Wander through India : KUTCH EXPEDITION 2014 : on NH 8 towards Gandhinagar , a road well traveled

# DAY I : Mumbai –Gandhinagar

1. For quite some time I was interested in a trip to visit the famous temples that are located in Gujrat. The original plan involved visit to few of the world famous temples and a drive along the coast of Gujrat. As usual to prepare for any trip I generally read about the places , region and during the course of this I came across tales of the Kutch. As I delved deeper into this , places like the Little Rann , Great Rann were discovered. Further digging in to the deep recesses of the world wide web and names like Kalo Doongar , Zainabad , India Bridge and Vighokote emerged. The names were there but nothing more than that except few accounts by individuals. A rough itinerary was formed by me taking into account a trip that was a mix of the temple circuit and also the wild lands. However due to certain unavoidable circumstances I was the only one left who could embark on the journey and hence decided not to do the temple circuit but rather focus on offbeat destinations located in Kutch region with emphasis on the RANN.

2. Accordingly the route was worked out and the first day involved a ride till Gandhinagar. The route was quite straight forward as I had been on this road barely two months ago. Accordingly by 0545 I was on my way. Mumbai was all misty and foggy in the morning as I turned the INDOMITABLE northwards towards Gujrat. The route was on NH 8 and I soon reached Silvassa where I stayed for a couple of hours to catch up on my family. By around 11 I was on the road again, soon after a few hundred kilometers it was time to marvel the beauty of The Narmada Bridge which connected Ankleshwar and Barauch. The bridge has been one of the iconic yet underrated tourist monuments among all bridges built in India.

3. Lunch was a simple affair at one of the numerous joints that are spread right after Barauch. It is not necessary to cross over to Barauch using the Narmada Bridge , one can also take the bridge on the NH 8 itself but my suggestion is to take the detour and do visit this bridge.

4. By 1600 hrs I found myself on National Expressway 1 which is a high speed corridor connecting Baroda with Ahmedabad. There is also a proposal to connect Ahmedabad with Mumbai with the construction of a new expressway. Lets see how and when does that materialize, till then the lifeline remains the trusty NH 8.

5. My favourite spot for a break on the NE 1 is near the exit to Anand, there is sufficient road width to park on the kerb, though it is not recommended to stop. However considering the width of the road at that point and the diversion, it is a nice option. I had a cup of tea out here and just sat for some time to soak in the feeling of the drive , with no other thoughts running thru my mind.

6. Ahmedabad was reached by 1815 hrs and I soon turned towards Gandhinagar , the road to which is quite smooth and fast. By 1900 I was at Gandhinagar , my destination for the night. I immediately went to see the Akshardham Temple where entry is permitted till 1930 in the evening.

7. The temple is one of the most securely guarded temples that I have visited , there is in fact no scope to see the temple from outside the perimeter and with a two tiered security barrier in place , one is totally sure that nothing unauthorized is taken inside and by this I mean no mobiles , cameras, bags , etc .

8. The main avenue leading to the main temple reminded me of the victory path leading to grand Roman Temples. The width of the avenue lined with pillars projecting soft light and shady trees stretched on both sides intended to project an image of imposing grandeur. Beautiful gardens nurtured on both sides with mini water fountains having submerged lights created a beautiful atmosphere.

9. The main temple was simple enough from the exterior and had subtle hidden lighting all over. The interior contained idols of Lord Laxmi narayan and Guru Gopala krishnan. There is also an inner sanctum one level down which contains items and artifacts related to life of Lord Laxmi narayan himself. All these are hermitically sealed and maintained in a very scientific manner.

10. The temple though very grand did not seem like a temple to me, it looked more like a tourist destination, very pretty no doubt , however the restriction on clicking of photographs I did not agree to , especially when official photographers are available who will click and sell you the print. Somehow this difference in rule was too glaring to my eyes.

11. The visit over, I was back on the road and as I stood near the car I wondered where to stay for the night. Google search did suggest me few places and after a few calls the price range and review of one suited me. Hotel Skylon was close by and I found the hotel suitable enough.

12. The day drew to a close and I looked forward to the next when I would turn westwards and move deep into the arid lands of Gujarat. ODO for the day 81801.