RADventure2 (Part1) : October 08, 2016 - November 11, 2016 : 7000 Kms Driving Expedition through India

RADventure2

Introduction (Part1)

My India, my soul…..

The beauty and diversity of a land so divine

       where have's and have'nots are spiritually twined,

A contrast of progress and primal customs,

     a potpourri of cultures and a museum of tongues,

The medley of forests, wild and fresh

of misty mountains and falls that impress,

The sound of silence on barren land        

and waving fields that create a trance,   

Of gushing rivers and gorgeous lakes

where flora and fauna claim their stakes,    

Pristine, unparalleled and pure as gold

Epitome of the world …. My India, my soul!

... AD/ Nov 2016

Team : Runa Dutta & Amitava Dutta

Distance : 6900 Kms (central & southern region and along the south-eastern coast of India)

Vehicle : Fiat Linea Emotion (Diesel)
Duration : 35 days (08 Oct - 11 Nov, 2016)

Introduction

RADventure1 was enlivening and refreshing, and in many ways addictive too. As a fall out, we have been doing short weekend road trips ever since the completion of RADventure1 (29 days in Feb - Mar 2016). However, the charm of a long road expedition with an urge to explore, is something totally different. It has been a deadly energizer and luring me ever since the first trip long trip. Have been working at it almost every weekend researching, reading travelogues, in trying to figure out destinations & routes.

October – November period i.e. the festive season seemed to be a good period to schedule RADventure2. Everything seemed right, monsoon is over by then, winter would be creeping in, and generally the country is in a good mood during the festive period, except for the roads which could be in a bad shape post monsoon.

Over and above, I have always wanted to circumnavigate India by road, so this was the time to explore the Southern part of the country i.e. south of Vindyachal, and thus, intended to reach the southern tip, and then drive along the east coast, keeping minimal overlap with previous routes. Some day I would complete 'Bharatmala' the all border & coastal highway.  The previous trip (RADventure1), some would say, had a heritage overtone in terms of places visited (Varanasi, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Shirdi, Ajmer-Sharif, Pushkar, etc.) along the route. This time decided to focus on nature & wildlife, which has been a prime interest always.

Post many deliberations and research, a plan emerged ..... drive across to Madhya Pradesh and thereafter head south to Nagpur (the centre of India), and then down on into Kerala. This would allow us to explore the forests of MP i.e. Vindhyachal Ranges, and then into the Nilgiri Ranges i.e. the forests of Karnataka, Kerala & Tamil Nadu, until you get to the south-west coast of Kerala, thereafter drive along the coastline.  The expedition is thus set in two parts, first half is the drive overland cutting through Vindhyachal into Nilgirs (Western Ghat) and thereafter the second part which is planned largely along the coastal region starting from Calicut all the way to Calcutta. Quite interestingly, in the first part largely looked at the domestic birds and wildlife, and thereafter the migratory birds in the coastal sanctuaries.  

RADventure2 - Route Map

Thus was born RADventure 2- a 7000 Kms drive cutting through central, southern parts of India and then circling the southern and eastern coast. 

Team RADventure

Dependable & Reliable

Me at the wheels and Runa (wife) managing logistics and on-road decisions including snaps, snacks and breaks. 

Our Car - Fiat Linea Emotion (Diesel) - dependable & reliable

Another change .... this time we intend to present the whole tour in parts (Part1 thru Part 16), so that it is easy to present, read and assimilate.  

We hope you enjoy reading this travelogue as much as we enjoyed experiencing it. Please feel free to share your comments & views.

Next> Part2 : Kolkata to Ranchi