Thread Starter
#121
Round the Country in My Manza. 5000+ Kms in 7 Days, 9 States
- Thread Starter anisghos
- Start date
Thread Starter
#122
Saar, no signs of 4 laning either what i have seen on this Bhandara-Nagpur stretch. Something needs to be done very quickly in that stretch because what i had seen was a complete pandemonium, and it is going to get worse day by day.
Some sections of the Talegaon-Amravati should be open to public very soon as they are almost ready but some sections work are in progress and i guess needs some more months before opening up...
Thread Starter
#123
Moving on from Amravati..
Once we crossed Amravati bypass we were on the 2 laned roads. The juncture where the 4 laned roads and the 2 laned roads merged was a bit messy and traffic was high but once we started running, amazingly the roads were less congested and was having unexpectedly low traffic.
Next big town was Akola and it was still 100 odd kms from Amravati. Till now i was driving non stop with only one P break at Nagpur from our starting point i.e. Bhillai and NO other stops in between. We were all consuming the backup eatables in my bank which consisted of eggs, fruits, nuts, chocolates, chips etc all day. The backup really helped us to push further without any break. But it was time when we should take a break. I could see my partners getting a bit bogged down with the monotony and in absence of a meal of some sort. But after looking into the roads which was comparatively empty i could not resist the thought of pushing further as much as we could as there was still some light which was fading very fast. We moved on without stopping and trying to do some pep talk in an attempt to recharge my partners. Tried to do something different to encourage them by putting on some different music, my partners opted for some DEATH METAL songs( i did not hear anything other than some shouts and screams and some loud strings which neither did not have a rhythm or any sort of melody 1000 of kms near to it, at least according to me..![[confused]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Confused.gif "Confused [confused]")
). At some point of time i felt like banging my head against anything i get in front of me.. I felt like some metal was banging me to death.. This is what i concluded from the term "DEATH METAL".. However, i found my partners somewhat waking up from their dizziness and i reluctantly tried to get myself accustomed with the metal which was trying to beat me to death..![[lol]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Laugh.gif "Laugh [lol]")
.. I still get petrified at the through of going through that pain of listening to them again..
With the metal whacking my brains off, we continued our journey and i tried to speed as much as possible. The facilities were very very sparse in between and one would mostly find barren fields on both sides, worn out bushes and cattle's grazing all over which did not provide us with any sort of encouragement..
Once we crossed Amravati bypass we were on the 2 laned roads. The juncture where the 4 laned roads and the 2 laned roads merged was a bit messy and traffic was high but once we started running, amazingly the roads were less congested and was having unexpectedly low traffic.
Next big town was Akola and it was still 100 odd kms from Amravati. Till now i was driving non stop with only one P break at Nagpur from our starting point i.e. Bhillai and NO other stops in between. We were all consuming the backup eatables in my bank which consisted of eggs, fruits, nuts, chocolates, chips etc all day. The backup really helped us to push further without any break. But it was time when we should take a break. I could see my partners getting a bit bogged down with the monotony and in absence of a meal of some sort. But after looking into the roads which was comparatively empty i could not resist the thought of pushing further as much as we could as there was still some light which was fading very fast. We moved on without stopping and trying to do some pep talk in an attempt to recharge my partners. Tried to do something different to encourage them by putting on some different music, my partners opted for some DEATH METAL songs( i did not hear anything other than some shouts and screams and some loud strings which neither did not have a rhythm or any sort of melody 1000 of kms near to it, at least according to me..
). At some point of time i felt like banging my head against anything i get in front of me.. I felt like some metal was banging me to death.. This is what i concluded from the term "DEATH METAL".. However, i found my partners somewhat waking up from their dizziness and i reluctantly tried to get myself accustomed with the metal which was trying to beat me to death.... I still get petrified at the through of going through that pain of listening to them again..With the metal whacking my brains off, we continued our journey and i tried to speed as much as possible. The facilities were very very sparse in between and one would mostly find barren fields on both sides, worn out bushes and cattle's grazing all over which did not provide us with any sort of encouragement..
