Noticed this old door locking mechanism:



We were honestly touched and gladdened by the kindness, generous hospitality and most importantly, for the valuable time Dr. Mishra spent with us. We enjoyed every single moment of our stay at his place. Thank you my friend!

Day 5 and Day 6

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Day 7 (31 March): Muzaffarpur to Gossaigaon

Finally, the day dawned when we would enter our home state Assam.







We left my friend's quarter at 6:30 am and reached NH-27 i.e., East West Corridor after half an hour.











At around 8:00 am we encountered an extortion attempt at Manigachhi, Bihar but after some arguments, we were able to continue our journey without paying money. This incident was documented here (Entry Tax scam on East West Corridor (NH-27) at Manigachhi, Bihar).





We had a quick breakfast break around 9:00 am at a highway side dhaba and continued our journey on NH-27 then NH-327.









After entering West Bengal, at a place called Pataram in Darjeeling district there was a traffic jam due to trucks and tractors carrying potatoes. It was a single carriageway and only one side was allowed to move on a rotation basis. We were stopped for about 10 minutes here.





We had lunch at Highway 24x7 Restaurant, Bagulahagi.





At 2:30 pm we crossed Mahananda Barrage and continued our journey through the Chicken’s Neck of India. I took 15.6L diesel @ ₹96.15 in West Bengal.















Just after 5:00 pm, we crossed the Hasimara Air Force Station.



At 6:40 pm we crossed the Sankosh Bridge and entered Assam.



We reached the guest house of Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Gossaigaon at 7:00 pm. My friend Dr. Nabajyoti Bhuyan arranged our accommodation and we were invited for dinner at his quarter. During the short period of time we spent with them, our kids had a wonderful time with Dr. Bhuyan's kids, who are of the same age as our kids.





ODO at Gossaigaon:



Day 7 Summary: Muzaffarpur to Gossaigaon, 582 km done in 12.5 hours including 3 breaks.

Day 7

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Day 8 (1 April): Gossaigaon to Gohpur

After breakfast we were ready for our journey. My friend Dr. Bhuyan and his kids came to see us off at the guest house.







We left RARS, Gossaigaon at 8:45 am and took NH-27 i.e., East West Corridor. I filled up 55.41L diesel @ ₹87.54.





We crossed Bongaigaon at around 10:30 am and it started raining.



Then I made a mistake. Google map suggested taking the left from NH-27 at Barama, which took us to small village roads. We rerouted and reached NH-27 at Milanpur.



We had lunch at New Highway Chef Dhaba, Rangia at 1:00 pm.



We left NH-27 at Baihata Chariali and took NH-15.





We stopped for tea at Rowta Chariali at 3:30 pm then continued our journey on NH-15.



At 5:00 pm we crossed Tezpur town. In between Biswanath Chariali and Gohpur due to four lane work, road condition was very bad with many diversions. Pathetic road conditions and heavy rain slowed us down. At 8:30 pm we reached my wife's younger sister's place in Gohpur.

ODO at Gohpur:



Day 8 Summary: Gossaigaon to Gohpur, 508 km done in 12 hours including 3 breaks.

Meeting family after a long time made all of us very happy. During our stay we had a blissful time. All the cousins were overjoyed and had lots of fun-filled countryside games.



Tamul Paan:



Some rest for our battle tank:



Anti-theft device of my brother in law:

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Day 10 (3 April): Gohpur to Sivasagar

After some good rest at my sister in law's place, we were ready to hit the road again for the last and final day of our onward journey. We started our journey at 11:00 am and soon reached NH-15.











My good friend Dipankar Bhuyan, Manager, Seajuli Tea Estate, invited us for lunch at his residence. It is always good to catch up with old friends and we had a great time with him and his family at his British era bungalow. We also visited the tea factory.



























After high tea, we restarted our journey to our final destination, Sivasagar.





On the way we got a chance to cross the Brahmaputra by driving over the Bogibeel bridge, which is the longest rail-cum-road bridge in India.





We had a quick tea break at Moranhat. Finally, we reached our abode at 9:00 pm and were very happy to be with our family during Rongali Bihu.

ODO at Sivasagar:



Well deserved rest for our battle tank after completing 3,598 km onward journey:

Day 8 to Day 10

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Sivasagar - Kaziranga National Park - Nagaon - Jorhat

I started working remotely from Monday, 4 April. Took some rest and also visited some friends nearby.

