[GForceEnjoyer]

Westwards and then northwards...

Aurangabad. It's a place known for multiple historical landmarks such as Ajanta, Ellora, Daulatabad fort and Bibi ka Maqbara. Then, Shirdi. A place known for being the home of Sai Baba. Two places in the same state and a short distance from each other. Naturally, visiting them in the same trip makes sense. But then, Pench National Park, the forest that is thought to have inspired Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. That’s all the way in Madhya Pradesh! Is there any logical reason for visiting that too? That’s a question I’d have asked a few months ago. However, there is now an answer: the Samruddhi Mahamarg or the Mumbai-Nagpur expressway, that allows you to travel from Shirdi to Pench in a single day. And that is the sole reason for us also visiting Pench in this trip as well, rather than making a separate one.

Ever since I first read about the Samruddhi Mahamarg, I jotted it down in the list of roads I’d want to drive on once I attained the legal age. So far, it’s the closest expressway to Hyderabad. Well, thanks to our previously shelved plan to visit Aurangabad and Shirdi which we ended up resurrecting, I got to experience it just after my 11th grade board exams ended! Most of Pench is in Madhya Pradesh, so we drove to Nagpur from Shirdi on the expressway (covering the entirety of the section currently open to the public) and then joined NH-44 to Pench.

Total distance covered: Around 2250 km
The car: 2021 Škoda Superb L&K
Photography equipment: My Redmi 9 Prime.

The route:




Day 1: Hyderabad to Aurangabad

We set out early in the morning and got onto the ORR; always a pleasurable drive with the speedometer not moving a millimetre from 100 km/h from the point of entry until the point of exit.


Since we had encountered the horrible stretch before Solapur on NH-65 twice already, we were in no mood for a third time. Hence, we took a right a while before Solapur and went through Tuljapur. Shortly afterwards, we joined NH-52 which took us straight to Aurangabad. The stretch before NH-52 had some pretty big potholes here and there but traffic was sparse, and we covered it pretty quickly. After that, it’s an absolute breeze accompanied by stunning scenery.


The Superb under a dazzlingly bright sky accompanied by a truck and farmland in the background, taken during a break. It was a hot day, with temperatures in excess of 35 degrees.


A windmill en route.


The sun started to set just before our arrival at Aurangabad.


We stayed at the Fern residency, a great choice with clean rooms and located a walking distance away from many places to eat. This place has a covered car parking; very important for us! We managed to average over 15 km/l in the Superb, despite bursts of spirited driving in sports mode. This car’s highway fuel efficiency never fails to impress.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 2: Ajanta and Bibi ka Maqbara

First off, some very important advice for anyone planning to visit Ajanta. Get there as early as possible since the weather gets incredibly hot. The caves open at 9:00 am, so try to get there a little before. The speed at which the parking lot and ticket counter filled up some time after our arrival was mind-boggling! Flash photography is not allowed inside the caves, and you could be fined for the same. Most caves are sufficiently lit, though. You are also required to remove your footwear before entering the caves, so avoid wearing shoes since you’ll have to keep wearing and removing them; I made that mistake and eventually just gave up, deciding to walk barefoot. I could see a lot of other people who made the same mistake having to do the same.

From the parking, a bus will take you to the start of the climb towards the caves. As of now, two of the buses are air-conditioned, which the rest aren’t. It’s a game of luck! I will just say that nearly each cave is worth a visit. Don’t restrict yourself only to the ones which everyone talks about (1, 9, 10, 15, 16, 26). The caves have air conditioning, so it’s perfectly tolerable inside them even if it’s hot outside; not the case a few decades ago, as my dad told me.

Here’s the route taken for this day. Road conditions are largely good. The last few kilometres consist of some very enjoyable ghat roads with brilliant views.


I also got my first glimpse of the Samruddhi Mahamarg as we drove under it on our way out of Aurangabad!


The caves were built in 2 different phases. The first one was estimated to start around 200 BCE, while the second one occurred in 460-480 CE. These are one of the surviving examples of ancient Indian Buddhist religious art.

After a bit of a climb, you suddenly see this stunning sight, nearly all the caves are visible!


As you enter a cave, you can’t help but be awed at the level of detail in even the oldest cave to be built. It’s amazing to look at the artwork from so many centuries ago, and this place is a must-visit for everyone.


A look at the various styles of artwork visible. Some caves have parts lit up by spotlights.






This one might just have been my favourite. Truly splendid.


The ceilings shouldn’t be missed either. A few shots.






As you keep going to the next cave, the view from outside keeps on changing!


Some caves also have corridors, well-lit by spotlights.




A change in view once again.


A panoramic shot taken from the centre of the horseshoe-shaped rock.


Honestly, to fully appreciate the beauty of these caves, one needs to visit them in person. Photos do not do it justice. To exit the cave, you need to take this bridge. I wonder how the place would look in the rainy season with greenery all around.


After having lunch at the MTDC resort near the ticket counter, we headed back to the car. Our next stop was Bibi ka Maqbara in Aurangabad. The name translates to “The Tomb of the Lady” in English, built by the son of Mughal emperor Muhammad Azam Shah for his mother in memoriam. Due to its resemblance of the Taj Mahal, this monument is also known as the “Dakkani Taj”, which translates to “Taj of the Deccan.” It was built between 1668 and 1669 CE.

The entrance.


To someone who was been to the Taj Mahal before, this will cause a strong sense of déjà vu.


One of the 4 towers surrounding the tomb.


A closer look at the walls of the tomb.


I took a shot of the evening sun.


On the way back, the police stopped traffic for around 15 minutes in order to let a massive motorcade of Innova Crystas through. Look to the left of the A-pillar in the photo and you can see another policeman directing the motorcade. I’m not entirely sure, but I think it was the G20 delegates since the hotel the motorcade went into had a massive sign saying “welcome to India” over the entrance.


A parting shot of the sun over the trees.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 3: Ellora

Here’s the route we took.


Warning: if you choose the route highlighted here, beware of the exit Google shows you off NH-52. Instead, go one U-turn ahead, and it will reroute you to a much better exit ramp. The condition of the original was pathetic enough to have possibly torn the front bumper off.

There are 3 types of caves here: the Hindu caves, the Buddhist caves and the Jain caves. There are 34 caves which you can visit, but there are many more which are not open to the public. The caves were built between 600 and 1000 CE.

A first glimpse! Cave 16 is a must-visit here, it is the largest rock excavation from the monolithic era in the world. It is a fabulous sight. It is also where the path from the entrance first takes you.


Just look at the sheer size and incredible amounts of detail!








A long, dark and cool corridor.


A massive pillar that towers above all.


The scale is truly wonderful to see in person.






Once again, photos do not do these caves justice. You have to see them for yourself. This has to be on the bucket list of anyone travelling in India! Near Ellora, there is also the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in case anyone’s interested. I did not take any pictures while I was there. You can plan it for the same day as Ellora.

Actually, our morning had not gone to plan! On the way out from Aurangabad, we got a TPMS warning about a loss of pressure in two tyres. Both of them were punctured by screws, which we got removed by a shop on the side of the road. We were then on our way again.

Some interesting views on the way.


The Superb resting on the side of the road at a viewpoint.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 4: Daulatabad Fort

Emperor Mohammed bin Tughlaq renamed the surrounding town from Devagiri to Daulatabad (meaning “abode of wealth”). This is a fort that’s worth visiting for stunning views. The steep and long climb is absolutely worth it! You can see the rock from a distance while approaching it.


The entrance.


It’s a flat walk for a while until the climb begins.


The imposing watchtowers. The second one looked either unfinished or somehow damaged.




You are greeted by this absolutely massive cannon! There are several more surrounding it too.








Take a look at this very tall orange tower.


As you begin your climb, the moat becomes visible. Crocodiles were supposedly kept in it to keep enemies out! Also, note how the rock is nearly vertical: basically impossible to climb at the time.


In fact, security at this place was very tight. In addition to the moat, there was only one way into, or out of the boundaries, meaning that armies could not enter from opposite sides which would have put them at an advantage. There were tons of false doors to mislead the enemy and even a maze! You can try the maze even today.

I noticed this covered staircase going down. Wonder where it leads?


Look how dramatically the view changes as you continue ascending!




It was an incredibly hot day with absolutely no wind whatsoever, but as soon as I reached the top, the view made up for all of it, despite the haze. If you zoom in on the first picture, you can even see the Samruddhi Mahamarg!






There was another massive cannon at the top.


We unfortunately did not do Lonar lake (which I was very curious about, as it’s a crater lake in basaltic rock). From what I’ve heard though, it’s absolutely worth visiting. After the opening of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, some of the travel time from Aurangabad has also been reduced.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 5: Aurangabad to Shirdi via the Samruddhi Mahamarg

Here’s the route. We only covered 75 km of the expressway on this day; the entirety of it open to the public was covered on the next day on the way to Pench.


I was eagerly looking forward to this after reading so many other posts on Team-BHP about it. It’s the closest such expressway to Hyderabad; expressways such as the Delhi-Meerut expressway and Delhi-Mumbai expressway are very far away. I wonder if such expressways will be proposed by southern states. Hyderabad to Bangalore perhaps?

Turning onto the slip road. The surface is a very bright white so do wear sunglasses. They go a long way in reducing fatigue.


The good:

• This is a fully barricaded and access-controlled expressway.
• Fantastically engineered. The curves are very gentle and sufficiently banked. The sheer size of it also leaves you in awe: it is all of 102 metres
  wide!
• Consistent lane markings, and the shoulder is always sufficiently wide. The signs are visible from afar and are simple to understand.
• Lots of fuel stations now operational
• Reflective poles used to mark the median

The reduction in travel time is going to be massive once the entire expressway opens from Mumbai to Nagpur. There seemed to be work going on in the median at some places though. The look of this expressway actually reminded me of some American freeways. Facilities for breaks are still being constructed, but once complete, there seem to be enough of them. I did not spot any pumps with high octane petrol (XP95 and XP100): it was good that we tanked up before getting on. There are no diversions as of now on the entire opened section (Nagpur to Shirdi).

The bad:

• The surface quality. On the Aurangabad-Shirdi stretch, I was unpleasantly surprised to see that the surface barely inspired the confidence to reach 120 km/h. It was rough and bumpy throughout, nothing like the smooth tarmac of most national highways.
• Road noise: The amount it can get very annoying: you have to really turn up the music.
• Expansion joints. Frankly, some of them on the Aurangabad to Shirdi stretch can be unsafe. The bad ones send the car all over the place and might cause issues to those with very low-profile tyres too. I know that the Superb has a soft suspension but it stiffens up with speed, meaning that it never sacrifices stability. To this day, nothing has ever unsettled the car as badly as the first couple of expansion joints that we hit at 120 km/h before cancelling the cruise control and slowing down.

The dislikes apply very strongly to mostly the Aurangabad-Shirdi stretch. The surface quality is far better between Aurangabad and Nagpur, as we saw on the return journey. It is there that you can cruise at 120 km/h for hours.

Here are some photos. The expressway looks but doesn’t feel world class.


The asphalt expansion joints. Significant differences in their level as is partially visible in the photo too.


The toll plazas are very large with many lanes. As of now due to the very sparse traffic, only one lane is open.


After the toll, we got yet another tyre pressure warning as we were getting up to speed! Exasperated, we drove slowly to a fuel station which was thankfully only a few kilometres ahead. Turned out that the pressure in one of the tyres had not been set correctly the day before. We were soon on our way again.

The Superb’s navigation system seems to still be unaware of the existence of this road and thought we were off-roading at highway speeds. Note the tyre pressure warning on the top right.


Upon reaching the Shirdi exit, there were barricades to direct all traffic off the expressway as the section after it had not been opened yet.


In Shirdi, we stayed at Hotel G-Square, which was right opposite the temple. You do not need a car to go anywhere: walking will do.

I spent some time walking around the streets close to the temple and was amazed to see the crowd that gathered near the TV screens outside the second the prayer (aarti) started!


It was then time to head to bed early, since we had quite a distance to cover the next day. I will also continue sharing my experience on the expressway in the next post.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 6: Shirdi to Pench (and the Samruddhi Mahamarg continued)

We set out early in the morning and got onto the expressway. We were instructed to stay on it for 511 kilometres! By the way, it's hilarious to hear Google maps pronounce the full name each time: "Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg."


Some expansion joints are quite long, like this one. The asphalt over them isn’t smooth but provides some temporary relief from the roar of concrete. It was after this expansion joint somewhere around Aurangabad that the surface got much better. It was still a little lumpy but enough to be able to sustain 120 km/h without a fuss. It was after this point that we barely had to disengage cruise control as even the expansion joints were somehow much better. Possibly to do with differences in the quality of work of different contractors perhaps?


The speed limits.


These boards telling you to keep a safe distance are found frequently.


So are warnings such as this one. It tells you to park on the side if you have to attend a phone call, when translated from Marathi to English.


Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Great visibility all around. Ground is covered quite fast at 120 km/h.




There is exactly one tunnel between Nagpur and Shirdi.


Daulatabad fort in the distance!


A wildlife overpass: very thoughtful.


We were able to get good fuel efficiency, thanks to being able to cruise nearly uninterrupted.


The exit onto Nagpur’s outer ring road is very elaborately done.


At the Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh.




We stayed at Olive Resorts, Turia, which has villas for rooms (shown in the picture above). The weather got very pleasant at night, a welcome break from the sweltering heat of the day. We slept early, since we had a jungle safari the next day!

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 7: Pench jungle safari

The safari started at 6:15 am sharp. And by sharp I mean that the immaculately maintained Maruti Gypsys were on their way the second the clock read 6:15! Make sure to book your safari well in advance. The chances of you being able to get one on the spot are very slim. At this time of the year, it was pleasantly chilly in the morning; around 16 degrees. The sun hadn’t risen when we reached the Turia gate. I would suggest getting a pair of good binoculars, by the way. Makes observing animals far away easier.

The convoy of Gypsys (and a couple of Tata Xenons and Force Traxes).


The sun had barely begun to rise as we began.


The first sighting of the day! A very shaky photo of an elephant.


A couple of Sambhar deer.


The sun peeking through the trees.


We got to see a water body… and then wade across water too!




We saw a lot of peacocks up close, such as this one.


A red snake swimming in the water. Had too zoom in a lot, please excuse the quality.


We then came across this. Who could have done this?


…this guy perhaps? Yes, that’s a leopard! What a sight it was through binoculars.






That's a vulture perched on the tree in the centre.


By now, the sun had gotten quite high and it was very hot.


It was time to bid goodbye to the forest and the Gypsy.


I couldn’t resist sharing this sign I found in a café later! Anyone get it?


The Superb hiding behind the bushes.


Our time in Pench had now come to an end. I highly recommend visiting it. It was time to head back to Hyderabad the next day.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Day 8: Pench to Hyderabad

Here’s the route we took. Leaving early in the day can help shave hours off your travel time! It took us much less time than the time shown here, including breaks.


A morning drive out of the forest.


NH-44 in Madhya Pradesh offers some pretty interesting views.




Some parts of Nagpur’s outer ring road had just been freshly re-laid. Even the lane markings had not been completed yet.


We stopped for lunch a while after crossing Nagpur. And this is how bored I got waiting for the food to arrive: that’s a closeup of a lightbulb.