Last edited:
Thread Starter
#124
However, we did some good speeds and at around 5.45 pm we were at the outskirts of Akola. We covered around 100 kms from Amravati in around 1 hour 20 mins. The 2 laned roads were pretty much drivable with few rough patches, but in this stretch one can move comfortably, at least we could as the traffic was also less, luckily i guess. I could see my partners frantically looking for a dhaba where we could take a P and E break and some stretching as well. Got a pretty ordinary road side dhaba where we took the break.
Lets have some pictures from Amravati to Akola through NH 6.
You can see, there were nothing much on both sides to see or anything substantial on facilities which can be spoken about.
The orange is almost gone now.
We were not carrying any high end camera for which the quality of the pictures are not at its best.
So far today we had travelled 515 kms with 1 break, Akola being the second one. It was a bit tiring, but most of all we were ruing the fact that we were running very very late and that was the main concern. We planned to reach Dhule around 8-9 pm but that was long gone out of the window.I told the guys that we would not wait long but instead pack up some food which are relatively dry and will be easily portable. While the food was ordered, did my mandatory car check, washed my screens as it was having some dirt marks which was obstructing my view.
Once i was done taking care of my car, thought of updating Kumar sir. Called him up and the 1 st thing he mentioned, quoting "You are running very late and if you plan to drive directly to Mumbai it might be an all night affair".. I was predetermined that i would directly move till Mumbai and yes it was an all night affair... We discussed about the days drive and huge traffic i faced and the roads i was about to travel. We decided on taking up one milestone at a time and promised him that i will update him while crossing each and every milestone.
Within15 mins our pickup was ready and after a bit of stretching we were ready to drive and soon started moving.
Who knew it would be one of the worst stretches of the total drive.. We left Akola sharp at 6 pm and Dhule was another 284 kms from Akola...
Continued..
Lets have some pictures from Amravati to Akola through NH 6.
You can see, there were nothing much on both sides to see or anything substantial on facilities which can be spoken about.
The orange is almost gone now.
We were not carrying any high end camera for which the quality of the pictures are not at its best.
So far today we had travelled 515 kms with 1 break, Akola being the second one. It was a bit tiring, but most of all we were ruing the fact that we were running very very late and that was the main concern. We planned to reach Dhule around 8-9 pm but that was long gone out of the window.I told the guys that we would not wait long but instead pack up some food which are relatively dry and will be easily portable. While the food was ordered, did my mandatory car check, washed my screens as it was having some dirt marks which was obstructing my view.
Once i was done taking care of my car, thought of updating Kumar sir. Called him up and the 1 st thing he mentioned, quoting "You are running very late and if you plan to drive directly to Mumbai it might be an all night affair".. I was predetermined that i would directly move till Mumbai and yes it was an all night affair... We discussed about the days drive and huge traffic i faced and the roads i was about to travel. We decided on taking up one milestone at a time and promised him that i will update him while crossing each and every milestone.
Within15 mins our pickup was ready and after a bit of stretching we were ready to drive and soon started moving.
Who knew it would be one of the worst stretches of the total drive.. We left Akola sharp at 6 pm and Dhule was another 284 kms from Akola...
Continued..
Thread Starter
#125
Anybody who wants to travel this route, please keep in mind that in between towns/cities the facilities are not much, so pick up anything you need in the outskirts of these cities/towns and also keep cash with you as there are very few pumps which accepts cards. If they accept cards also they will keep nagging for cash or first they will say they accept cards but later on they would say credit card machine not working and bla bla bla, so anyhow you have to pay cash, so keep enough cash in hand.
After moving couple of kilometers from the dhaba, we got into Akola bypass. This is a new bypass, though 2 laned in very good condition and it totally avoids the city traffic and pretty empty. The sun had gone down and it was pitch dark, going over a bridge one would see the city lights glowing extensively on the right hand side. My GPS suddenly started showing some absurd routes and directions and some stupid commentary, understood that as the bypass is very new it is not yet mapped.
My partners were gobbling down the rotis and dry alu gobi fry like as if they did not eat for years![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
.. I felt relieved that they are now satisfied. However, i was hesitating to fill my stomach taking lessons from the last day. I was trying hard to avoid any sort of meal but at last satisfied my stomach with a roti ONLY and nothing else..![[frustration]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Frustration.gif "Frustration [frustration]")
.. I did not want to be in a situation as the last day after having a good lunch and then suffering from the sleep syndrome.
