10 yrs of Indrol Lubricants and Dr. B.K.Barman's farewell

1989-12-12 at Hotel Taj Bengal, Kolkata.

Yours truly (Deep Banerjee) receiving a Titan Exacta wrist watch from Mrs. Barman to commemorate 10 glorious years of Indrol Lubricants & Specialities Ltd (erstwhile, Castrol and subsequently renamed Castrol again) in India.

However, it was also a very sad day to bid farewell to my great mentor Dr. Bijoy Kr Barman, MD & CEO, Indrol Lubricants & Specialities Ltd, a manager par excellence. 
Dr. Barman, the always cheerful person is seen sitting on the extreme right in the photo in off white suit and a black tie. He couldn't hold on to his tears while delivering the farewell speech.

Incidentally, Dr. Barman breathed his last sometime in mid-2019 ☹️
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* Indian Roadie Recollections

Indian Roadie Drive for Food to Sadar Bazar, Gurgaon

How did Koninica De finish her lunch at 200 INR at Sadar Bazaar, Gurgaon

She has realized that Sadar Bazaar Gurgaon is so underrated in terms of food. Sadar Bazaar has quite a few hidden gems one should explore, most of which are food joints. Three generations of Gurgaon peeps have been served by some of best of them who have stood the test of time.


The following are the unmissable food joints:

1. Gandhiji Pakodewala - A family business in its third generation, this pakora shop is one to impress. They serve piping hot chai and pakoras all day, in addition to biskut, rusk, kachoris, samosas, and chow mein. They serve Kamal kakdi (lotus stem) pakoda which was unavailable, I simply stuck to the Mirchi Ka pakoda which coated around 10 INR.

2. Panditji ka Dhaba - If you’re on the lookout for (vegetarian) home-cooked food made in pure desi ghee, Pandit Ji Ka Dhaba is the place to be. Their specialty is Chulhe Ki Roti – a thali with sabji, dal, and two rotis that will cost you next to nothing. But I simply gorged onto their Paneer Amritsari Naan and half Mushroom Masala. Coated me 120 INR.

3. Mansingh Chole Kulche - What's North India without Chole Kulche? And that when served with radish ,tomato and Mirchi achaar,tastes heavenly. The perfect way to end your main course. The Masala Kulcha was even more supple and tasty. The Masala Kulcha coated with ounces of Desi Ghee costed 40 INR along with the Chole!

4. Arjan Singh and Sons (Sardar Jalebi wala) -
How to spot it: an impatient crowd, a Sikh man at the counter, and the irresistible smell of fresh jalebis. Having operated out of the same shop for the last 68 years, they’ve sort of made a name for themselves. I tried 100 gm of sweet crispy jalebi which coated 20 INR.

5. Chaurasia Special Chai - This was indeed a major find when walking down the alleys, the thick milky kesariya chai just at 10 INR made every sip of it worth it.

So here goes my full course meal plan at 200 INR. Make a trip to Sadar Bazaar right away to satisfy those street food pangs. When in Gurgaon, try Sadar Bazaar!
Cheers!

Complete credit goes to Ms. Koninica De for the text and lively photos.

* Gurgaon Street Food
* Konizfoodwheels
* Indian Roadie Travel for Food
* India Roadie Drive for Food 

Coido Air Compressor for car tyres is extremely useful and a must carry item

A Coido 300 PSI Portable Air Compressor (tyre inflator) bought online is always safely tucked in my car. Ever since I acquired the mini gizmo in March 2015 I feel far more confident and relaxed irrespective of whether I am on the road for a long or short trip. 

It's one of the must have accessories/ gadgets for every motorist. 

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* Tyre Inflator 

* Indian Roadie Safety Tips 

* Indian Roadie Knowledge Hub - Accessories 

* Accessories 

* Gadgets 

* Indian Roadie Knowledge Hub - Gadgets

Renault Duster of Mansa Ram Chauhan enveloped in thick snow in Shimla on 2020-01-08

Renault Duster (HP-64B-1191) of Mansa Ram Chauhan (a Govt of India employee posted in Shimla), enveloped in thick snow at Shimla, HP on 2020-01-08.
He has informed all that he faced no problems in cranking the car and that too without any auxiliary help.

Pune to Ganeshgule Beach (Ratnagiri district, MH) - Indian Roadie Preferred Route

Pune - Karad - Kokrud - Malkapur - Amba - Sakharpa - Pawas - Ganeshgule Beach (Ratnagiri district, MH)

* Indian Roadie Preferred Route
* Indian Roadie Beach Drive
* Beach Drive

Zade Mountview, Udaipur, Rajasthan - Indian Roadie Preferred Hotel

ZADE MOUNTVIEW homestay in Gordhan Vilas area, Udaipur, Rajasthan.
It is 1km off the highway, 6 kms from the railway station, approx 8 kms from City Palace.
Tariff: Rs1000 - 1500 with breakfast. 

