Road Trip

Ever since I bought the car I had always looked forward to going on a long road trip. It finally materialized. My brother suggested the idea at first. I took it up, added a few details regarding our stay and we were off in May to Himachal! We first halted at Chandigarh, visiting Nek Chand’s Rock Garden. It is a ‘must-see’. The rocks have been arranged in many different patterns, human shapes and landscapes. The walk-through is very tourist friendly, talking you on a winding path flanked by these stone images. It is an amazing testimony to one man’s hard work, patience and ingenuity.

We then went up first to Kullu-Manali-Rohtang, like all diligent tourists do. Rohtang was the first introduction our kids had to snow. Although most of the snow was melting fast, there was still some left for them to frolic in. The pollution is a major factor affecting the meltdown. We could not reach the Pass due to a traffic jam some Kms short of Rohtang. The govt should regulate the traffic to Rohtang like it is being done by the Sikkim State govt for Nathu La. On our way down, we visited the Hadimba Devi temple. Crass commercialization has overtaken religious sentiment. When I had last been there in 1989, there was only the temple; standing serenely in the pines. The temple now seems lost and more like a bystander gawking at the human circus around it. We also visited Manikaran. Steaming hot water from underground and Hindus and Sikhs both laying claim to its origins.    

            But it was the trip to Sarahan that was out of the normal ‘tourist’ pattern. We drove from Kullu to Aut-Banjar-Jalodi Pass-Sainj-Rampur-Jeori-Sarahan. The drive was through rough, narrow roads, climbing steeply through dense pines, with no service station for miles. Speaks volumes of the Hyundai engineering and of course of Sanju’s driving. He drove all the way gamely, with his leg injury. I definitely could not have done it alone. Sarahan is relatively unexplored (we met just a couple of tourists). There is an ancient temple of Bhimakali on the top of the hill. The view of the snow clad mountains catching the first rays of the morning sun made all the effort to Sarahan worth it. I wish we had spent more time here than in Kullu. We returned via Shimla, which seemed just like Mumbai, except that it was perched on the hills. The same hustle-bustle, crowds, pollution and traffic-jams.

Although the car behaved perfectly well in the hills, we have decided to restrict it’s usage to the plains in our next trip, which could be to Rajasthan. Even if anyone of you is planning to take a car to the hills, do keep to the National Highways. And once you reach your hotel, any local sightseeing should be done in local taxis/cars. These drivers know the roads and the risks.