At the end of the Akola bypass we took left into NH 6 again and the next big city is Khamgaon which is another approx 50 kms. Once we crossed the bypass the truck traffic increased by leaps and bounds and slowly it started to become very irritating negotiating them. Long queue of trucks going one after the another in slow motion and likewise from the opposite direction as well. As it had become dark, photography was not possible except some videos.
All these started to add up to the delay and that started affecting our moods as our delay was increasing with every passing minute. Sometimes one tends to loose his cool in such situation and it happened to me as well.
Keeping aside the dullness and monotony of driving non stop in pitch dark conditions for hours negotiating the trailers and trucks, mostly which was wearing us down was the thought that we were slipping away from our plan and only one word was making us mad was DELAY DELAY and DELAY..
We reached Khamgaon around 7.45 pm and it took us almost 1hr and 45 mins just to negotiate around 52 kms. That was a very congested stretch. Roads were okay, a bit patchy nevertheless, very much drivable, BUT huge huge incessant truck traffic.
Lets have couple of videos :Somewhere around Khamgaon - YouTube
Somewhere around Khamgaon 2 - YouTube
Continued..
After moving couple of kilometers from the dhaba, we got into Akola bypass. This is a new bypass, though 2 laned in very good condition and it totally avoids the city traffic and pretty empty. The sun had gone down and it was pitch dark, going over a bridge one would see the city lights glowing extensively on the right hand side. My GPS suddenly started showing some absurd routes and directions and some stupid commentary, understood that as the bypass is very new it is not yet mapped.
My partners were gobbling down the rotis and dry alu gobi fry like as if they did not eat for years
.. I felt relieved that they are now satisfied. However, i was hesitating to fill my stomach taking lessons from the last day. I was trying hard to avoid any sort of meal but at last satisfied my stomach with a roti ONLY and nothing else.... I did not want to be in a situation as the last day after having a good lunch and then suffering from the sleep syndrome.At the end of the Akola bypass we took left into NH 6 again and the next big city is Khamgaon which is another approx 50 kms. Once we crossed the bypass the truck traffic increased by leaps and bounds and slowly it started to become very irritating negotiating them. Long queue of trucks going one after the another in slow motion and likewise from the opposite direction as well. As it had become dark, photography was not possible except some videos.
All these started to add up to the delay and that started affecting our moods as our delay was increasing with every passing minute. Sometimes one tends to loose his cool in such situation and it happened to me as well.
Keeping aside the dullness and monotony of driving non stop in pitch dark conditions for hours negotiating the trailers and trucks, mostly which was wearing us down was the thought that we were slipping away from our plan and only one word was making us mad was DELAY DELAY and DELAY..
We reached Khamgaon around 7.45 pm and it took us almost 1hr and 45 mins just to negotiate around 52 kms. That was a very congested stretch. Roads were okay, a bit patchy nevertheless, very much drivable, BUT huge huge incessant truck traffic.
Lets have couple of videos :
Better part in this route..
Somewhere around Khamgaon 2 - YouTube
Continued..
Thread Starter
#126
From Bhillai when we started, Dhule was a big milestone for us and this is from where we would turn into NH 3 from NH 6 and somehow we were looking forward to NH 3, which i heard was having excellent 4 lane roads towards Mumbai among the ghats, and i guess we were also getting a bit bored of NH 6 as well for the past 2 days.. ![[evil]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Evil.gif "Evil [evil]")
..
From almost 800 kms to Dhule in the morning, it has now reduced to around 230 kms more, had been one hell of an adventurous journey and we were counting the numbers. The situation was such that, if god suddenly appeared in front of us and asked us what is the only thing you want in life and you would get it, we would have all shouted "DEFINITELY DRIVE PAST DHULE".. Dhule had become a mental block for us ... Such was our situation then...Hahaha![[;)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Wink.gif "Wink [;)]")
..
We moved on without stopping as we had enough fuel till Dhule. This stretch was a bit better than the earlier part that also marginal and did not make much of a difference. Next big stop was Bhusaval which was around more 100 kms from Khamgaon.