Refreshing Assam tea:



Afsos - a famous sweet in Sivasagar:



Special barbecue by my friend at his farmhouse:



On 8 April evening we headed to Kaziranga. Earlier in the day I called my friend Debasish Baruah, who quickly arranged our stay for the night in a home stay and also provided contact for the next morning safari.

Pragyan Home Stay:



Our safari - Gypsy:



We were ready for our safari at around 7:00 am. It was raining at that time, but luckily the rain stopped just after we entered the Kaziranga National Park. As it was raining in Assam during the previous week, Gypsy safari route was curtailed by 1/3rd due to water logging.

Expenditures:

Kaziranga Entry, Road Tax and DSLR Camera = ₹900

Kaziranga Gypsy Safari = ₹2000

Kaziranga National Park - Gypsy Safari

After completing the safari, we returned to our home stay, had breakfast and started our journey to Nagaon to visit relatives.

Speed limit within the Kaziranga National Park area is 40 kmph.



Kids made new friends:



Traditional Assamese lunch at our relative's home:



We left Nagaon on Sunday, 10 April afternoon and headed to Jorhat. We stopped for tea at Bokakhat.

Bokakhat peda is famous:



We reached the guest house of the Assam Agricultural University (AAU), Jorhat (my alma mater) in the evening. After dinner, we went to the University auditorium to enjoy the cultural evening of the annual college meet.

Cultural Nite, Annual College Meet 2021 - 22

We stayed for a couple of days in the AAU, Jorhat. Met teachers, seniors, friends, juniors and had a wonderful time.

My junior friend Dr. Akhil Baruah and his wife Dr. Pallabi Bora introduced us to a nice Assamese restaurant Nova Akhol.

Assamese thali:



Duck curry:



Chicken fry:



Small fish fry:

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Sivasagar - Dibrugarh - Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu

We returned to our Sivasagar home for rongali bihu. We were at home during rongali bihu after many years. Kids had a great time.



Koni juj (egg tapping/fight) game is played by two persons, one holding an egg vertically, another tapping from top. The one whose egg is broken, loses and the winner takes the broken egg as prize.



Traditional Assamese bihu delicacies:





On 15 April afternoon we started our journey to Dibrugarh. There was heavy rain near Moranhat town and a tree branch fell down right in front of our car. I was able to stop, but still my Battle Tank took a minor hit.

Encounter with a tree branch during heavy rain

After some consultation in WhatsApp groups, I did a hot water treatment and pushed (using a towel) the bumper from inside, which almost fixed the dent.



Dibrugarh is my wife's native place and we had a good time there with family and friends.



On 17 April, we visited Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu aka Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, currently the longest bridge over water in India.

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu aka Dhola–Sadiya Bridge

We had lunch at Kuil Restaurant, which is located near Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Setu. We enjoyed traditional Assamese cuisine here.





While returning to Dibrugarh, we stopped in a tea garden for some photography.





Two leaves and a bud:



Spotted these girls performing bihu dance:



In the evening we visited my cousin's home for dinner.









During the middle of the week, we returned to Sivasagar. A bihu husori group of young boys and girls visited our home, this is a tradition still being followed.



While in Sivasagar, we used to visit ONGC Colony regularly for evening tea. These samosas were of special interest. During our school days in the 1980's cost was ₹1 per piece, now ₹5 per piece.



Kendriya Vidyalaya, ONGC, Sivasagar.



BHPian supremeBaleno requested me to take some photographs in ONGC colony, where he stayed in the 1980's and I have shared photos with him.

Our Battle Tank on the bank of Sivasagar Tank:

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Visit to Arunachal Pradesh

On 22 April evening we went to Dibrugarh and stayed the night at my cousin's place. Next morning (23 April) we started our journey to Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.

In upper Assam tea gardens are in abundance:



We took two days inner line permit at the Dirak Gate.



After dropping our bags at Namsai Guest House, we proceeded to Golden Pagoda, Namsai.





We spent one hour in the campus of Golden Pagoda.

Golden Pagoda, Namsai

Foxtail orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa):



Some snacks:



Namsai Guest House:



It started raining heavily in the evening and continued the next day (24 April) also. We decided to return via Roing and enjoy the drive. Although it is a high rainfall area, Border Roads Organization maintained roads are in very good condition.

