Kolkata to Mumbai via Sambalpur, Raipur, Nagpur, Nashik - Indian Roadie Preferred Route

Best Route For Road Trip, Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Motoring Route, Driving Route from 

Kolkata to Mumbai (via. Manguli, Angul) 

(Kolkata_Mumbai): 

Kolkata - Kharagpur - Jaleshwar - Balasore - Soro - Bhadrak - Panikoili - Chandikhole - Manguli - Turn right - Dhenkanal - Anugul - Rairakhole - Sambalpur - Turn left - Bargarh - Saraipalli - Areng - Raipur bypass - Bhilai - Durg - Nagpur bypass - Amravati - Akola - Khamgaon - Dhule - Nashik - Thane - Mumbai.


Strictly no night driving between:
Angul and Sambalpur (dense forest).
Bargarh and Raipur.

Day 1: Kolkata - Sambalpur (13 - 14 hrs) {or even upto Bargarh}.
Day 2: Sambalpur - Amravati (12 - 13 hrs) {or Bargarh to Akola}.
Day 3: Amravati - Mumbai (14 - 15 hrs) {or Akola to Mumbai}.

Buy oranges from the roadside at Bazargaon after Nagpur .  

Kolkata to Deogarh via NH49 (old, NH6) road trip by Sandip Hunday in November 2019

Indian Roadie regular Sandip Hunday drove from Kolkata to Deogarh (near Sambalpur) (Kolkata_Deogarh), a distance of 486 kms in his Honda WRV on Friday, 2019-11-22.
He crossed Vidyasagar Setu/ 2nd Hooghly Bridge over Hooghly River and toll plaza at 8.30am and reached Deogarh (Odisha) at 7.30pm.

Route :
He drove on NH 49. Kolkata - Kolaghat - Kharagpur - Jamshola - Baharagora - Bangriposhi - Jashipur - Keonjhar - Pallahara - Barkote - Deogarh.

Road condition:
Road was excellent from Kolkata to Baharagora.

It was just ok from Baharagora to Keonjhar.

However, the NH was in very bad condition for the rest of it from Keonjhar to Deogarh. It was total offroading experience.

There was one portion  of around 50 kms between Keonjhar and Pallahara which was absolutely a terror. Only  trucks were plying with extreme difficulty.

Here, thanks to Google and with confirmation from some localities found a new route of 45 kms. It was an excellent and scenic ghat drive, via a small place called Telkoi.

He took the same route back to Kolkata on Sunday, 2019-11-24.
He left Deogarh at 9am and was there at the Vivekananda Setu toll plaza at 7.30pm.

During return journey, lunch break was at Pantha Niwas, Keonjhar. Thereafter, stopped for a short while for tea at Kolaghat.

Total distance for the round trip was 987 kms.

P.S:
* Sandip is of the opinion that in another 18 months the whole strech from Kharagpur to Deogarh will be fully 4 laned because construction work was in full swing in November 2019.

* A bypass is being constructed to skip the narrow road passing through Deogarh.

* Road widening work is presently on right up to Sambalpur (Orissa).

Mumbai to Kolkata road trip via Nashik, Dhule, Amravati, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur, Angul, Balasore, Kharagpur (Version - 1)

If one intends to drive from Mumbai to Kolkata, the ideal route is via NH3 (upto Dhule), NH6 (upto Sambalpur, Odisha), NH42 (upto Manguli, near Cuttack), NH5 (upto Balasore), NH60 (upto Kharagpur), NH6 (upto Kolkata).

The route via NH3 and NH6 is:
Mumbai - Nashik - Dhule - Khamgaon - Akola - Amravati - Nagpur - Durg - Bhilai - Raipur - Areng - Saraipali - Bargarh - Sambalpur.

Driving distance from:
Mumbai (Gateway of India) - Thane - Igatpuri - Nashik via NH160 (erstwhile, NH3) = 180 kms.
Nashik - Dhule = 160 kms.
Dhule - Jalgaon - Bhusawal - Khamgaon via NH6 (new, NH53) = 220 kms.
Khamgaon - Akola Airport via NH6 = 58 kms.
Akola Airport - Amravati via NH6 = 90 kms.
Amravati - Nagpur (crossing of NH6 and NH7) = 170 kms.





Pune, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Buldana drivers will touch NH6 at Khamgaon.







After reaching Sambalpur, it's best to avoid driving on NH6 via Deogarh, Keonjhar, Baharagora, Chichira, Kharagpur because it's not a pleasant drive through a predominantly double laned road with uneven surface.