As we proceeded, same stuff, trucks trucks and trucks, increase in delay and adding up to our frustration. This continued for the next couple of hours and we reached Bhusaval bypass at around 9.45 pm.
Dhule another 126 kms from Bhusaval..
Lets have couple of videos in this stretch :
You can very well see the amount of truck traffic in this video and the speed we were able to drive...
Between Khamgaon and Bhusaval - YouTube
We were approaching Bhusaval in this stretch below... Roads had become a bit better than the mix of good and patchy roads. Roads were never an issue in this full stretch which was very much drivable though being narrow, the biggest issue was the heavy traffic..
Approaching Bhusaval - YouTube
Continued..
.. From almost 800 kms to Dhule in the morning, it has now reduced to around 230 kms more, had been one hell of an adventurous journey and we were counting the numbers. The situation was such that, if god suddenly appeared in front of us and asked us what is the only thing you want in life and you would get it, we would have all shouted "DEFINITELY DRIVE PAST DHULE".. Dhule had become a mental block for us ... Such was our situation then...Hahaha
..We moved on without stopping as we had enough fuel till Dhule. This stretch was a bit better than the earlier part that also marginal and did not make much of a difference. Next big stop was Bhusaval which was around more 100 kms from Khamgaon.
As we proceeded, same stuff, trucks trucks and trucks, increase in delay and adding up to our frustration. This continued for the next couple of hours and we reached Bhusaval bypass at around 9.45 pm.
Dhule another 126 kms from Bhusaval..
Lets have couple of videos in this stretch :
You can very well see the amount of truck traffic in this video and the speed we were able to drive...
Between Khamgaon and Bhusaval - YouTube
We were approaching Bhusaval in this stretch below... Roads had become a bit better than the mix of good and patchy roads. Roads were never an issue in this full stretch which was very much drivable though being narrow, the biggest issue was the heavy traffic..
Approaching Bhusaval - YouTube
Continued..
Thread Starter
#127
We went past the Bhusaval toll plaza and within 3 kilometers we found a pump and it came to my mind that if the traffic remained the same it would be almost midnight reaching Dhule. It would get difficult for us to get an open pump at that point of time and we would be low on fuel and wont be able to reach Mumbai with that quantity of fuel and have to waste time searching for pumps. Moreover, i was also getting a bit tired and needed a break.
We tanked up in bhusaval and took a much needed break for 10 mins. Updated Kumar sir on the position. Now we have more than enough fuel to reach Mumbai. While calculating, we were getting a bit demoralized that we were not able to make it on time to Mumbai etc etc etc.. But the fact of the matter is, there was no point brooding over the fact which has already happened. We can only look forward and be positive and optimistic and try to reach our destination and be as close as possible to the original plan.
Couple of pictures of my Manza resting and getting its belly filled at Bhusaval.
On a positive note we started off from Bhusaval and needless to say it was same as before and truck traffic continued to haunt us. We crossed Nashirabad toll at around 10.40 pm and crossed the last big town before Dhule i.e. Jalgaon at around 10.50 pm. With the crossing of Jalgoan now were in double figures and inching towards Dhule which was around 94 kms more. Each and every kilometer we crossed we were getting more and more optimistic as we were getting more and more closer to Dhule. Truck traffic remained same which we had already stopped thinking about and the only thing going through our mind was Dhule.. Dhule and Dhule.
We went past Erandol at around 11.33 pm and 59 kms to go from here. Once we reached Fagne we were around 5 kms away from NH3-NH 6 intersection, it was around 12.24 am then. There was a checkpost where trucks were in queue. I managed to follow a police van and somehow got past the checkpost without wasting any time.
After couple of minutes we were overjoyed to see the intersection and merrily took a left turn onto NH3 and my GPS saying "YOU ARE ON NH 3", and that was the best phase to my ears after a long time.
It was a pleasure to see wide 4 laned roads again. We started searching for a dhaba where we can have some food and some time out from driving. So far today we have already driven 16 hrs at a stretch and we had more 350 kms to go towards Mumbai. We found many dhabas closed down and after asking some locals they showed us a place but on reaching that place we found that is also closed down. We were in a fix and halted there.
