Road trip to Baruva, Andhra Pradesh

Baruva is a quiet sleepy village and a beach resort located 5 kms off the NH16 (old, NH5) near Sompeta in Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The MahendraTanaya River merges into the Bay of Bengal at Baruva. It is situated 8 km away from sub-district headquarter Sompeta and about 125 km away from district headquarter Srikakulam.

Moreover, this unexplored beach village of Baruva is a comfortable 640 kms (10 - 11 hrs) drive from Kolkata (Vidyasagar Setu toll plaza).
For those driving from Vizag/ Visakhapatnam (Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium), Baruva Beach is about 225 kms (3.5 hrs) away.

Howrah-Chennai main railway line crosses through Baruva village where Baruva railway station is located. Important trains stop at Sompeta and/or Palasa stations. Local transport is available from these stations to reach Baruva.

Baruva boasts of branches and ATMs of State Bank of India and Andhra Bank. About 2 - 3 grocery stores at the village market sell almost every item of daily use. Those with a sweet tooth like me would love to gulp down a couple of bottles of chilled Heritage flavoured milk. These outlets sell Heritage Dairy icecreams, too.

Key attractions on Baruva Beach which literally captivate visitors are the serene atmosphere that takes one close to nature and a couple of famous temples that define the holiness of this region. Greeneries and a clean unpolluted golden beach mesmerizes every roadie driving/ riding to Baruva. I have also heard most Indian Roadie fans/ members saying that that this little known village and beach resort can be termed as 'Goa of the East'!

A holiday/ roadtrip to Baruva is incomplete without a walk up the cleanest Lighthouse in India in the evening. The view of greenery stretching upto the horizon on three sides and the chill sea breeze is enough to soothe nerves.
Baruva Lighthouse was commissioned on 15th May 2014 and is owned/ operated by the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. The Lighthouse shares a common boundary wall with the Andhra Pradesh Tourism/ Aptdc owned Haritha Beach Resort.

As in July 2016, Haritha Beach Resort in Baruva (thrown open to public in May 2014) is the only place for decent and comfortable stay. There's sufficient space to park over 20 cars, a good reason for every roadie to feel relaxed. The food served at the inhouse restaurant is basic but very tasty. The chicken fried rice served by them deserves special mention. The staff at the resort are courteous, pro-active and ensures that guests feel at home.

Each of the three cottages in the Haritha Beach Resort complex are mounted on stilts with a granite layered staircase leading up to a large rectangular sitting space of approximately 20 ft x 12 ft on the first floor. There are four suites at the four corners of the sitting space. Each suite has a small living room, a large air-conditioned bedroom, a small dressing room, modern bathroom and an open-air sea-facing private balcony of about 200 sq.ft.

Cumulative Distance* from
Kolkata (Vidyasagar Setu toll plaza) -
Kharagpur = 109 kms
Balasore (Birla Tyres) = 234 kms
Bhadrak (Hotel Orion) = 300 kms
Chandikhole = 361 kms
Manguli toll plaza = 386 kms
Cuttack (Badambadi crossing) = 399 kms
Bhubaneswar Bypass for road to Puri, Konark = 409 kms
Bhubaneswar (Vani Vihar, Utkal Univ) = 420 kms
Bhubaneswar Bypass (Rameshwar Chhak) for road to Nirakarpur, Puri = 468 kms
Barkul (OTDC Panthnivas) = 519 kms
Chilka (view from ghat) = 533 kms
Rambha (OTDC Panthnivas) = 540 kms
Brahmapur & Gopalpur on Sea crossing = 582 kms
Roland Institute of Technology, Brahmapur = 600 kms
Ballupada toll plaza = 610 kms
Baruva Beach crossing = 637 kms
Haripuram = 639 kms
Palasa = 656 kms
Laxmipuram toll plaza = 665 kms
Tekali = 685 kms
Madapam toll plaza = 723 kms
Srikakulam (Eenadu) = 732 kms
Chkpalem toll plaza = 750 kms
Nathavalasa toll plaza = 789 kms
Vizag/ Visakhapatnam (Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium) = 825 kms
Vizag (Srinivas Plaza, MVP Colony crossing) = 834 kms
Vizag (Vizag Steel Plant gate) = 856 kms
Vizag (Aganampudi toll plaza) = 859 kms

* All distances are on actuals as noted during multiple drives on this route by Deep Banerjee, Indian Roadie founder.

















































































































































































Route map and distances of locations from Kolkata



Route map from Ichchapuram to Baruva



Route map from Srikakulam to Baruva





Approaching Ballupada toll plaza on NH16 (old, NH5) in Andhra Pradesh after crossing Odissa border







Baruva crossing

'Dhaba' at Ballygunge Phari, Kolkata downs shutters as owners 'retire'

The Dhaba, the landmark food stop at the Ballygunge Phari crossing and one of the oldest tandoori eateries in south Calcutta, has downed shutters. A notice pasted on the closed entrance announces the "complete and permanent closure" of the dhaba that dates back to pre-Independence.

The reason cited on the notice is "physical inconveniences" of the partners who have become "senior citizens" and "non-availability of any of their next kin in the City". The notice is dated June 28 and the closure, it mentions, became effective from 6am the day after.

"We are three brothers. I am 70 and the youngest among us is 64. We want to retire now," said Avtar Singh, the eldest. "Our next generation has migrated to Canada. Those who are here do not want to join the business."

The family had two other dhabas. The Hindusthan Park one was rented out earlier this month .Another, in Bagha Jatin, is functional but Manjinder Singh, the youngest, says he sits there only for an hour in the morning.

The closure of the Ballygunge Phari landmark came as a bolt from the blue for the 42 permanent employees and seven casual workers. "We worked as usual till Monday (June 27, 2016). Tuesday is our weekly closure. On Wednesday, we found this notice on coming here," said Alok Debnath, who worked for 14 years as a table boy.

Kanai Das, the biryani cook, still has his wallet and mobile phone locked inside. They have been offered settlement of their dues but they want their jobs back.

Customers are surprised too. "The Dhaba is one of the places we regularly order food from for our staff room. Who knew they were planning to shut down!" wondered Neelanjana Dasgupta, a teacher of South Point School. She would miss her favourite Keema Stuffed Kulcha that came with a kebab of choice. "I also used to pick up Sarson Ki Saag and Makki Di Roti sometimes for dinner."

Workers insist that footfall was not lacking. "Daily sales would run upto a lakh or so and double on special occasions," claimed Gour Baidya, a waiter at the eatery since 1978. Top picks included Tandoori Chicken, Reshmi Kebab, Mutton Tikka Onion and Do Pyaza. "No one makes tadka in south Calcutta like we do," said Manjinder, a claim enthusiastically echoed by the workers.

"Customers got our rolls packed for relatives before flying to Singapore or London," Manjinder added.

The Dhaba counted several celebrities among its patrons. "Orders came from Tollywood superstar Prosenjit's office across the road. Om Puri dropped by whenever he was in town. Suchitra Sen loved our roll and mentioned that in several interviews. There was a time when she would wait in the car for the delivery," said Manjinder.

Among the other famous faces that dropped by over the years are former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farukh Abdullah, actor and columnist Victor Banerjee and Tolly heart-throb Dev. "Victor Banerjee has had tea on our roof-top on several occasions. The restaurant was single-storeyed then," recalled Manjinder.

The Dhaba was started by Sardar Gurbachan Singh, the father of the present owners, in the 1930s. "He got a trade licence from the British in 1938 which still hangs inside the locked premises," said Manjinder. "My father's bus driver friends used to complain of the lack of a tea stall on their route from Jadavpur to Esplanade."

Thus the place started as a tea shop which also sold milk. Gradually the benches in the single-storeyed structure gave way to tables and chairs and in the late 1970s, a floor was added. Air-conditioned seating was introduced about two decades ago. A Punjabi cuisine specialist, The Dhaba added rolls and then Chinese to its menu around 2001-02. Biryani and other north Indian dishes were added about 10 years ago. "Our biryani was favoured for being less oily. In recent years, we innovated with Babycorn Roll and Diet Roll, which used rumali roti in place of paratha," said Manjinder.

The Bagha Jatin Dhaba does not offer all this. "People here care more for good food than good health," he said, from behind the counter on Sunday morning.

The workers, who gather habitually at The Dhaba every day, feel that the Ballygunge restaurant will reopen in a different avatar. But the owners say they have not decided what to do with the property at such a prime location. For now, they have "long vacations" and "trips to Punjab" on their mind.

(Content courtesy: The Telegraph dated 2016-07-11)

Glimpses of Bodh Gaya (Courtesy - Prof. Arunava Das) for a weekend roadtrip

Bodh Gaya is a easy 6 hours drive via NH2 from Kolkata and 4.5 hrs from Varanasi. This calm Buddhist centre of peace can be a good roadtrip destination during weekends.

Glimpses of Bodh Gaya (Courtesy - Prof. Arunava Das)

Puri Ratha Yatra - final preparations on the night before, i.e. on 2016-07-05

Puri Ratha Yatra (Chariot festival) - final preparations on the night before, i.e. on 2016-07-05.

Photo credit: Shamit Bhowmick

Kolkata to Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and back roadtrip by Scorpio in December 2015

Summarized travelogue of a drive by an erstwhile Indian Roadie member with family in his 2011 Mahindra Scorpio from Kolkata to Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and back to Kolkata during the extended X’mas 2015 vacation.

Started on the 24th December 2015 from Kolkata.

24.12.2015 Kolkata To Rewa. Total distance – 950 kms.
Route taken: Kolkata - Durgapur – Asansol – Barhi – Aurangabad – upto Ramnagar crossing, a little beyond Mughalsarai and exited NH19 – left turn and drove on NH7 to Mirzapur – Narayanpur – Adlahat – Jamui – Bakiabad – Mirzapur – Lalganj – Hanumana - Rewa.
Total Toll – Rs.735
Start – 12.05am. End - 7.30pm.


25.12.2015 Rewa to Jabalpur. Total Distance - 250 kms.
Route Taken: Rewa (Bypass) – Bela – Maihar – Katni – Jabalpur.
Total Toll – Rs.20
Start – 9.30 am. End 1.30 pm. Break - 30 minutes.


26.12.2015 Jabalpur – Bhedaghat (sightseeing) – Panchmarhi. Total Distance - 270 kms including Ghat roads - 22 kms.
Route Taken: Jabalpur – Bhedaghat – Narsingpur – Gadarwara – Bankhedi – Pipariya – Matkuli – Panchmarhi.
Sightseeing included - Dhumadhar Falls, Rock garden, Marble Rocks boating.
Total Toll – Rs.146
Start – 8.20 am. End 5.40 pm. Break - 30 minutes for lunch.


27.12.2015 Panchmarhi sightseeing. Total Distance – 50 kms.
Sightseeing Includes - Bison lodge, Mahadev, Gupto Mahadev, Pandava Caves, Bee Falls, Richgarh, Dhupgarh.
Most of the roads are Ghat section ... especially around Dhupgarh.


28.12.2015 Panchmarhi To Kanha national Park. Total Distance – 350 kms.
Route Taken : Panchmarhi – Matakkali – Jhipra – Tamia – Parasia Bypass – Chhindwara – Seoni bypass – Nainpur – Mocha – Kanha.
Total Toll – 0.
Start – 9.20 am. End 3.10 pm. Break - 20 minutes.


29.12.2015 Kanha Jungle Safari To Amarkantak. Total Distance – 250 kms.
Route Taken : Kanha – Bamhani – Mandala – Baghi – Dindori – Amarkantak.
Total Toll – 0.
Start – 11.45 am. End 4.10 pm. Break - 20 minutes.


30.12.2015 Amarkantak To Ranchi. Total Distance – 550 kms.
Route Taken : Amarkantak – Gaurella – Pendra – Marwahi – Manendragarh – Baikuthpur (stopped for lunch) – Surajpur – Ambikapur – Bagicha – Jashpurnagar – Gumla – Ranchi.
Total Toll – 0.
Start – 9.30 am. End 9.10 pm. Break - 1 hr 30 minutes.


31.12.2015 Ranchi and surroundings. Total Distance – 200 kms.
Sightseeing location included – Patratu Dam, Kanke Lake, Rock garden, Sun Temple, Dasam Falls.


01.01.2016: Ranchi – Hundru Waterfalls – Kolkata. Total Distance – 475 kms.
Route Taken – Ranchi – Hundru Waterfalls – Gola – Muri – Jhalda- Purulia Bypass – Gurguria – Raghunathpur – Gobag – Niyamatpur – Durgapur – Panagarh – Kolkata.
Total Toll – Rs.197
Start – 12.00 noon. End 7.30 pm. Break - 1 hr 30 minutes.


Total distance covered from 2015-12-24 to 2016-01-01 = 3360 kms.
Fuel consumed - 260 Ltrs of Diesel.
Average mileage (fuel economy) - 12.92 kmpl.


Special remarks:
Ambikapur to Ranchi stretch of the road can be divided into 3 parts:
1. Ambikapur to Bagicha ... Nice double lane road, but at some places are really narrow. Road work was going on. Very little traffic. One will encounter some ghat roads.
2. Bagicha to Jashpur Nagar bypass ... upto Jharkhand border. Roads are really bad. Moderate traffic. It is advisable not to drive after sunset.
3. Jharkhand border to Ranchi ... Very smooth road. Heavy truck traffic after Gumla, but it's manageable after sunset.
4. Ranchi to Kolkata ... Smooth road throughout. Tolls only at Palsit and Dankuni on NH2.
Minor local traffic in Jhalda for 2 to 3 kms. 

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* MadhyaPradesh_Trails

Hawalbagh, Uttarakhand - road (NH109) to Ranikhet

View of the winding road (NH109) at Hawalbagh, Uttarakhand while driving to Ranikhet. The Kosi River flows down below.



Hawalbagh to Ranikhet is about 36 kms (1 hr 15 mins)

HawalBagh (Pin code: 263636) is one among the 12 blocks of Almora district in Uttarakhand and is 17.2 kms (40 mins) via NH109 from the district headquarter.

Tesla driver dies in first fatal autonomous car crash in US

Operator Was Watching Film And Speeding.
A driver with a history of speeding who was so enamoured of his Tesla Model S sedan that he nicknamed the car “Tessy“ and praised the safety benefits of its sophisticated ", Autopilot" system has become the first US fatality in a wreck involving a car in self-driving mode. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the driver's death on Thursday , and said it is investigating the design and performance of the Autopilot system.
Joshua D Brown of Canton, Ohio, the 40-year-old owner of a technology company, was killed on May 7, 2016 in Williston, Florida, when his car's cameras failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor-trailer from a brightly lit sky and didn't automatically activate its brakes, according to statements by the government and the automaker. Just one month earlier, Brown had credited the Autopilot system for preventing a collision.
Frank Baressi, 62, the driver of the truck and owner of Okemah Express LLC, said the Tesla driver was "playing Harry Potter on the TV screen“ at the time of the crash and driving so quickly that "he went so fast through my trailer I didn't see him." The movie "was still playing when he died," Baressi said. He, however, acknowledged he didn't see the movie, only heard it. A digital video disc player was found in the car.
Tesla Motors Inc said it is not possible to watch videos on the Model S touch screen. There was no reference to the movie in initial police reports.
Brown's driving record showed he had eight speeding tickets in a six-year span. His published obituary described him as a member of the Navy SEALs for 11years and founder of Nexu Innovations Inc, working on wireless internet networks and camera systems.
Tesla said that this was the first known death in over 130 million miles of Autopilot operation. Before Autopilot can be used, drivers have to acknowledge that the system is an "assist feature" that requires a driver to keep both hands on the wheel at all time.

Floating bazaar in one of the numerous lakes in Kashmir

Floating bazaar in one of the numerous lakes in Kashmir.
(Photo courtesy: An Indian Roadie fan riding to Ladakh in June 2016).

Temi Tea Garden, South Sikkim

Temi Tea Garden is the only Tea Estate in the state of Sikkim. The garden is 26 km from Namchi and can be visited on a day tour from Namchi. The garden is spread on a slope below Tendong along the highway leading to West Sikkim.

Temi, South Sikkim is 118 kms from Siliguri.

Temi Tea Garden was established in 1969. The total area of Temi Tea garden is approximately 435 acres. The garden employs about 450 people and produces 100 tonnes of orthodox tea annually. The garden produces some of the best tea in the world. The original tea saplings were brought from Darjeeling, and the produce of the garden are not very different from what one can expect from the gardens of Darjeeling hills. The garden offers beautiful natural views. The picturesque view of tea plucking can be seen here during the plucking season. The factory can be visited to have an interesting lesson on tea processing.

Temi tea is also a common souvenir for tourists visiting the state. Most of the tea produced in the garden is either consumed locally or purchased by tourists.

A night spent in a old British built bungalow situated just below the Temi Tea Garden Sikkim could be a bewildering experience of connecting the past to the present. A visit to the garden, enroute to the Tendong Hill, could be a rewarding experience.



Road map of Siliguri to Temi Tea Garden.

Foreign tourists in Harsil can stay overnight

Foreign tourists may soon be allowed to stay overnight in ‪Harsil‬, the picturesque tourist destination near Gangotri, without an inner line permit.
Till now, foreign tourists were required to take a permit to visit the strategically sensitive area which lies close to the China border.

After the district administration wrote to the state government asking for the restriction of overnight stay in Harsil town on foreign tourists to be waived in order to boost tourism in the region, chief secretary Shatrughan Singh said that the Centre has agreed to waive inner line permit restrictions on overnight stay in Harsil, though he is yet to receive the official letter in this regard.

According to Uttarkashi district magistrate Dipender Kumar Chaudhary, since Harsil is situated close to the China border and comes under the jurisdiction of Inner Line, tourists are not allowed to stay here at night. They can only visit the area, with due permission from the district administration.

Locals have been raising the demand to remove the restriction from the town so that the tourists can stay in hotels and homestays here. The move will boost tourism, bring revenue to the government and augment livelihood opportunities for the locals.

(Source: Toi Kolkata dated 2016-06-26)

Oyster Opera at Padanna

Set amidst palm-fringed islands, criss crossed by canals and fanned by Kerala backwaters, Oyster Opera, Kerala’s only village with oyster farming as its theme, is located at Padanna, near Cheruvathur in Kasargod District.

Promoted by the national award-winning farmer Mr.G.S Gul Mohammed, Oyster Opera has 24 acres of farm. Mr.Mohammed’s passion to enhance the livehood of his fellow villagers has now culminated in the form of a retreat, becoming the first theme village of Kerala. It is now a source of income to thousands along the coastline and a destination for those who would love to be part of the very best of available natural settings.

Facilities offered at Oyster Opera in Padanna reflect the cultural and traditional traits of the local people. The villagers pay host during a guest's stay at the retreat. Oyster Opera village has a total of eight cottages. Four landed cottages, one tent cottage, one floating house and one elevated house with well equipped kitchen and one houseboat-all built with the locally available materials but with absolutely no damage to the environment of this beautiful virgin land.

The brackish water of Padanna and its surrounding villages are splendid and gifted with enormous natural beauty. One can visit the nearby tiny islands, coconut lagoons and mangroves, or take a close look at the interesting collection of natural clam and edible oyster.

The Kerala village offers a host of activities. Visitors can go for a cruise in Kerala houseboat or country boats. One can also test his/ her self culinary skills in the built-in pantry on Sara’s Float, sunbathe on the Valiyaparamba Beach and estuary or opt for rejuvenation therapy by traditional practitioners of ayurveda, spend time in oyster farming with the farmers, visit nearby attractions like famous Bekal Fort and Parassinikkadavu Temple noted for its unique rituals, Karim Forest and also witness Theyyam, performances that this region is famous for.

The village is 180km from Calicut airport and 120km from Mangalore airport. The nearest railway station is Charvattur, just 8km away.

Contact:

Oyster Opera at Padanna
“Thekkekadu” Padanna - 671345,
Kasaragod Dist, Kerala, India.

(Additional content & photo courtesy: keralaholidays247.com)

Amarjeet Singh holds the coveted Guinness Book of World Records for an 1001 hrs non-stop two-wheel ride

Indian Roadie, Amarjeet Singh holds the coveted Guinness Book of World Records for an 1001 hrs non-stop two-wheel Kinetic Honda DX 100 cc scooter ride covering 30,965 kms at the Traffic Park, Pune from 22nd April to 3rd June 1990.

The record remains unbeaten till date.

‪#‎OfficiallyAmazing