From Sambalpur, it's best to follow NH55 (erstwhile, NH42) from Junction with NH6 to Junction with NH16 (erstwhile NH5) at Manguli near Cuttack via Rairakhole - Angul - Dhenkanal bypass - Chowdwar (261 kms).





NH55 (erstwhile, NH42) is mostly good double laned road barring a few sections where it's also four laned.
Strictly avoid driving the Sambalpur - Angul (140 kms) double laned highway which passes through dense forest section after sundown. Facilities are almost non-existent. However, an early morning drive from Sambalpur to Angul is a great feeling with the sunrays peeping through the tall saal trees.



Angul became famous since mid 1980s for Asia's largest Aluminium smelting plant owned by NALCO Ltd, a Government of India enterprise.

From the Manguli crossing of NH55 with NH16, follow NH16 via Manguli toll plaza - Chandikhole - Bhadrak - Soro - Balasore.







From Balasore (Phulwari Chowk) drive on NH60, a newly relaid concrete road via Jaleshwar, upto Kharagpur which is 123 kms away.





Kharagpur to Kolkata is almost entirely six laned NH16.

Day 1: By leaving Mumbai by 4.30am, a sedate driver/ rider should be able to reach Amravati or an additional 100 kms upto Nagpur.
Day 2: Amravati/ Nagpur to Sambalpur .... good hotels are available.
Day 3: Sambalpur to Kolkata (either via Angul, Bhadrak or via Deogarh, Keonjhar, Baharagora).  

Edit: Roadies can drive Mumbai to Kolkata via Pune, Hyderabad, Vizag, Bhubaneswar and follow the map in the link. 

https://indian-roadie.blogspot.com/2020/12/indian-roadie-preferred-route-motoring.html 

Road trip to Bandhavgarh and Kanha from Kolkata for jungle safari in May 2016

Bandhavgarh National Park:
The forest area in the Umaria District of Madhya Pradesh has been protected and declared a National Park since 1968. It is home to a substantial tiger population and one of the largest National Parks in central India.











Kanha National Park:
The forest area under Kanha National Park is one of the most well maintained parks in Asia since its inception in 1955. It is home to the highly endangered species of Swamp Deer and has been in attention for the extensive efforts undertaken to conserve them. Another attractive feature out here is the sunset point, Bamni Dadar from which one can catch a 360-degree view of the surroundings around and the wildlife in their natural habitat.


In May 2016 an Indian Roadie fan and his family drove in his Maruti Swift VXi from Kolkata to Bandhavgarh and Kanha tiger reserve forests and back covering a total distance of 2590 kms in 8 days.

* The road stretch from Rewa to Bandhavgarh via Beohari was better than his expectation and had no great reasons to complain. He had tanked up his car to the brim in Rewa fearing that facilities might be bad upto Beohari.
* He was awed by the beauty of the reasonably good road stretch between Bandhavgarh & Kanha.
* The road surface between Kanha and Raipur was also satisfactory.

He was lucky to spot two tigers during one of the jungle safaris in a Maruti Gypsy. He went for 2 jungle safaris in Bandhavgarh and 1 in Kanha.
Locals had told him that he could be lucky to spot a tiger or two even on the state highway!
He was also warned not to stop his car or get out of the car to click photos in the event of spotting animals crossing the highway or relaxing in the jungles to ensure his own safety.


The route/ itinerary from and to Kolkata:

Day 1: Kolkata - Asansol - Varanasi (680 kms/ 12 hrs).
Day 2: Varanasi - Narayanpur - Mirzapur - Bhaisore UP/MP border - Hanumana - Managwan - Rewa - Govindgarh - Beohari - Bandhavgarh (390 kms).
Day 3: Bandhavgarh jungle safari.
Day 4: Bandhavgarh jungle safari.
Day 5: Bandhavgarh - Umaria - Shahpura - Mandla - Rata - Kanha Tiger Reserve (240 kms).
Day 6: Kanha tiger reserve forest & jungle safari.
Day 7: Kanha - Raipur - Saraipalli - Bargarh - Sambalpur (510 kms/ 11 hrs).
Day 8: Sambalpur - Rairakhole - Angul - Dhenkanal - Manguli Chowk - Bhadrak - Balasore - Kharagpur - Kolkata (696 kms/ 11 hrs 30 mins).