We were now thinking, what to do, to take a night break here or carry on till Mumbai, i was also tiring a bit. My partners had nothing to say and they were looking up to my decisions. Lots of things were going through my mind and then suddenly looking to my mobile, i saw 7 messages from HVK which i didn't notice so long as the GPS was on. He was asking me if i was sure of moving till Mumbai or halt in Dhule. The same thing was going through my mind as well.
I called him up to discuss, he asked me if i was sure that i would carry on. I said i defiantly did not want to loose time sleeping in DHULE. He was worried that if i was having any women or child with me in the drive. Once i confirmed that we were only 3 guys travelling and my desire to reach Mumbai without halting he encouraged me. Those 3 words from HVK made a lot of difference at that point of time in taking my decision.
"Keep coming keep coming, the roads ahead are excellent..", this is what he said and it was decided, i was driving to Mumbai tonight. I guess, i had that burning desire in me to reach Mumbai as early as possible without wasting time and i needed that encouragement from somebody to give me that last pinch to carry on further. He told me that this part of NH 3 from Dhule to Mumbai is a busy one and we would definitely get a dhaba to eat. One thing he mentioned was, if we needed some rest we should not stop before Nashik as that full stretch is being 4 laned and huge traffic prone area at this point of time, but as it was midnight the city traffic would be less and we can somehow escape the traffic.
Energized after discussing with Kumar sir, i told my partners that it is decided that we are moving to Mumbai and not halting here.
We moved on and after a couple of kms we found a very big dhaba and well decorated one and we took a break there before the final push to Mumbai.
Following are some pictures of the place we halted..
Some mandatory checks in progress of my car in the break time..
Continued..
We tanked up in bhusaval and took a much needed break for 10 mins. Updated Kumar sir on the position. Now we have more than enough fuel to reach Mumbai. While calculating, we were getting a bit demoralized that we were not able to make it on time to Mumbai etc etc etc.. But the fact of the matter is, there was no point brooding over the fact which has already happened. We can only look forward and be positive and optimistic and try to reach our destination and be as close as possible to the original plan.
Couple of pictures of my Manza resting and getting its belly filled at Bhusaval.
On a positive note we started off from Bhusaval and needless to say it was same as before and truck traffic continued to haunt us. We crossed Nashirabad toll at around 10.40 pm and crossed the last big town before Dhule i.e. Jalgaon at around 10.50 pm. With the crossing of Jalgoan now were in double figures and inching towards Dhule which was around 94 kms more. Each and every kilometer we crossed we were getting more and more optimistic as we were getting more and more closer to Dhule. Truck traffic remained same which we had already stopped thinking about and the only thing going through our mind was Dhule.. Dhule and Dhule.
We went past Erandol at around 11.33 pm and 59 kms to go from here. Once we reached Fagne we were around 5 kms away from NH3-NH 6 intersection, it was around 12.24 am then. There was a checkpost where trucks were in queue. I managed to follow a police van and somehow got past the checkpost without wasting any time.
After couple of minutes we were overjoyed to see the intersection and merrily took a left turn onto NH3 and my GPS saying "YOU ARE ON NH 3", and that was the best phase to my ears after a long time.
It was a pleasure to see wide 4 laned roads again. We started searching for a dhaba where we can have some food and some time out from driving. So far today we have already driven 16 hrs at a stretch and we had more 350 kms to go towards Mumbai. We found many dhabas closed down and after asking some locals they showed us a place but on reaching that place we found that is also closed down. We were in a fix and halted there.
We were now thinking, what to do, to take a night break here or carry on till Mumbai, i was also tiring a bit. My partners had nothing to say and they were looking up to my decisions. Lots of things were going through my mind and then suddenly looking to my mobile, i saw 7 messages from HVK which i didn't notice so long as the GPS was on. He was asking me if i was sure of moving till Mumbai or halt in Dhule. The same thing was going through my mind as well.
I called him up to discuss, he asked me if i was sure that i would carry on. I said i defiantly did not want to loose time sleeping in DHULE. He was worried that if i was having any women or child with me in the drive. Once i confirmed that we were only 3 guys travelling and my desire to reach Mumbai without halting he encouraged me. Those 3 words from HVK made a lot of difference at that point of time in taking my decision.
