Travelling is always an exciting adventure for me. It not only boosts my energy but also helps me rejuvenate. Recently, I travelled from Bangalore to Uttarkashi by bike to attend a mountaineering course. Now, it’s time to return home, and I’m taking the scenic route along National Highway 44 (NH44), which connects Srinagar and Kanyakumari.
To make the trip more comfortable, I’m making night halts in Gwalior, Sagar, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Anantapur. While I could have skipped some of these halts, I prefer to take my time and avoid night driving during the winter months when the days are shorter.
I set out from Delhi on November 30, 2022, around 10:30 AM, with a plan to take the Yamuna Expressway to Agar. Unfortunately, I hit heavy traffic in Noida and lost 30 to 45 minutes. But once I was on the expressway, I was able to enjoy one of the best roads to drive on.
I reached Agar at around 2:00 PM, with an average speed of 70 kmph. However, I had to detour through Garhi Devri village to reach NH44 due to development work on the Inner Ring Road. The connectivity between the village and NH44 is narrow and prone to traffic jams. The moment I touched NH44 in Agra, it was like any city road. Although it is a four-lane highway, the population living near the highway made this stretch from Agar to Gwalior challenging, reducing both my average speed and mileage.
I made a stop at the Chambal River bridge, which is also the border between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Next, I reached Morena, where I saw many small shops selling Milk Cake, like how you get petha in Agra. Gwalior was just 30 minutes away from Morena, but to my surprise, there was a 10 km jam. I had to detour from Bamor and take village roads. Finally, I reached Gwalior at 7:00 PM, exhausted but satisfied with my progress.
I booked a room at Hotel “The Prabha International” on Jhansi Road, where the staff was quite helpful, and the dinner of chicken curry and tandoori roti was delicious. Gwalior is a fascinating city with a rich history, ruled by several Indian kingdoms over the centuries. According to legend, it was founded in 8 AD after a local chieftain, Suraj Sen, was cured of leprosy by a holy man called Gwalipa.
Today, I will be travelling to Sagar, and I can’t wait to see what adventures await me on the open road.