Break-up of intermediate distances and driving time:

** Junction of NH2 and NH7 (near Ramnagar prior to Ambedkar Bridge over River Ganges at Varanasi) to Rewa via NH7 = 230 kms.
** Rewa to Bandhavgarh National Park via Beohari and via Madhya Pradesh State Highway No. 9 = 145 kms/ 3hrs 15 mins.
** Bandhavgarh to Rata via Umaria, Shahpura and via SH-11 = 225 kms/ 4 hrs 30 mins.
** Rata to Kanha Tiger Reserve = 12 kms.
** Kanha to Raipur via NH30 = 220 kms/ 4 hrs 45 mins.
** Raipur (Jail Road) to Sambalpur (Gole Bazaar) = 290 kms/ 6 hrs.
** Sambalpur (Gole Bazaar) to Manguli Chowk = 280 kms/ 5 hrs 45 mins.
** Manguli Chowk to Balasore (Phulwari Chowk) via NH16 (erstwhile, NH5) = 176 kms/ 2 hrs 15 mins.
** Balasore (Phulwari Chowk) to Kharagpur (NH6 crossing) via NH60 = 126 kms/ 1 hr 15 mins.
** Kharagpur (NH6 crossing) to Kolkata (Vivekananda Setu/ 2nd Hooghly Bridge toll plaza) = 117 kms/ 2 hrs 15 mins.

He stayed at the Club Mahindra Kanha Resort.

Total driving distance: 2590 kms (including local travel at the locations visited).

Sambalpur (OD) to Raipur (CG) - Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Motoring Route, Driving Route, Best Route for road trip

Indian Roadie Preferred Route, Motoring Route, Driving Route, Best Route for road trip from 

Sambalpur to Raipur 

(Sambalpur_Raipur): 

Sambalpur town (Laxmi Talkies Chowk) ---- 
Sambalpur NH6 Ainthapalli crossing (4 kms) ---- ROR: Deogarh, Kharagpur, Kolkata via NH6. RA: Jharsuguda, Rajgangpur, Rourkela. ROL: Bargarh, Raipur, Nagpur, Mumbai via NH6 ---- Remed Chak, Sambalpur ---- Mahanadi River Bridge and Hirakud Station (11 kms) ---- Bargarh (ICICI Bank, Gandhi Chowk) (40 kms) ---- Kamco Springs factory (14 kms) ---- Sohela (15 kms) ---- Luhurachati (Inter state Orissa Chattisgarh border check post) (16 kms) ---- Saraipalli (32 kms) ---- Basna (21 kms) ---- Sankra (19 kms) ---- Pithora (17 kms) (ROR: Barnawapara Forest) ---- Patewa (38 kms) (ROR: Sirpur 17 kms) ---- Tumgaon Police Stn (10 kms) ---- 
Kodar Resort (3 kms) (on right of NH6) ----
Crossing of NH6 and NH353 (ROL: Mahasamund 10 kms) (8 kms) ---- Mahanadi River Bridge (2 kms) ---- Arang (7 kms) ---- 
Jindal Power & Steel stockyard (9 kms) ---- 
MM College of Technology + Mayoor School, Raipur on left of NH6 (3 kms) ---- HPCL Raipur Depot on left of NH6 (8 kms) ---- Monnet Ispat & Energy (2 kms) ---- Jindal Steel plant on left of NH6 (2 kms) ---- 
ROR Naya Raipur (2 kms) ---- Treasure Island Mall on right of NH6 (2 kms) ---- Magneto Mall, Labhandi, Raipur with PVR & KFC on right of NH6 (3 kms) ---- Raipur NH6 bypass on left flank (1 km) ---- Raipur Rly Stn on right flank (7 kms) via Gaurav Path, Ghari Chowk, Jail Road, Hotel Babylon, Hotel Celebration.

Suggested hotels in Raipur: 

Hotel Celebration, Hotel Babylon.

Distance from Sambalpur (Laxmi Talkies Chowk) to Raipur (Hotel Celebration, near railway station) = 294 kms.

Expected driving time = 5 hrs.

Not too many eating joints enroute, unless one is keen on a stopover at the Chattisgarh Tourism lodges in the dense forests.
Toilets at the fuel pumps are not too clean enroute. However, there are a few exceptions at some of the pumps located in the outskirts of Sambalpur and Raipur.

ROR: Road on Right; ROL: Road on Left; RA: Road Ahead.

Dense 'sal' forest between Sambalpur and Angul (Odisha)

Driving solo from Pune to Kolkata in my Mahindra Scorpio VLX Micro Hybrid Special Edition SUV, for work (a passion to develop a B-school as a Centre of Excellence in Sales & Marketing studies) & pleasure.
Dense 'sal' forest section between Sambalpur and Angul (Odisha).
On a chill winter morning in December 2012, the sun piercing through the trees was enough motivation to stop for a brief photo session.