"Keep coming keep coming, the roads ahead are excellent..", this is what he said and it was decided, i was driving to Mumbai tonight. I guess, i had that burning desire in me to reach Mumbai as early as possible without wasting time and i needed that encouragement from somebody to give me that last pinch to carry on further. He told me that this part of NH 3 from Dhule to Mumbai is a busy one and we would definitely get a dhaba to eat. One thing he mentioned was, if we needed some rest we should not stop before Nashik as that full stretch is being 4 laned and huge traffic prone area at this point of time, but as it was midnight the city traffic would be less and we can somehow escape the traffic.
Energized after discussing with Kumar sir, i told my partners that it is decided that we are moving to Mumbai and not halting here.
We moved on and after a couple of kms we found a very big dhaba and well decorated one and we took a break there before the final push to Mumbai.
Following are some pictures of the place we halted..
Some mandatory checks in progress of my car in the break time..
Continued..
Last edited by a moderator:
Thread Starter
#128
We ordered some rotis and chicken masala for dinner. He told us to take our seat, instead of sitting we were stretching ourselves as sitting was the only thing we were doing so long. But we noticed that our stretching was going on and on as the food was not arriving and we were wasting a lot of time here. After couple of reminders we got our food after wasting valuable one hour. However, there was no point arguing with them, we had our food as fast as we can. But there was no point denying the fact that the food was excellent. We reached the dhaba at around 12.42 am and we were now setting of for Mumbai at around 2 am. Again we have lost some time here, but we were refreshed than before.
We moved along. Now an important thing here is there are many tolls in this route and please do keep your toll receipts because at the other end if you cannot show the receipts you have to pay that amount again.
We were in good mood and were breezing past. The roads were excellent and interesting as well among the ghats. First we went past the Malegaon ghats. There were some steep turns. This was the first time i was driving through a ghat section and we all thoroughly enjoyed the drive. Until and unless one drives through this it cannot be explained in words. We passed Malegaon arounf 2.45 am and Mangrul around 3.30 am. By 4.45 am we were crossing Nashik.
As discussed with Kumar Sir, we escaped the Nashik traffic. 20 kms before and after Nashik and through Nashik is in a mess. Huge 4 laning and bypassing work is going on and roads are broken, lots and lots of diversions. But we did not need to stop anywhere, through the pace was slow.
Once we crossed Nashik, we took a P break for 5 mins and moved on. It was very chilly outside. After negotiating some more diversions we were again in the excellent 4 laned roads curving along the ghats and what a pleasure driving there.. We crossed the Igatpuri toll plaza at around 5.25 am. We were approaching Kasara ghats and was very eager to have a look into the scenic beauty around but the sun was still down..
A short video of approaching Kasara..
You can hear us merrily driving in this route and Subho lending his voice to a Rockstar number as well. This was also a ploy to keep himself awake...
This was the time when they started to doze off a bit and i had to keep pinching them to stay awake...
Approaching Kasara - YouTube
At around 5.40 am we were crossing the Kasara ghats, and what a joy. We loved each and every bit of the drive..
Couple of more videos while crossing the Kasara ghats.. This is what we could only capture![[sad]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Sad.gif "Sad [sad]")
.. Please bear with the music and the background noise in the video as i did not get time to edit the sound.
Kasara Ghats 1 - YouTube
Dont know if you could understand the curves, the roundabout descend or not..
Kasara Ghats 2 - YouTube
Kasara Ghats 3 - YouTube
You can very well hear our excitement driving through this stretch, and really it was awesome and worth it. I was letting the horsepower take over me and we were moving all guns blazing towards MUMBAIIII.
We crossed the river into Thane toll plaza at around 6.15 am. We had covered around 310 kms in around 4 hours from Dhule and that i guess was a very good timing.
HVK told me to keep him updated all through and let him know if i needed any help, but the road was straight forward and i did not want to disturb him all night reading my messages. But i had a plan, i wanted to giving him a surprise in that early morning.
We moved along. Now an important thing here is there are many tolls in this route and please do keep your toll receipts because at the other end if you cannot show the receipts you have to pay that amount again.
