Team-BHP > Travelogues


Reply
  Search this Thread
21,317 views
Old 21st June 2009, 15:29   #1
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times
Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...

This was a short overnight trip to a village near Herbertpur, on the western outskirts of Dehradun. A friend's farmhouse, mango orchards, the foothills of the mountains, a temple and the jungle were all that were there - but that was enough to recharge our worn-out batteries...

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05499k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05520k300.jpg

We decided to travel off the regular route, and take our time about it. For those who are unaware, the road along the right of the Upper Ganga Canal (with the canal on your left) starts at Muradnagar, meets the NH-58 at Khatauli, carries on across the highway again, and connects again to NH-58 at Manglore. Across the highway again, following the canal, one comes up to Roorkee. From here it was a left turn and the regular route via Chhutmalpur to Dehradun, then past the IMA and another 35 km.

The road along the canal was so refreshing - no heavy vehicle traffic, the canal and the greenery all around, and a quick 300-metre diversion and a lunch break at the Cheetal Grand at Khatauli.

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0008.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0010.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0009.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0015.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0016.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-abcd0020.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc02170.jpg
SS-Traveller is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 16:27   #2
BHPian
 
setuniket's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Noida|New Delhi
Posts: 236
Thanked: 302 Times

Is that route safe, I have done whole night runs on NH 58 twice, do you recommend night driving on this road?
Any small towns in the way for puncture repair etc.
setuniket is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 17:03   #3
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NOIDA, Manchester & Cardiff
Posts: 585
Thanked: 92 Times

Once I took the canal route from Khatauli till Muradnagar. The road is safe only in daytime. It is also quite narrow with very deep canal running alongside, so one has to be very careful. No puncture or repair shops on the way, so you will be on your own.

This road is only fit for day journey and that too in company of 2-3 people.
akj53 is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 17:11   #4
Senior - BHPian
 
phamilyman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 5,968
Thanked: 4,635 Times

Fully agree. Have done this route once. Its awesome to beat the rush - lovely for bikers - some small bad stretches and speed breakers.

Not recommended during 7pm-2am.

the canal is otherwise recommended for bathing
phamilyman is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 17:14   #5
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by setuniket View Post
Is that route safe.... do you recommend night driving on this road?
Any small towns in the way for puncture repair etc.
Keep off this road after dark - STRICTLY. No automobile repair facilities on this stretch, no tyre shops, and you hardly see any people either. Just a few 'chai' shops along the way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by akj53 View Post
Once I took the canal route from Khatauli till Muradnagar. The road is safe only in daytime. It is also quite narrow with very deep canal running alongside, so one has to be very careful. No puncture or repair shops on the way, so you will be on your own.

This road is only fit for day journey and that too in company of 2-3 people.
Very true. No racing on this road, but the pleasure of driving at a constant 60 km/h is what makes this road so attractive in the day. Some small patches, and a stretch of about 3 km just before Manglore, are potholed, but manageable.
SS-Traveller is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 17:29   #6
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times

What's so great about this little hideaway I went to? First of all, the MANGOES! Harvesting season for ripe mangoes is still a few weeks away, but take a look...

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05497k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05498k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05500k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05528k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05540k300.jpg


Of course, all through the year, there's the forest next door. There are monkeys and leopards in the forest, and the house dogs have been carried away by leopards at night a couple of times, until a fence was installed recently. A walk in the forest sure gets rid of the city blues...

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05499k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05507k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05526k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05530k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05553k300.jpg
SS-Traveller is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 18:20   #7
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times

What else? The birds and the bees...

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05538k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05539k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05537k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05533k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05534k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05531k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05512k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05516k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05564k300.jpg
SS-Traveller is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 18:36   #8
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NOIDA, Manchester & Cardiff
Posts: 585
Thanked: 92 Times

Fabulous photos. Hardly ever we get to see such greenry in India. Which place is this? I would love to go on this drive.

Dehradun has lost its green cover and has become a concrete jungle.

Saw so much greenry only in Scotland, but that was even much better.
akj53 is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 19:22   #9
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by akj53 View Post
Fabulous photos. Hardly ever we get to see such greenry in India. Which place is this? I would love to go on this drive.
@ akj53: Thank you, Sir, for appreciating the photos. I am afraid I would not reveal the exact location of this farmhouse because of privacy issues, but it is located about 12 km to the north-east of Herbertpur, next to a reserve forest.

The house itself is a pleasure to be in. Done up in rustic style, with a garden behind it, and the forests all around. No mod-cons like air-conditioning. Power supply is erratic, with voltage as low as 170V, but all that adds to the charm. We even slept on the roof, a pleasure denied us long ago in the concrete jungle of unsafe Delhi.

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05502k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05504k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05505k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05550k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05503k300.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05501k300.jpg
SS-Traveller is offline  
Old 21st June 2009, 21:07   #10
Senior - BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 2,256
Thanked: 37 Times
Nice travelogue

Good travelogue there.

This reminded me my family TRIP we had done in early 2006. We travelled via Cheetal Grand from Delhi to Dehradun.

As informed by our relataives we spent nearly 1 hour in that godo hotel which had tasty food.

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dscf6153.jpg

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dscf6154.jpg

Well mantained hotel it is. We loved south Indian food there.

Regarding mango and farm house I love that having spent my most of the childhood in such lovely places.

Ravi.
ravibhat is offline  
Old 22nd June 2009, 09:18   #11
Senior - BHPian
 
suman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 4,589
Thanked: 279 Times

Enjoying this! These short "recharge" trips are sometimes the best
suman is offline  
Old 22nd June 2009, 09:48   #12
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: NOIDA, Manchester & Cardiff
Posts: 585
Thanked: 92 Times

The 'bistars on roof' photo brought back memories of those golden nights gone by.

no such luxuries can be enjoyed in the cramped concrete jungles of the so called big cities.
akj53 is offline  
Old 22nd June 2009, 09:53   #13
Senior - BHPian
 
Sudipto-S-Team's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Kolkata
Posts: 1,320
Thanked: 290 Times

SS
The long white tailed bird is an Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Not a very commonly seen bird. Congrats for not only viewing it but also for photographing it.
Sudipto
Sudipto-S-Team is offline  
Old 22nd June 2009, 11:41   #14
BHPian
 
pjay_in's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 396
Thanked: 20 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team View Post
SS
The long white tailed bird is an Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Not a very commonly seen bird. Congrats for not only viewing it but also for photographing it.
Sudipto
And the other brown bird in the same pic is its female. Females are rufous and lack the long tail.
pjay_in is offline  
Old 22nd June 2009, 22:54   #15
Distinguished - BHPian
 
SS-Traveller's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 8,161
Thanked: 27,103 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team View Post
SS
The long white tailed bird is an Asian Paradise Flycatcher. Not a very commonly seen bird. Congrats for not only viewing it but also for photographing it.
Sudipto
Quote:
Originally Posted by pjay_in View Post
And the other brown bird in the same pic is its female. Females are rufous and lack the long tail.
Thanks Sudipto-da and pjay, for the identification. I didn't put in too much effort to get those photos - just stood/sat around under a tree for a half hour. I was also wondering what bird this was - seems to be some type of water bird, and not something I've seen earlier in this area...

Beyond Dehradun along the Upper Ganga Canal - recharging...-dsc05531k300.jpg
SS-Traveller is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks