[PapaBravo]

Prelude

Like I mentioned in my last TL, that we were blessed with a baby boy, Kabir, in March 2020. We have been trying to make small road-trips to get him used to travelling long distances in a car.

We had not been on a trip sometime. With the changing world, the way we do our trips has also changed. We avoid shifting too many hotels to minimize any contact. For the same reason, we look for places where we can have the whole place or atleast a whole cottage to ourselves. The plan was to go to a Tea Estate Bunglow in North Bengal & spend 4-5 days in the lap of nature. With West Bengal restrictions getting extended every time & the never ending night curfews, we decided to drop that plan. We needed something with a comparatively shorter drive. This is when our friend, Shashwat suggested Ayodhya Hills near Purulia. The resort & scenery pictures started circulating in the Whatsapp group & the location was approved by everyone.

We had made advance booking which was refundable till the last day. This has become a necessity during these uncertain times. The plan was to spend two nights in a resort atop Ayodhya Hills & explore nearby places. This was going to be our first trip to Ayodhya Hills but Shashwat was a veteran and had planned everything. To prevent a possible third wave, West Bengal govt. made Negative RTPCR or Double vaccination certificate mandatory for all tourist places in WB. Two of us were fully vaccinated while the other three had to get the test done. This is actually a good step in my opinion since we have some assurance that people with whom we will be sharing the resort premises have some kind of protection. With all prechecks done, we were all set to start the trip. Before I start with the TL, let me introduce you the team.

(L-R) Yours Truly with wife Meghna, Bhpian Ghostrider28 (Sayantan) with son Adrish & wife Moon, Our son Kabir with Shashwat



And to FALCON, our new traveling partner.




For those who have read HULK (Our Duster AWD) travel tales, HULK is still with us and Falcons garage partner.

[PapaBravo]

Day 1 : Kolkata to Ayodhya Hilltop

We started off from our home at 5.25am and met Sayantan & family in 10 mins. Shashwat was running a bit late & he joined us in his Pajero on the highway. The first 2.5 hours was nonstop drive covering maximum distance since the kids were sleeping in their respective car seats and parents were relaxed. It was raining on & off and clouds kept us company throughtout. Our first stop was a roadside dhaba. Most of our breakfast was packed & the dhaba catered to our omlettes & tea needs. The kids had their breakfast and we were ready to roll again.

Cloudy Weather


First stop @ a roadside Dhaba



Fuel Break

The next stop was a short fuel & bio break & then a scenic spot near Garpanchkot for the 11am snacking for kids. Our breaks were all timed according to the kids schedule.

Break Near Garpanchkot



Girgiti & Falcon



Shashwat's Pajero



Kabir Enjoying the Pajero Balcony



On the way to the top







12 Km to Go

By lunch, we were at our resort. The property chosen by Shashwat was awesome. We had a full cottage to ourselves so no other guests would disturb us. The resort had sprawling greens & lots to do.

The Resort




The Room

We relaxed the whole day at the resort. In the evening we saw the tribal 'Chhau' dance. It was based on the Goddess Durga & Mahisasur theme. The whole performance was power packed and kept us glued to the stage all the time.

Chhau Dance

Dinner was served soon after the performance & post a longish late night 'adda', we were off to sleep.

[PapaBravo]

Day 2 : Visiting POIs near Ayodhya Hills

Woke up to a beautiful misty hilly morning. Morning Shenanigans complete, we headed for breakfast. It was a good spread of Indian & continental. We found their vegetarian preparations better than non-vegetarian ones. Before heading out we did a small photoshoot at the resort itself while waiting for Sayantan, Moon & Adrish.

Misty Morning




Us


Shashwat

We had left the Pajero Sport behind & the X1 & Duster were the steeds for the day. Our first stop was Marble lake which was just a 15 min drove from the resort. The place was abit crowded so we did skipped going by the lake side and found vantage point with good view. Some photos later, we started for Charida Village, a UNESCO World Heritage also known as Mukhosh (Mask) Village.

About Charida from Wikipedia

Charida is famous for the Chhau masks used in the Purulia Chhau dance.[1] Around 150 families are involved in mask-making. It involves five elaborate processes and depending on the intricacies involved it takes two to seven days to complete a mask. “The Chhau craft itself dates back 150 years, to the reign of King Madan Mohan Singh Deo of Baghmundi”. A chau mask festival is organised at Charida in January-February. Some of the craftsmen have travelled to far off places such as Japan and France “to showcase their work and popularise Chhau.”

Marble Lake


Rain on the Panoroof. Bliss !!


Parked at Charida Village


Masks from Charida Village.



A local artisan making masks


Meghna & Kabir at Mask Museum


Some more information of the Village

[PapaBravo]

After Charida village, we had planned to visit Bamini Falls & Jogini Falls. Once we reached the Jogini Falls, the rush at the tourist points made us revisit our plan and we dropped plans to visit any waterfall & instead head to the Upper Dam & Murugama Lake. We visited the Upper Dam first. These some hidden treasures of WB for sure. The other side of the dam didn't look less than an amazon forest. There was greenery everywhere. This is a must visit for anyone visiting this part of the country.

Leaving the resort for Sighseeing


Cars posing on the Upper Dam




The lush green Forest on the other side.


Up & Down the hills for Sightseeing

Our next stop was Murugama Lake. While going towards the lake, we missed a turn and ended up taking a 1 hour detour for a 45min drive . But that was not much of an issue since barring few villages, the roads were empty & ghatish, there was good music with friends in car, it was perfect Murugama lake exceeded our expectation even more. It was beautiful. We spent good time admiring the beauty of the lake. While on our way back, the right way this time, we stopped at a green patch for kids evening snack. It was an impromptu picnic for us.

View of Murgama Lake


The Vistas



Sayantan, Moon & Adrish


Kabir & Shaswat went for a walk.


Adrish jumping in to catch the camera


The Resort boards helped us stay on track on our way back


The Picnic Spot

After the picnic break, we headed back to the hotel. The drive was surreal. The roads were as narrow as an X1 with vegetation on both sides. In the dark, it looked like travelling in a tunnel. Enjoyed the curves on the X1. Once back at the hotel, another late night 'adda' happened since our departure the next day was supposed to be at a relaxed 11am. The drive back was equally good with a stop at a roadside dhaba with Tadka & Roti for Lunch. The only gripe was that the Pajero's AC belt had conked off and Shashwat had to drive for 8 hours without AC in extreme heat. We had a cold pack and were supplying him with cold drinks at every stop

Following the Pajero on the State Highways



Would like to thanks the team which made the trip happen & contributed to the photos included in this travelogue.

Friends that travel together, stay together !!

Hope you enjoyed going through the TL !!

Cheers,
Pawan

[BlackPearl]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing PapaBravo!

[Samba]

Wow! Splendid pics! Kabir is indeed turning out to be an explorer.
I have stayed twice at Kushal Palli & undoubtedly its the best place to stay at Ayodhya Hills, though its a bit pricey.

A pic of my friends Avventura from my last visit to Ayodhya Hills a year back.

[ron82x3]

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

Prelude

Like I mentioned in my last TL, that we were blessed with a baby boy, Kabir, in March 2020. We have been trying to make small road-trips to get him used to travelling long distances in a car.

[/center]

Congratulations. The pictures look stunning, to say the least.
Reminds me of my Ayodha trip, which I took last year.
Sadly couldn't visit places outside Ayodhya.
Sharing a picture.



- Regards,
Subhasish

[Wason4699]

Wow lovely pics looks like you had a great time. Ayodhya hills are our preserved natural reserve which are indeed a gift. I have fond memories of the place.

[GhostRider28]

This was a trip we were all looking forward to. We have not had a proper road trip since 2018 when my son Adrish was born. We did a trip to Puri in 2020 before the lockdown (by flight) and a trip to Digha (now please don't ask me to count a Digha trip as a road trip!).

Adrish has motion sickness in cars, so our road trip planning has its share of trepidations and needs extra attention to detail - timing and duration of breakfast stops, lunch timings etc. This was Adrish's first proper road trip and he took it in his stride, despite a few bouts of motion sickness. It was a break free trip for both him and Kabir, since lockdown had robbed them of their outdoor freedom and trips.


It was a much needed break for us too, that breath of fresh air to charge our batteries for the future uncertainties of the pandemic. The first taste of the highway and the dhaba (this is just outside of Asansol) had been enough for us to get that spring in our steps, to push the pedal further


I could not participate in the planning for the trip at all, due to office work, and trusted Pawan and Shaswat blindly. The resort turned out to be excellent (except their non vegetarian platter, as Pawan had mentioned). The best part were the balconies, two for each cottage. The front one overlooked the lawn, but I loved the reclusive rear balcony more that faced the mini waterbody and a thick wood just beyond it.



The Chhau dance was a bonus, I have never seen one up close. Thanks to the resort for arranging this.


The Pajero turned heads and made way everywhere it went!


However, when you take a Duster 110 ps AWD to the trip, it has to be in the news! Fellow Duster owners and seniors in TeamBHP would know this very well! This trip was no exception as well. Being well aware of the injector troubles, particularly during the monsoon, I was extra careful to choose the fuel bunks. I stayed clear of the the ones that looked "shady" , I was in no mood to lose my bragging right of being one of the few TeamBHP AWD Dusters to run on OEM injectors even after 7 years! And, mine is out of warranty as well..

After a lot of ACP Pradyuman-type inspections and glares at pumps, I filled up at a decent looking BP pump and voila, no check-engine lights!

Next morning, the hotel valets got our cars to the main gate and we left for sightseeing. I didn't notice the fuel gauge. After driving for 4-5 km, I suddenly noticed it and it read one bar! I could not believe my eyes! I tried restarting the engine, but of no avail. I finally decided in frustration that the hotel valet could not resist the amount of a tankful of gold and had stolen it. I decided to talk a detour from Marble lake to confront the hotel and fill up.

I parked the car, kept the AC running as my kid had fallen asleep and cam back in 10 mins (it was too hot!). I turned off the engine by mistake and when I turned it back on - the meter was full again!
Imaging the embarrassing situation at the hotel, if I had confronted them. I decided that Girgiti (my Duster) was too bored or didn't like the attention we were giving to the kids (all Duster 110s are crazy attention-seekers, ask any owner!). So I made sure that we took some pics of it and that kept Girgiti happy and the rest of the trip went uneventful.


(It did throw up some tantrums after a few days once we were back in Kolkata, but I will reserve that bit for another post. Now that I am writing such a long post after such a long time, I think I will follow it up with an ownership report!)

Interestingly, I think all Dusters are connected by some invisible network (they are moody living beings, I have no doubt), and BHPian Samba's Duster developed the similar issue.

But all said and done, this will remain a trip to cherish for a long time. Not only because of the rarity of trips for us nowadays, but also for the fabulous company we enjoyed. Until next time..

[DriveTrain]

Falcon and Girgiti seems to make an awesome pair being extremely photogenic to boot The Pajero Sport with the snorkel and bull guard seems to be a separate and menacing class altogether !

The lovely snaps and lucid narration from both of you makes this a treat to read. Courtesy their doting parents , the two toddlers seem to be well and truly bitten by the travel bug.

Now we need to see Hulk and Girgiti traveling together

[navsjab]

Lovely write up PB and GhostRider28, accompanied by brilliant photos. Enjoyed reading it. Lucky that you guys could make it together and both Kabir and Adrish enjoyed it too. The rarity of such events really makes one cherish them.

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by Samba

Wow! Splendid pics! Kabir is indeed turning out to be an explorer.
I have stayed twice at Kushal Palli & undoubtedly its the best place to stay at Ayodhya Hills, though its a bit pricey.

Thanks a lot Samba. Yes, Kabir has started liking the trips.

A pic of my friends Avventura from my last visit to Ayodhya Hills a year back.

You are a master in photography

Originally Posted by ron82x3

Congratulations. The pictures look stunning, to say the least.
Reminds me of my Ayodha trip, which I took last year.
Sadly couldn't visit places outside Ayodhya.
Sharing a picture.
- Regards,
Subhasish

Thanks Subhasish. Do post more on the West Bengal - Treasure for tourist thread started by Samba if you have less materia for a TL.

Originally Posted by Wason4699

Wow lovely pics looks like you had a great time. Ayodhya hills are our preserved natural reserve which are indeed a gift. I have fond memories of the place.

Thanks Wason4699. I see tat your base is Asansol. Do take out time and join us for a meet on NH2.

Originally Posted by GhostRider28

This was a trip we were all looking forward to.
xxxxxSNIPxxxx
But all said and done, this will remain a trip to cherish for a long time. Not only because of the rarity of trips for us nowadays, but also for the fabulous company we enjoyed. Until next time..

Superb top up the the TL Sayantan. Thanks for adding. I am surprised you remember your TeamBHP password.

Originally Posted by DriveTrain

Falcon and Girgiti seems to make an awesome pair being extremely photogenic to boot The Pajero Sport with the snorkel and bull guard seems to be a separate and menacing class altogether !

Thanks a lot Anshguman Da. Girigiti & Falcon make a great team. Although I think Girgiti will not be with owner for too long. Something else will come soon it seems.

Now we need to see Hulk and Girgiti traveling together

Sure Dada. Here is one pic from the older times.

Originally Posted by navsjab

Lovely write up PB and GhostRider28, accompanied by brilliant photos. Enjoyed reading it. Lucky that you guys could make it together and both Kabir and Adrish enjoyed it too. The rarity of such events really makes one cherish them.

Thanks a ton Nav !! We are waiting for Zaib to join the team.

[Anees_Offl]

Originally Posted by GhostRider28

This was a trip we were all looking forward to. We have not had a proper road trip since 2018 when my son Adrish was born. We did a trip to Puri in 2020 before the lockdown (by flight) and a trip to Digha (now please don't ask me to count a Digha trip as a road trip!).

Hi,

The pictures are so beautiful and you have taken time to write it so meticulously shows the interest you have in such road trips.

I have one question regarding the front bumper that I saw in the Pajero.

1) Is the bumper really required?
2) Doesn't it affect the safety of the car?
3) will airbags function when such huge bumpers are placed?

Reason being there's a ban in TN, for that matter.

https://www.deccanherald.com/state/r...ne-938242.html

Regards,
Anees

[haisaikat]

A getaway among enviable vistas in an even more enviable and grand machine with family and like minded friends. What else can someone desire from the Almighty.

Beautiful and Crisp TL with wonderful pictures. Thoroughly enjoyed touring Ayodhya Hills with you. Wish you tons of miles on the X1 and congratulations.

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by Anees_Offl

Hi,

The pictures are so beautiful and you have taken time to write it so meticulously shows the interest you have in such road trips.

I have one question regarding the front bumper that I saw in the Pajero.

1) Is the bumper really required?
2) Doesn't it affect the safety of the car?
3) will airbags function when such huge bumpers are placed?

Reason being there's a ban in TN, for that matter.

https://www.deccanherald.com/state/r...ne-938242.html

Regards,
Anees

Thank you so much Anees. Answers to the questions below :

1) This Pajero has seen a lot of offroading & crosscountry trips. The bumper is of a lot of help off the road.

2) & 3) This is an imported ironman bumper. The suspensions have been changed to ironman as well as the snorkel. It does not affect the safety as they have been rigorously tested even for Airbag deployment. You can read more here.

Originally Posted by haisaikat

A getaway among enviable vistas in an even more enviable and grand machine with family and like minded friends. What else can someone desire from the Almighty.

Beautiful and Crisp TL with wonderful pictures. Thoroughly enjoyed touring Ayodhya Hills with you. Wish you tons of miles on the X1 and congratulations.

Thanks a ton haisaikat. You have summed up the reason why we loved this trip as well.