We were in good mood and were breezing past. The roads were excellent and interesting as well among the ghats. First we went past the Malegaon ghats. There were some steep turns. This was the first time i was driving through a ghat section and we all thoroughly enjoyed the drive. Until and unless one drives through this it cannot be explained in words. We passed Malegaon arounf 2.45 am and Mangrul around 3.30 am. By 4.45 am we were crossing Nashik.
As discussed with Kumar Sir, we escaped the Nashik traffic. 20 kms before and after Nashik and through Nashik is in a mess. Huge 4 laning and bypassing work is going on and roads are broken, lots and lots of diversions. But we did not need to stop anywhere, through the pace was slow.
Once we crossed Nashik, we took a P break for 5 mins and moved on. It was very chilly outside. After negotiating some more diversions we were again in the excellent 4 laned roads curving along the ghats and what a pleasure driving there.. We crossed the Igatpuri toll plaza at around 5.25 am. We were approaching Kasara ghats and was very eager to have a look into the scenic beauty around but the sun was still down..
A short video of approaching Kasara..
You can hear us merrily driving in this route and Subho lending his voice to a Rockstar number as well. This was also a ploy to keep himself awake...
This was the time when they started to doze off a bit and i had to keep pinching them to stay awake...
Approaching Kasara - YouTube
At around 5.40 am we were crossing the Kasara ghats, and what a joy. We loved each and every bit of the drive..
Couple of more videos while crossing the Kasara ghats.. This is what we could only capture
.. Please bear with the music and the background noise in the video as i did not get time to edit the sound.Kasara Ghats 1 - YouTube
Dont know if you could understand the curves, the roundabout descend or not..
Kasara Ghats 2 - YouTube
Kasara Ghats 3 - YouTube
You can very well hear our excitement driving through this stretch, and really it was awesome and worth it. I was letting the horsepower take over me and we were moving all guns blazing towards MUMBAIIII.
We crossed the river into Thane toll plaza at around 6.15 am. We had covered around 310 kms in around 4 hours from Dhule and that i guess was a very good timing.
HVK told me to keep him updated all through and let him know if i needed any help, but the road was straight forward and i did not want to disturb him all night reading my messages. But i had a plan, i wanted to giving him a surprise in that early morning.
Thread Starter
#129
It was 6.30 am in the morning and i was in the vicinity of his apartment and i gave him a call, and i tell you what an extraordinary man Kumar Sir is, he picked up my call and asked me "Where are you now?" and i replied "I am beneath your apartment" and i guess that might have been a shocker for Kumar sir.
Kumar Sir came down and guided me till where he was standing and this is THE moment i waited for so long to meet this extraordinary man name HV Kumar. Thanks again Kumar sir for meeting me early in that morning... The pleasure was all mine ..
You can see me on the left with drowsy eyes after a 22 hr long non stop journey and Kumar Sir on the right.
We chatted for almost 1.5 hours and discussed so many things, it was a great experience. There was also one more surprise for one of my relative waiting as they also did not know i would be popping up that too in a car.
We bid goodbye and Kumar Sir led me till Thane crossing and showed us the way towards Godbhunder and directed us towards Malad West where we are supposed to reach...
Kumar Sir came down and guided me till where he was standing and this is THE moment i waited for so long to meet this extraordinary man name HV Kumar. Thanks again Kumar sir for meeting me early in that morning... The pleasure was all mine ..
You can see me on the left with drowsy eyes after a 22 hr long non stop journey and Kumar Sir on the right.
We chatted for almost 1.5 hours and discussed so many things, it was a great experience. There was also one more surprise for one of my relative waiting as they also did not know i would be popping up that too in a car.
We bid goodbye and Kumar Sir led me till Thane crossing and showed us the way towards Godbhunder and directed us towards Malad West where we are supposed to reach...
A lot of determination is required to sustain a long drive of this kind, as important as driving skills. The level of mental concentration can strain the toughest of nerves. Great drive!