A lot of NH-44 post-Nagpur was in pretty poor condition with diversions, potholes and in some places only gravel instead of a road. It was still far better than NH-65 though and did not lower the average speed too much.

Nevertheless, it was a relief to cross into Telangana and be welcomed by these roads. Unfortunately, flawless (read as hard-wearing and well-maintained as the road) rumble strips also tagged along.




Took a quick picture during a change of drivers.


And another one of the sun getting low over a very dirty Superb during a break.


Just like that, we were on Hyderabad’s outer ring road… And the Superb was back home!




Here are the figures for the final journey. Good fuel efficiency considering the entirety of the drive was in sports mode. In fact, we did not get single digit fuel efficiency even once during this trip. Forgot to reset the tripmeter before the trip, so subtract around 160 kilometres from this reading: around 2268 kilometres covered during this trip!


A final word:
Road tripping in India has become much more doable in recent times and for now, it looks like this will continue into the future as more expressways like the Samruddhi Mahamarg come up. There was never a shortage of places to visit before, and hopefully the ways to get there will also keep improving! Across even neighbouring states, the weather, language, food and scenery vary dramatically, which is one of the biggest charms of a road trip as opposed to flying and simply “appearing” at your destination.

The Superb crossed 15000 kilometres on this trip and has now been driven in Madhya Pradesh too, in addition to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Goa. That list shall hopefully grow in the future.

Here’s yours truly standing in front of the towering Daulatabad fort. Until next time. Cheers!

[Aditya]

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

[Samfromindia]

Nicely detailed journal Planning to do Pune - Aurangabad this June for Ajanta - Ellora. This TL will surely come handy for my upcoming journey.

[neoonwheels]

Lovely travelogue, GForceEnjoyer

Are there new petrol bunks and foodmalls operable between Aurangabad and Nagpur on the new eway?

[GForceEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by neoonwheels

Are there new petrol bunks and foodmalls operable between Aurangabad and Nagpur on the new eway?

As of now, there are only petrol stations operational. No food malls yet. I could spot one under construction and judging by the look of it, it's going to take a while to be finished.

[JoshMachine]

Another brilliant piece of writing from you buddy, this time in the form of a travelogue
Your coverage was crisp yet didn’t feel like you missed any part!

Travelling to Nagpur / Pench during these times or summer can be tough, as you would have realised probably.

The analogy of the CCTV signage to the evergreen ‘Police’ (Sting/ Gordon Sumner) song was a bit over the top, I would think But anything goes in India, so long the message gets conveyed.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Another brilliant piece of writing from you buddy

Thanks for the kind words! Means a lot.

Travelling to Nagpur / Pench during these times or summer can be tough, as you would have realised probably.

True, it does get quite hot. I guess the best time to visit places in the southern parts of the country (and a bit above) would be during the winter months.

The analogy of the CCTV signage to the evergreen ‘Police’ (Sting/ Gordon Sumner) song was a bit over the top, I would think But anything goes in India, so long the message gets conveyed.

You may be right. It's just that apart from loving the song, it was also the first one I could play on the drums (this was back when I was 8), so seeing the lyrics copy-pasted on the signboard got me exited!

[Siddy_1998]

The Superb, whether in the Sportline or the L&K guise, looks breathtaking on the road, and it's unique headlight and taillight design just go on to ensure from far off, that it is unmistakably a Skoda Superb.

Really, that is a beautiful car that you've got. Besides, I have a soft spot for the Skoda-Volkswagen group, which to me, makes this even more enjoyable to read, as enjoyable as you must have felt to drive that car on such a long route.

This is a beautiful travelogue. I loved reading it. The shots taken from inside the Ajanta Caves are beautiful. Particularly that panoramic shot from the center of the horseshoe-shaped rock. Not to forget the beautiful detailing inside the caves. Mad respect to the people who carved these details back then.