West Bengal government plans dedicated cycle tracks across Kolkata

West Bengal government plans dedicated cycle tracks across Kolkata to promote sustainable transport.
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The West Bengal government is planning to turn Kolkata into a city of bicycles once again.

Prodded by the government, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) has decided to engage a reputable consultancy firm to prepare a road map and comprehensive plan for setting up dedicated cycling zone and cycling path in the city.

The consulting agency will have to prepare a comprehensive public bicycle scheme with a detailed project report (DPR) for a pilot project. The agency will have to propose the number of cycle stations that must be set up in the core city area and also plan out the network of track, which will be mostly along the main arterial roads outside the core city area.
According to the tender documents, the selected agency will have to come up with the comprehensive plan within three months of commencing of work.
Sources from the urban development department said the government wants to promote cycling as a green mode of transport system.

The first public cycling scheme was introduced in New Town by the Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco). Though the scheme has been withdrawn temporarily, authorities are working to revive it by setting up dedicated parking lots for bicycles.
A few years back, the state had planned to develop a bus rapid transport system (BRTS) that also included a proposal for having a dedicated cycle track corridor on a large stretch of EM Bypass from near Metropolitan to Garia. The project did not materialise, but with the state government launching the green cities mission scheme that includes developing ecofriendly and sustainable measures, the need to develop dedicated cycle zones have rise again.

(Source: Times of India Kolkata dated 2019-12-02)

Indian Roadie Preferred Hotel in Hubli and Dharwad

Clarks Inn, Hubli, Karnataka.
Ramya Residency, Hubli bypass, Karnataka.

Kamat, Dharwad, Karnataka. 

Pune to Malvan - Indian Roadie Preferred Route

Indian Roadie Preferred Route for Pune to Malvan:

Pune - Kolhapur - g.bawada - Vaibhavwadi - Talere - Kasal - Malvan.

Pondicherry to Hyderabad - Indian Roadie Preferred Route and Cafe

Indian Roadie Preferred Route for Pondicherry to Hyderabad:
Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram - Chennai - Naidupeta - Nellore - Ongole - NAM Expressway - Ramoji Film City - Hyderabad.

It took a shade lesser than 14 hrs in a KIA Seltos with a 3 yrs old child, wife, elderly parents. Our roadie friend took a total of 2 hrs break for lunch, refueling, biological breaks.

Lunch break was at N5 Food Plaza, NH16, above Tungatur toll plaza.
This only one of it's kind in India restaurant on top of a NHAI toll plaza is open from 7am to 10pm everyday. Plans are there to keep it open for 24 hours.

Shameful 'Rotten English' spotted on bus back in Salt Lake, Kolkata on 2020-01-10

I survived an almost fatal cardiac attack even while driving after spotting this epic piece of Queen of Bengal's #RottenEnglish near Technopolis building in Sec-V, Salt Lake, Kolkata around 12.10pm on Friday, 2020-01-10. 

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#IndianRoadie

#HowIndiaTravels 

#LaughAloud 

#BengalDoomed 

#BengalisShamed 

#IndianRoadieHumour

Mumbai to Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Ahmedabad and back in Kia Seltos in December 2019 by Abhijeet Kale

Abhijeet Kale, a resident of Thane, Maharashtra is the proud owner of a beautiful blue KIA Seltos (HTX Diesel MT) which was delivered to him on 26th October 2019.

Abhijeet completed a round trip of Rajasthan with family from Mumbai (Thane).

It was a total of 2951 kms of drive in 7 days.

Day 1: Started from Thane on Wednesday, 25th December 2019 at 7am and reached Udaipur at 8pm. Total distance 760 kms.

Day 2: 26th December, visited Chittorgarh Fort and back to Udaipur for overnight stay. 250 kms drive. It took whole day for visit.
It's a great comfort if one can actually drive own car and visit all places. While returning had Daal Bati Churma at famous restaurant Sharma Bhojnalay.

Day 3: 27th December, visited City Palace in Udaipur and left for Jodhpur via Haldighati.
Since it was peak holiday season, there was a huge rush every where in Udaipur and therefore decided not to waste any more time in Udaipur since he had to reach his pre-booked desert camp in Jaisalmer on 28th.
Udaipur to Jaisalmer is approx 490 kms and the navigation system showed a  9 - 10 hrs drive. He decided to break journey and visit places enroute.
With proper planning, one can visit Haldighati, then Kumbhalgarh and halt at Jodhpur.
However, they had to give Kumbhalgarh Fort the miss as it was already past 4 pm at Haldighati.
He directly left for Jodhpur for overnight stay. Reached Jodhpur around 7.30 pm.

Day 4: On 28th December morning visited Mehrangarh Fort and started for camp site in Jaisalmer. Reached Jaisalmer by 4pm. Road was superb. He could use the cruise control without any worry.
Warning: Beware of police with speed guns 40 - 50 kms prior to Jaisalmer. Our friend got fined for overspeeding at 90 kmph while the permissible speed limit was 80 kmph. He had paid ₹400 with valid receipt and moved ahead.
The family had an amazing stay in Vinayak Desert camp in Jaisalmer. Evening sunset is a must  see in the desert. He suggests going for a jeep ride, and also a camel ride. The evening cultural program at camp was enjoyable. The temperature was 6 degrees Centigrade that night.

Day 5: On 29th December they left the camp by 10am for Tanot Mata Mandir and Longewala border.
One has to take prior permission from BSF office in Jaisalmer for visiting the border post.
He recalls the amazing experience of visiting the border and speaking with our jawans there.
After the border visit he started towards Longewala Museum.
Search Google for more information about these places.
After visiting all the  Must See/ Must Visit locations, it was past 6pm. They left for Jaisalmer city for night stay.

Day 6: On 30 December morning, they checked out from hotel, visited Jaisalmer Fort. Personally he didn't like the fort at all as there was nothing much to see. The entire fort looked like any local market.  Started back for Ahmedabad for night stay. Reached ahemdabad around 10.30 pm.

Day 7: On 30th December at 8.30 am started for home in Thane. Reached home by 6 pm.

During the total of 2951 kms of drive single handedly, he faced 2 issues during the trip:
1. Low Tyre pressure
2. Engine check light started glowing during the return journey, about 120 km prior to reaching Mumbai.
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* Mumbai to Udaipur
* Udaipur to Jodhpur
* Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
* Jaisalmer to Ahmedabad
* Ahmedabad to Mumbai
* Kia Seltos

 

Indian Roadie Preferred Hotel near Mahabalipuram

An amazing 'Indian Roadie Preferred Hotel' at an equally attractive tariff near Mahabalipuram.
Huge parking, swimming pool, superb food, fully furnished comfortable rooms, clean and modern washrooms and the Bay of Bengal nearby.
Isn't it luring enough.

P.S: Tanmoy Das stayed there for a night's stay in end December 2019.

* It Pays To Be Proactive On Indian Roadie

Gwalior to Dehradun to Mussoorie, route and itinerary by Anoop Sawant in December 2019

Anoop Sawant, a resident of Gwalior drove 1200 odd kms covering Gwalior - Delhi - Dehradun - Mussoorie - Noida - Gwalior in his Nexon XM petrol during the first week December 2019.

His son was passing out from Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.

Day 1: He drove on Mumbai - Agra highway up to Agra, a stretch of 120 odd kms. Then on Agra - Noida Yamuna Expressway for another 160 kms. From Noida he drove on Eastern Peripheral Expressway up to Meerut. Thereafter, it was single road for 30 odd kms via Hans Canal Road. Finally it was Saharanpur - Dehradun Highway.
The 557 kms was traversed in 10 hrs.

Day 2: After finishing the passing out program in Dehradun they went to Mussoorie, an hour's drive on a hilly terrain.

Day 3: Mussoorie.

Day 4: They stayed in Mussoorie for 2 nights and drove back to NOIDA and stayed the night at Noida. 

Day 5: Drove back home from Noida to Gwalior.
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* Gwalior to Dehradun
* Gwalior to Mussoorie
* Indian Roadie Preferred Route
* Itinerary

A first look of Aparnesh Mitra's spanking new Ford Endeavor 3.2 at Salt Lake on 2020-01-02 afternoon

It was a 150 mins long Indian Roadie GTG with fellow St Patrick's School alumni  and Indian Roadie regular Aparnesh Mitra (who's now located in Chennai) at Salt Lake on Thursday, 2020-01-02 afternoon.
Even after 30 hrs, I am awestruck by the capabilities of his fully loaded spanking new hulk, viz. Ford Endeavor 3.2 ltrs 5 cylinders fully automatic machine which he acquired for himself in Chennai in end December 2019.
He drove Chennai to Asansol to sport the very nostalgic WB-38 registration and thereafter, Asansol to Kolkata.
It was wonderful of him to squeeze out time from his hectic schedule to give me a 'deko' of his boy. Thank you, Aparnesh.
It was my pleasure to be his co-passenger for a short drive.
And most importantly, the smart boy now sports the ubiquitous red, white, black and white Indian Roadie Sticker with the chequered flag design.
The Fish Spring Roll, Fish Chop and the pure Chocolate Cake at a specific  Indian Roadie Adda Joint (viz. Mio Amore, IA Block, Salt Lake, Kolkata) added to the pleasure of the meet.
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* Indian Roadie Roadside GTG
* St Patricks School Asansol