Sad that traffic has increased multifold and highways have not kept pace, despite all the 4-laning that has happened in recent years. In the year 2001, I was able to drive Raipur-Bombay in 19 hours on what were completely narrow 2-laned roads, and I repeated that in 2008 in 18 hours, but both drives were absolutely without a single break (except for refuelling & pee breaks). Even as lately as 2009, I was able to drive Bombay-Raipur in 19 hours, but I guess in the days to come it is going to be more and more difficult to cover ground unless drastic road reforms happen.
That was one of the pleasantest of surprises that morning. I think I look more bleary eyed than you do! You were looking very enthusiastic and energetic despite being on the move over 20 hours!
Sad that traffic has increased multifold and highways have not kept pace, despite all the 4-laning that has happened in recent years. In the year 2001, I was able to drive Raipur-Bombay in 19 hours on what were completely narrow 2-laned roads, and I repeated that in 2008 in 18 hours, but both drives were absolutely without a single break (except for refuelling & pee breaks). Even as lately as 2009, I was able to drive Bombay-Raipur in 19 hours, but I guess in the days to come it is going to be more and more difficult to cover ground unless drastic road reforms happen.
That was one of the pleasantest of surprises that morning. I think I look more bleary eyed than you do! You were looking very enthusiastic and energetic despite being on the move over 20 hours!
Last edited by a moderator:
Thread Starter
#131
Early in the morning the roads were empty and we were driving fast towards Malad.
Some pictures on the way to Malad crossing Ghodbunder :
We reached our destination around 8.45 am at Malad and i was walking out of my car a very very happy man. Somehow managed to stick to the plan. My relatives were also stunned to see us but we all enjoyed that moment. But i was tired and badly needed some rest, but still didn't want to waste time sleeping. Got freshened up gave my car a good wash, had some food and really couple of beers brought me back to my senses. It had been a great and adventurous journey till now,and we have reached only our 1st milestone. There is lot more to come. I will update the next post with the total toll amount, diesel consumed and all the details then proceed with the later part of the journey..
Keep reading and stay tuned..![[cheers]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Cheers.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
Some pictures on the way to Malad crossing Ghodbunder :
We reached our destination around 8.45 am at Malad and i was walking out of my car a very very happy man. Somehow managed to stick to the plan. My relatives were also stunned to see us but we all enjoyed that moment. But i was tired and badly needed some rest, but still didn't want to waste time sleeping. Got freshened up gave my car a good wash, had some food and really couple of beers brought me back to my senses. It had been a great and adventurous journey till now,and we have reached only our 1st milestone. There is lot more to come. I will update the next post with the total toll amount, diesel consumed and all the details then proceed with the later part of the journey..
Keep reading and stay tuned..
Thread Starter
#132
Thanks Kumar Sir for your support. This drive really required a lot mental toughness and not getting bogged down.
I fully agree with you. The highways have not kept pace with the increase in the traffic and NH 6 being a very heavy traffic corridor, should have been upgraded long back. It seems it would take another 10-15 years to get this done if at all it happens.
It is really so nice to see you, HVK Sir in this forum. And as usual what you had said is very much correct. For example, a Calcutta-Siliguri drive along NH 34 used to take me hardly 10 hours, even just a few years earlier. But with so much increase in traffic, the same drive now takes at least 12 hours and for my last drive to Sikkim during last summer, I had to cover the same distance in 14 hours, driving in daytime!
![[clap]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Clap.gif "Clap [clap]")
Finally you meet HVK sir. Thanks for the picture. I fully agree. Having done 10 hour drives myself twice in 1 week that too over some really broken roads showed that it needs enormous amount of focus and patience. I think this is actually a good test to interview candidates for jobs, what say
![[glasses]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Glasses.gif "Glasses [glasses]")
Your experience is extremely valuable as a source of information for a route to Mumbai. I have something planned in mind maybe in the later part of the year. NH6 is a mess. Its kind of a lifeline to the country. Carrying so much commercial goods across the country, it needs at least 6 lanes if not 8 throughout its stretch. I cannot imagine the amount of wastage of precious resources that happen because of such slow moving commercial goods traffic.
NH6 is a mess. Its kind of a lifeline to the country. Carrying so much commercial goods across the country, it needs at least 6 lanes if not 8 throughout its stretch. I cannot imagine the amount of wastage of precious resources that happen because of such slow moving commercial goods traffic.