Road Trip in Arunachal Pradesh - Namsai to Roing

During the evening we reached Tinsukia and visited my good friend Susanta Kumar Dutta, currently serving as Additional Deputy Commissioner, Tinsukia district.



We started for Sivasagar at 6:30 pm and reached our home at around 9:30 pm.

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In and around Sivasagar

Sivasagar, formerly known as Rangpur, is a historic town, situated about 360 km northeast of Guwahati. Rangpur was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788. The Ahoms ruled Assam for six centuries. Sivasagar is famous for the palaces and monuments built during the Ahom rule. The district is also known for oil/gas and tea industries.

Joysagar Tank:



Joy Dol was constructed in 1698 by Ahom king Swargadeo Rudra Singha in honour and memory of his mother Joymoti.



The Talatal Ghar is an 18th century palace and military base built by Ahom king Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha. It is the largest of the monuments built by the Ahom dynasty. There were two secret tunnels one connecting to the Dikhow river and another to the Garhgaon Palace, which were used as escape routes in case of an enemy attack.









Lunch time:





Lachit Borphukan Udyan, Bhatiapar:





Rang Ghar (Entertainment House) was the royal sports pavilion of Ahom kings, which was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1746. It is one of the oldest surviving amphitheaters in Asia.









Vehicle of popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg spotted in front of the Rang Ghar:



Three temples Siva Dol, Vishnu Dol and Devi Dol are located on the bank of the Sivasagar tank, in the heart of Sivasagar town.







Sivasagar tank:



Kareng Ghar also known as The Garhgaon Palace, is located in Garhgaon about 13 km from Sivasagar town. The Kareng Ghar is one of the finest architectures built during the Ahom rule.







My good friend (my best man too) Lutumoni Gogoi invited us to spend a day at his farmhouse. We had a great time there.







Visiting relatives:



Charaideo was the first capital of the Ahom kingdom established by the first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1253. Charaideo means “a shining town situated on a hill top". Present day Charaideo is famous for the maidams, which makes the district an attractive tourist destination. Comparable to the pyramids of Egypt, the maidams are actually burial grounds of Ahom Kings and Queens.







Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha statue in Nazira:

Sivasagar

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Day 1 (7 May): Sivasagar to Khetri

After having good times in native, it was time to start our return journey to Bengaluru.

ODO at start:



Luggage loaded:



Customary selfie:



We started from our home at 6:20 am. We took NH-2 and then NH-715.



We had breakfast in Bokakhat at 9:00 am.



Spotted a few elephants near Kaziranga National Park and saw a driver taking blessings from an elephant.





We also crossed the convoy of the Assam Chief Minister in Kaziranga. There are a number of animal corridors in Kaziranga and both ends of these corridors are equipped with speed cams.





We had a quick visit to a relative's home in Nagaon. Then we took NH-27 to reach Jagiroad and visited another relative's home for lunch.

Traditional Assamese lunch:



Weaver bird nests:



We spent about three hours at our relative's home in Jagiroad. In the evening we drove to Khetri to visit another relative's place and stayed there for a night.

ODO at Khetri:

Day 2 (8 May): Khetri to Barapani

Kids with their new friends:



We left our relative's home in Khetri at 10:15 am. We took NH-27 then NH-6 aka Guwahati - Shillong Road from Jorabat. Filled up the tank just after entering Meghalaya, took 56.61L diesel @ ₹88.47.



We reached my friend Dr. Tasvina R Borah's quarter in the campus of ICAR Research Complex for North Eastern Hill Region, Barapani at 12:15 pm. We picked up my friend and went to Shillong peak, but it was closed.



Potato seed production:



We saw excellent traffic discipline in Shillong.

Traffic Discipline in Shillong

Observed some interesting modifications in Shillong.





We had lunch at Eden Restaurant near Police Bazar.





Police Bazar, Shillong:

Day 3 (9 May): Visit to Laitlum Canyon

Visibility was somewhat good when we reached Laitlum Canyon at 1:00 pm, but soon we were surrounded by clouds, which reduced the visibility to a great extent. It was cold there and we had to take out our jackets and windcheaters.













Momos:



Umiam Lake:



ODO at the end of day 3: