Kashi Chat Bhandar at Godowlia, Varanasi serves the best 'chat' in Varanasi

Totally unpretentious far from overtly clean, yet jam packed constantly - that's Kashi Chat Bhandar for you.

Kashi Chat Bhandar at Godowlia, which is about 3.5 kms from the Varanasi railway station and on way to the must visit Dasaswamedh Ghat treats visitors to the original and authentic Banarasi Chat. Once you enter, you become mad with the aroma of Indian chat spices and herbs. The smell of pure desi ghee is intoxicating. Even the most health conscious and waistline watcher will also default.

Dig into the spicy chaat, spicy tikkis, chura matar, tangy golgappas and tamatar chaat. They give their customers pudina tamarind spicy water to fill the golgappas. The sweet version of golgappa with dahi and tamarind chutney is another unique offering by Kashi Chat Bhandar.

Eat each and every thing available. Don't miss these while in Varanasi.

Kashi Chat Bhandar, D37/49 Godowlia, near Church, Varanasi. Mobile +91 9415618081.

Mawlynnong Village, Meghalaya - Asia's cleanest village

Mawlynnong is located 95 km from Shillong, along the India-Bangladesh border.
Mawlynnong is known for its cleanliness. The waste is collected in the dustbins made of bamboo, directed to a pit and then used as manure. Travel magazine Discover India declared the village as the cleanest in Asia in 2003, and the cleanest in India in 2005. The phrase has since caught on.
Pathways are lined with bamboo baskets used as garbage bins. There's not a bit of plastic or other litter to be seen anywhere. Flowers on bushes and vines line the pathways.
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As of 2014, there are about 95 households in Mawlynnong. The literacy rate is 100%. Agriculture is the chief occupation of the local population, with betel nut being the main crop.

Armed forces have a special hill driving license for their truck drivers

Is it a fact that the Armed forces have a special hill driving license for their truck drivers .. !!!
Here's an army truck negotiating the extremely difficult Rohtang Pass.

Location: Rohtang Pass, HP in 2014.

Photo courtesy: A Uberoi (Facebook@auberoi)

View from Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai in 2008

View from Palm Beach Road in Navi Mumbai in 2008.
Pic credit: Swaroop Biswas

Amitabh Bachchan turns Indian Roadie in Kolkata on a bicycle

Amitabh Bachchan turns Indian Roadie in Kolkata on a bicycle during the film shoot of Soojit Sirkar drected 'Piku' in early November 2014.
The film will also star Deepika Padukone and Irfan Khan.

Sourced from Amitabh Bachchan's post on his own Facebook page on 2nd November 2014.

Matt Haley dies in motorcycle crash in Ladakh in August 2014

Matt Haley at Khardungla before the fatal accident on 17th August 2014.
Pic credit: Gaurav Jani


Prominent Delmarva restaurateur and chef Matt Haley, founder and CEO of Matt Haley Companies which operates restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Lewes, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach and Ocean View, died from injuries sustained on Monday 17th August 2014 in a motorcycle crash in Leh, India. He was 53.

Haley recently had been battling a recurring bout of cancer. Haley was cancer-free before he left for India.

Haley won the 2014 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year Award in May 2014. Haley was on a six-week humanitarian mission through Northwestern India and Nepal, according to Scott Kammerer, president and COO of the Matt Haley Companies, via a statement.

Kammerer said that on Wednesday 19th August, he was told by U.S. State Department officials that Haley died on Tuesday 18th August 2014 night during a medical flight from Leh to New Delhi, India.

Haley was involved in a “high impact” collision with a truck in Leh on Monday, at the beginning of his humanitarian trip. Haley has devoted significant time and resources to humanitarian efforts in the area. Haley was traveling with an experienced group of between eight to nine motorcycle riders including international filmmaker and motorcycle expert Guarav Jani.

During the trip, Haley posted on his social media accounts about the motorcycle trip he was taking. Haley has been sending updates on his trip through his Facebook page and Instagram and Twitter accounts since 11th August 2014.

On 11th August 2014 Haley wrote on Facebook, "I was on the beach yesterday in Rehoboth Beach De. Today I'll be on a motorcycle headed to Lahdak, India for a three week high altitude motorcycle ride at heights up to 18,500 feet on the highest and some say most dangerous roads in the world on the Pakistan boarder with some bad ass Indian buddies of mine then off to Kathmandu, Nepal for a week to see my daughters, a quick stop home to change clothes and do some laundry (and see my girlfriend, first option) then off to Mexico City to eat some street food for a week. Stay tuned, it's just getting started. ‪#‎haleyslife‬ on Instagram."

On 16th August 2014 around 7.00am (IST) Haley changed his Facebook profile pic to the following and wrote "Ha. This was a simple road at 14,000 feet. I'll be at 18,500 in a few days on the highest road in the world. I must say I now know why they call it getting high." He was hinting on reaching Khardungla.




Matt Haley works on his monk fish stew in Feb 2014

Aizwal on 2014-11-08 morning

Heavenly Aizawl on 8th November 2014 morning.
This no-honking remote hill town tells you, cars can still move on the busy streets without needlessly honking around.

Photo/ description courtesy: Rahul Shanker

3 weeks, 2800 kms, 1 Royal Enfield (Ladakh trip) by Rashmi and Vishal Vishwambharan

Rashmi and Vishal Vishwambharan were on a 3 weeks Royal Enfield motorcycle trip in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir from end August to mid September 2012. 
Their route was Manali - Mcleodganj - Jammu - Srinagar - Kargil - Leh (Pangong Tso, Nubra Valley) - Tso Moriri - Manali

Grandpa's Mango Shop in Hooghly district of West Bengal

Only passionate Indian roadies (and more so if they are in the profession of sales and marketing) get to spot and enjoy sweet and juicy seasonal mangoes at 'Dadur Aamer Dokan' (Grandpa's Mango Shop) by the roadside while out on a leisurely drive.

Location: Somewhere in Hooghly district, West Bengal.
Photo courtesy: Biswarup Bose.

'Hijras' begging on Kolkata throughfares

'Hijras' begging at prominent road intersections on Kolkata throughfares.

Photo courtesy: Neeraj Pandey.

Colourful camel carts in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Colourful camel carts in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

Let's go fishing on NH34 at Gobindapur, near Shantipur, Nadia district, West Bengal

Let's go fishing on NH34 at Gobindapur, near Shantipur, Nadia district, West Bengal.
Incidentally, Shantipur is famous for its Bengal Tangail Sarees.
The condition of the road has deteriorated to this extent in September 2014 as seen in the picture.
If you are planning a drive/ ride to North Bengal, Bhutan or the seven North Eastern sisters, be ready to embrace dips or fishing jaunts almost throughout the stretch of this 'highway'.
For the uninitiated, NH34 is the major lifeline of 434 kms between Kolkata and Dalkhola (West Bengal) via Ranaghat, Baharampur, Malda.
At Dalkhola, one meets NH31 (a part of the East - West corridor).
Road On Right (ROR) from Dalkhola: Siliguri via Islampur, Kishangunj.
Road On Left (ROL) from Dalkhola: Purnea (Bihar), Bhagalpur.

Khardung La moments (01)

A collection of happy/ proud/ joyous moments of those who made it to the highest motorable road in the world, Khardung La in Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir alone or with friends and family.
It's not that each of them had a 4-wheel drive vehicle to reach Khardung La. Their grit and tenacity to achieve the near impossible played the most important role to reach Khardung La.

Parimal Gandhe's 'public display of affection' for his 2004 Fiat Palio

Parimal Gandhe's 'public display of affection' for his Fiat Palio (2004).



My Italian Beauty, now the Odometer showing 1,18,990, and she is still awesome to drive. Her heart is as young as when she was born eight years ago.
She has been to so many places, with many awesome memories, so many emotions. Shared the best moments of my life with her.
Wish she can speak. She has never let me down. Most of her life spent in worst of roads, but never gave up. She still puts the smile on my face every time I hit highways or bad roads.
She is a beautiful lady. She needs more attention, but well, she deserves it.
Many a times people say I am crazy for Fiat - but yes that is what Fiat does to you. Its pure passion.
Palio, even after 12 Years of launch in India still lives in the heart of every Fiatian.

Happy Durga Puja 2014 & a glimpse of Abasar Durga Puja pandal in Bhowanipore

Happy Durga Puja 2014 & a very happy Asthami for today to all Indian Roadies and their dear ones.
Which are the most striking Durga Puja pandals you visited this year?

There's this Durga Puja organised by Abasar Sarbojanin Durgotsab Committee, Townshend Road, Bhowanipore in Kolkata which I visited on Saptami (1st October 2014). It was a fantastic work of creativity and meticulously handcrafted metal & clay work.
Must have taken numerous artisans 6 - 9 months for the fabrication job.
Makes me feel terribly sad that in another 3 - 4 days everything will be dismantled.
If you are in Kolkata, don't miss the opportunity to visit this pandal. There's ample parking space in lanes and bylanes surrounding this location.

Looking forward to your photos of Durga Puja pandals you visited and the associated fun, food and 'adda' in Kolkata and across India in the Facebook.com 'page' and/ or 'group' www.facebook.com/IndianRoadie, www.facebook.com/groups/IndianRoadie.

Enjoy the festival :)

Barrackpore Govt High School (Estd. 1837), B.T.Road, Barrackpore

Barrackpore Govt High School (Estd. 1837), B.T.Road, Barrackpore.
Building seen in pic is almost 175 years old.
Visited on 7th August 2014.
Mobile click with 2 megapixel camera in bright sunlight.

Kurseong - Darjeeling passenger train approaching Tung station

Reach Kurseong and then proceed towards Sonada.
Before Tung station there's a tea retail outlet of Margaret's Hope Tea Estate on the left side of Hill Cart Road. By positioning yourself just opposite the said retail outlet you can view this beautiful Kurseong - Darjeeling passenger train.
Simply wait for the Toy Train to come.

Story and photo courtesy: Arunava Das.

Customer care by State Transport Corporations in India

Some of the State Transport Corporations really care for their passengers.
Why aren't the bosses hauled up for such fantastic customer comfort ..... I'm left wondering!

Serene greenery of rural West Bengal at Taldih in South 24 Parganas

A weekend drive to serene greenery of rural West Bengal at Taldih in South 24 Parganas.
One can't miss the cool blue sky above the hues of green below.

Photo courtesy: Partha Kirtaniya (Facebook @ partha.kirtaniya).

TotoPara riverine jeep safari with Mt Kanchenjunga in the backdrop

TotoPara (North Bengal).

147 km from Siliguri (via NH31C), 22 km from Jaldapara and 65 kms from Alipurduar (West Bengal), TotoPara is a small village on the bank of River Torsha near Bhutan border.

TotoPara is famous for the Dooars aboriginals - the Totos. Totos are one of the most primitive tribe in the world.

A riverine jeep safari in TotoPara with Mt Kanchenjunga in the backdrop is a great experience for any Indian Roadie.

Indian Roadie, Arunava Das (Facebook @ arunavavb) shared his joy of a visit to TotoPara with this photo clicked beyond Hantapara Tea Estate, opposite to TotoPara, towards the lower hills of Bhutan.