Day 14 - Davengere to Chennai - 1 January 2021 – 620 km

It was not uncommon to find friends, acquaintances and family bemoaning the past year and yearning for a better year. 'Ringing out the old and ringing in the new' is the theme for a New Year's Eve. This year I felt that emotion more drastically with most people. They just wanted to forget and shed 2020, as if a plague. Undoubtedly, the past year had been disastrous in many ways, beginning with the pandemic and continuing with its aftermath. But, it was also a year that taught us many things. To me, it was to value what I have rather than what I have not. Every year, every month, every day, every moment has something for all of us. If only we care to appreciate it. Today is the beginning of a new year, a year founded on hopes and aspirations, built essentially around my family.

Davengere to Chennai is around 620 km. Except for a few diversions, where six laning work is yet to be completed, the condition of the highway was pretty decent. NHAI is certainly getting infrastructure built in PPP mode. However, with road tax, fuel cess and such extractions from citizens I wonder why the government further realises tolls. While the Fastag has certainly improved transit through toll gates I have a few suggestions.

1. Toll must not be operational unless the entire facility as per contract has been constructed.

2. Toll must be suspended when there is repair and maintenance or there is breach of the construction and maintenance contract.

3. There should be no exemptions. Every user should be made to pay. People waving id cards and pamphlets and those having G marker on number plates must also be asked to pay.

4. Toll gates where scanners do not work must be told to pay fines as they delay the transit of users just as a faulty Fastag user is.

5. Lines must be drawn in each lane for vehicles to stop or slow at appropriate place so that the scanning is proper.

6. All Fastag lanes must be unmanned and should be automatic

7. Every toll booth must indicate the kilometrage for which the toll is being realised, the cost of construction and the period when the highway will become free.

While four laning and six laning of highways have certainly improved driving comfort the misuse of lanes have also increased. There are signages intermittently directing slow moving traffic to use the left most lane. This is never observed. I have experienced that the left most lane is the virtual fast lane. The indiscipline of slow moving vehicles makes weaving skills an essential accessory of every passenger car driver. The highway patrol cars, instead of 'lounging' in some shade, must be deployed to check this kind of irresponsible driving. Spot fines must be levied and licenses must be revoked after three violations. Similarly, drones must be used effectively to detect the tyranny imposed by slow moving vehicles. Road worthiness of cargo trucks and trailers to use highways and ghats must be checked periodically and certified like PUC. Availability of rear lights and use of indicators to switch lanes must be enforced.

When I drove into the House of Hiranandani complex in Siruseri, Chennai at 3.30 pm it signaled the end of a 14 day thriller spanning 5700 km. During the drive I had chewed the cud on many road trip options for this year and the next. The HAPPY NEW YEAR had started AND it was now time for CHEERS TO ALL with a glass in hand.

Day 13 - Khandala to Davengere via Panchgani – 31 December 2020 – 650 km

It was not easy to find hotel accommodation in Panchgani or anywhere else in the neighborhood for New Year's Eve and the day after. I kept trying and trying and Booking.com repeatedly threw up Mount Castle as reasonably priced under the circumstances with favorable reviews and good photos of the rooms. Despite the tariff I booked the accommodation last night as I was quite keen to explore Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar as I had not been there previously.

After a couple of cups of excellent tea prepared by Sanjeev I took his leave with a couple of boiled eggs stored in the food bag to be had later when hunger pangs surfaced. As it happens to me often, the very thought of fresh food in the car makes me instantly hungry. A short while after I got on to the highway the eggs decided to leap into my mouth. Lonavala is known for Maganlal's chikkis, dry fruit rolls, jellies, savories and fudges. Last evening Sanjeev had told me the interesting story of how Maganlal developed the chikki as a snack for laborers during the construction of the Ghat railway. As I drove past Lonavala I was mighty confused. Look wherever, every shop was named Maganlal's!

I was really looking forward to spending two nights in the hill station and I decided to enjoy the drive all through. When the Pasarni Ghats came up I knew I was close to my destination for the day. As I drove into the compound of Mount Castle hotel anxieties surfaced. At the reception I asked to see the room. I was appalled to find the surroundings ill kept and garbage piled in corners. The room did not resemble even remotely what was depicted on the booking.com site. The receptionist apologized for the mistake and agreed to cancel the reservation without any penal charges.

I was at a loss as to where I could spend the two days I wanted to in the hill station. The receptionist directed me to Revine Hotel, a short distance away. Not only did the hotel quote atrocious rates, the receptionist told me that I would need a doctor's fitness certificate to stay there. She checked with another hotel and the same charade repeated. Then and there I decided to curtail my tour and heave ho back to Chennai. Undoubtedly frustrating and disappointing.

Back on the Pasarni Ghat I stopped at a scenic location and assessed my options. I could make a dash through to Chennai, a distance of over 1100 km or halt some place in between. For the latter, the options were Hubli or Davengere. I decided to take it as it came. The road conditions were good and driving was smooth. Moreover, faster transit through toll gates assisted by the Fastag also saved me a lot of time. I decided to push through beyond Dharwad and Hubli, where I knew I could get decent accommodation for the night.

I found many billboards on the highway between Hubli and Davengere of Hotel Ashok Inn. It was advertised as a new facility and the internet gave me information that the tariff was very reasonable too, especially as compared to the extortionist tariffs in Panchgani. I drove into the premises of Hotel Ashok Inn in Davengere by 6.30 pm. Frankly, I was not prepared to see what I saw there then. Preparations were on in full swing to ring in the New Year. While working in Mysore Division in 1983-85 and Hubli in 2003-05 I had been to Davengere many times. Certainly, between the two spells the city had improved considerably and the highway had become top class. However, in December 2020 the preparation for festivities took my breath away.

At the reception I was treated very politely and given a large, well-appointed room. However, I was a bit apprehensive about my car being parked outside the hotel premise. The pandals and other arrangements in the hotel compound meant that car parking had to be done outside. New year revelries can go wrong very quickly and vehicles parked outside may bear the brunt of wanton destructive celebrations. Nevertheless, the hotel took ‘full responsibility’, whatever that meant, for the security and safety of the car. I made sure that all valuable stuff like camera equipment, etc was safely lodged in my room.

I am not one for either loud music or shaking a leg. After I had freshened up, I decided to go down to the bar and put a couple of my favourite Old Monk and coke down my parched throat. The helpful waitress suggested that I try their mutton pepper fry. While the Old Monk cooled me down the mutton dish brought on saliva in large measure. Once I had finished the Facebook post and other documentation I sought refuge in my room to spend the last few hours of 2020 in solitude.

Day 12 - Surat to Khandala - 30 December 2020 - 416 km

Hetal took great care of my gastronomic demands in Surat. I have been a drooling fan of her cooking, presentation and hospitality over the past five years. Words fail to describe what she can do in the kitchen, oven and dining table. It would be an exercise in essay writing if I had to mention the goodies she spread out on the three days I was in Surat. Taking leave of the exemplary hosts in Gujarat, Hetal and Rajiv Shah, I embarked on the 350 km drive to Khandala.

Sanjeev Mhatre has been a Facebook friend for many years. Travel and shipping are the twin interests that kept communication going between us. When he read about my scheduled halt in Lonavala on the return trip to Chennai he insisted on playing host at his farm house in Khandala. Hence, I cancelled my hotel booking in Lonavala and headed to Khandala.

The early morning start helped and so did the sparse traffic. The drive was smooth and uneventful. The movement across state borders have become hassleless after the introduction of GST. One does not see the ‘customary’ long queues of trucks and heavy vehicles, some even languishing for weeks. For passenger vehicles this has been a boon too as one does not have to weave through the stationary truck lanes. I anticipated the worst as I was nearing the Fountain Junction till I got out of the Thane quagmire. I was in Fountain in slightly over 3 hours. The Fastag helped, indeed.

Sanjeev piloted me to his farmhouse from a meeting point after Khandala Ghat. Sanjeev, as architect and interior designer, has designed and executed nearly 30 Container Freight Stations in India and a host of other commercial and residential properties. The style, form and standard are amply visible in his farm house. Beautifully landscaped surroundings with an inviting swimming pool the large and spacious farm house has been designed to harness light, wind and positivity. Personally designed and supervised by Sanjeev I would love to return to the peaceful and calm surroundings some day for an extended stay. I have, indeed, obtained, a rain check already from this most warm and amiable host.

Later in the evening he gave me a tour of the lovely hill station, which along with its twin Khandala, lie over 2000 feet above MSL. He pointed out farm houses belonging to the who's who of the corporate and film world. The Della Adventure Resort was one of the reasons why I had planned a halt in Lonavala. As it panned out, it is just a few km from Sanjeev's farm house. He pulled strings and got us admission into the Resort to appreciate the facilities there. Of particular interest to me were the camping tents on the rock face of a hill. The sprawling 50 acre property on the foothills of the Sahyadri Range, that demarcates the Deccan Plateau and the Konkan Coast, has plenty to offer besides the 250 plus luxury accommodation that fit varying budget needs. They have a range of restaurants, lounges, nightclub and camping sites. Visitors mostly throng during the summer and monsoon seasons to lap up what the Resort has to offer.

Over a peg of Chivas Regal, Sanjeev, who is a teetotaller unfortunately (!), and I shared matters of interest. Of utmost interest to me was the role he has played over the past 15 years in the real estate development of the locality. His immediate neighbour is Suniel Shetty, the Bollywood actor and entrepreneur. It is people like Sanjeev Mhatre who make me believe that life is a continuum and that all our travels are merely opportunities to meet fellow souls who travel with ours through time and space.

After a delightful meal cooked up by the helps Sanjeev has staying in the outhouse it was time to ruminate over many nuggets of information I had gleaned from the insightful conversations with Rajeev during the Gujarat tour. The first that came to mind was the practice of ‘Vishi’ which is akin to a chit fund, in form and practice. However, the scale seems to have been much higher and so were the stakes. Rajiv told me that many major stores and enterprises in Mumbai were built with Vishi funds. Of late, it is understood that the system has been under a cloud due to dubious transactions and irresponsible spending even leading to suicides. In towns such as Rajkot it is now perceived as a social evil that is ruining lives and families.

The next is the Angadia system, which is the forerunner of the courier service and instant money transfer. Mostly operating between cities of Gujarat and Mumbai, the system is based entirely on trust and commission. Large sums of money, valuables and documents are transferred across cities for a small commission. The greatly aided development of the diamond industry. The Angadia clan is from the Kathiawad region of Gujarat. The next interesting nugget I recalled was the skills of Marwari carpenters from Barmer who, Rajiv told me, are among the best in the region. Not only are they hardworking, they are exceptionally gifted too. They take more time over works assigned to them, but what they make are built to last. This is in stark contrast to the workmanship of carpenters from Gujarati or UP.

Day 11 - 29 December 2020 - An extra day in Surat

When I had announced my tour to Gujarat my cousins in Chennai came up with request for a few specialty bakery products from Surat. One of them was not known even to Rajiv and Hetal Shahwho have been residents of the town for decades. Sagla Bagla is touted as Surat's baklava. Mohammadi bakery in Zampa Bazaar is famous for the product and Rajiv made arrangements for it to be bought by his office assistant.

This morning I wanted have my favourite fafda and jalebi for breakfast. Rajiv said that we would get the best from Shiv Shakti Sweets, which has been offering delicious sweets, savories, chocolates, dry fruits, sherbets, etc for more than 40 years in the City. In any case I had to buy Son Papdi, flat Chikki and ice halwa from Shiv Shakti. I picked up all that and some more when hot jalebis were being made and packed. Rajiv took us to one of his friend's shop in a Food Court where we polished off the jalebi and fafda with kadi and washed them down with tea.

The next on the list to buy was khari puff from Dotiwala. Rajiv took me to the main shop which has a very interesting history. A warehouse had been established in Surat on Dutch Road by the Dutch during their reign in India. Five Surti Parsis had been engaged by them to bake their breads. When the Dutch packed their bags from India one of the Surti Parsis was handed over the ovens, Faramji Pestonji Dotivala. That institution is now over two centuries old and has been handled by six generations of Dotivalas and has survived cut-throat competition due to their insistence on high production standards and quality products.

The major plan for the day was to visit Dandi, to appreciate the newly made memorial, inaugurated by the PM in 30 January 2019, which is a tribute to the launch of Civil Disobedience movement against the British Raj. Gandhiji and his 80 followers walked 241 miles from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi between 12 March and 5 April 1930. This intensified the non-violent struggle against the suffocating British Raj. Breaking the Salt Law on the shores of the Dandi beach on 6 April 1930 shook the foundations of the Raj.

The Saifee Villa at the entrance to the memorial is where Gandhiji stayed the day prior to the historic act. The entire journey from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi has been vividly captured in sculptures and photographs all along the lovely memorial. Leaf shaped solar panel trees makes this the first fully solar powered memorial. It was interesting to note that the 80 participants of the march included people of all faiths and regions.

Rajiv had arranged with one of his friends to visit the factory of Avinash, who specializes in prefab houses. It was a revelation to know that his clients were not only in India but also abroad. Unique technology and techniques are his secrets. He uses light weight imported lava stones to aid his production. Only when you visit such units you realise the potential that our country has to be Atma Nirbhar.

Hetal served an elaborate lunch, to which her friend, Bina Mehta, generously contributed. The brown rice, dhansak and patra fish were awesome.

Dumas beach is about 20 km from Surat and is infamously known as a haunted beach. Said to have been a burial site, coupled with the black sand of the beach, the place gained its notoriety. However, one needs binoculars now to see any vestiges of the Arabian Sea. The place is extremely popular for the shacks that serve snacks, particularly Lashkari Tomato Bhajiyas, and Indian and Chinese cuisine. The Morarji Circle has a giant statue of a monster made out of plastic disposable bottles to bring home the ecological ill effects of plastic.

Rajiv has been on car expeditions to Singapore and Morocco in the past few years, which has given a fillip to road expeditions from Gujarat. Hetal and Rajiv took me to Soul Bay, a farm house bang on the Tapi River, which belonged to their friend. This had been the venue for the flag off of his recent expedition all over India. The glorious sunset we enjoyed from there signified the end to a most fascinating trip in Gujarat, thanks to Rajiv and Hetal Shah, Sanjay Gadhavi, Chintan Sheth, Surendra Bihola and a host of others.

Dinner was with three others travel agent friends of Rajiv who had made a 36 day tour of India with him, Vocal For Local, in October this year. The drive to all the State and UT capitals, as well as the four corners of India, served to popularize local travel in the aftermath of the pandemic. Safe travel with precautions had been the theme of the immensely popular expedition. The impact of internet on traditional travel agency businesses was spiritedly discussed during the evening over snacks and dinner.

In my observation, Surat is likely to be the next Mumbai. The proximity to the aging and creaking metropolis, the development of superb infrastructure, relatively cheaper commercial spaces, wide open spaces and the Gujarati attitude of "Can do, Will do", in my opinion, are the reasons why the next decade may belong to this Smart City.

Day 10 - 28 December 2020 - Ahmedabad to Surat via Unity Statue - 416 km

Chintan Sheth is a free spirit. He had come over to the serviced apartment where we stayed last night to meet Rajiv and he immediately endeared himself with his 'bindaasity'. "No task too small, no task beyond reach" seemed his watchwords. Operating a successful travel agency and an open restaurant in Ahmedabad, the amiable young man is personification of confidence and trust. After breakfast of dosa and onion vada we checked out of the complex and went to inspect SmartBox, a building that was made with prefab material. To help appreciate the raw material Chintan took us to Egg Box, his restaurant. His office operates from Travel Box, a tastefully done up office he shares with other travel agents.

While on the Expressway between Ahmedabad and Vadodara I remembered that two good friends stayed in Vadodara. While RK Tandon, my railway batch mate, was engaged in a post-retirement job I the city, JD Goswami, who had been a few years senior in railway service, lived there. I learnt that the former had resettled to Chandigarh a couple of weeks earlier and the latter gave elaborate directions to meet us in Hotel Legend, on the highway. Though brief, the meeting with JD, as he is popularly known as, was jocular and free-wheeling. After a leisurely tea break we parted with the pious resolution to stay in touch.

The Statue of Unity is a tribute to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, who unified 562 princely states and integrated them into the Indian Union. The 597 feet statue, the tallest in the world, on the Narmada River, faces the Sardar Sarovar Dam. The drive to the site would have gone waste if not for the persistence of Rajiv. We knew in advance that the Statue is closed for visit this day, but we were confident that we could drive around and enjoy the sight from afar. However, as we neared the bridge we were stopped by policemen who asked us to return as the entire complex beyond Ekta Mall was closed except for local residents. Rajiv insisted and persuaded them to find a solution to the impasse. One of them suggested that we could take a short drive down the road and drive onward to Surat. That gave Rajiv the window to take a village road that took us very close to the statue on the opposite bank. This gave me excellent views of the statue from many angles. Persistence had paid, thanks to Rajiv.

The Tent City Narmada is operated by the same company that operates Tent City Phase 1 in Dhordo, Bhuj, where I had stayed on Christmas Eve. This facility is a scenically amazing set of 45 commodious cottages overlooking the Narmada River. Inside the wooden cottages cotton fabric has been extensively used to give it the feel of a tent. A large common hall and restaurant support the facility. In addition, priceless paintings and other art works adorn walls of the cottages. Covid-19 has affected business, without a doubt, but the place did seem to do decent business despite it.

It was 150 km to Surat, which we took more than 3 hours to cover due to a combination of heavy traffic and poor road condition. Parikshat Shah, a Facebook friend sought time from Rajiv to meet with us in his house, where I would be staying. The visit along with his business partner, Hemanth, was a pleasant surprise.

Foodinsta is their company which makes freeze dried fruits, vegetables, herbs, milk products and a variety of others. While their business prospered prior to the pandemic they are now saddled with stocks that were meant for export. The products have a shelf life of over 18 months and use the latest technology to preserve products. The raw materials are carefully sourced, mostly from Gujarat and Maharashtra, and processed in their factory in Ankaleshwar. They left quite a few packets of freeze dried products and ready to eat items like khichdi khadi, paneer burji and upma. These are ideal for travelers who can have a balanced meal by just mixing with hot water. Awesome products, all of them.

This day we had a taste of how the use of mask is enforced in Gujarat. Rajiv had been insistent all along that I should be wearing the mask as per regulations while travelling through the State. We had been following that without fail over the past few days. But, sometimes the continuous use of mask becomes bothersome and inconvenient. With Rajiv for company one was never short of conversation. We were so fully immersed in one such dialogue that we missed a posse of civilian and police patrol that was stationed beneath a flyover. Rajiv had his mask half down his face covering his chin and very little besides. The posse asked us to park conveniently and showed us photos they had taken of the ‘misdemeanor’. No amount of persuasion and mild confrontation swayed the determined policeman to accept our point of view and waive the Rs. 1000 fine!

Day 9 - 27 December 2020 - Gudamalani to Ahmedabad via Barmer - 461 km

Even though we were scheduled to stay two nights in Kiri Container Resort Rajiv came up with the idea of including Statue of Unity in the itinerary. After meeting the owners of the resort in Barmer we would travel this day to Ahmedabad, it was decided. With that revised plan in mind we left for Barmer close to 9 am after breakfast of Paneer Paratha and tea.

By quarter past ten we were at the appointed place to meet the Kiris. Despite it being a Sunday Pawan and Lalit had agreed to meet us in their office. A very large tract of land served as their manufacturing unit, storage yard and office. Naturally, all their offices were in containers. Kiri Logistics do not refurbish old containers. They manufacture new ones as per requirement, furnish and transport them to places even as far away as Assam. They mainly cater to needs of the oil and gas sectors and most of those requirements are on long term lease basis. Pawan told us how they have been in the business for over 15 years manufacturing 40 by 10 feet containers and others sizes based on demand. Over the years they have honed their expertise and, with a dedicated set of skilled workers, they seemed capable of handling any design and specs. I have been exploring the possibility of mobile homes for Company properties in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Kiri Logistics is now certainly on the shortlist and the visit was indeed most productive.

It was after 2 pm when we started for Ahmedabad from Barmer. We had over 360 km to cover and Pawan confirmed it could be done in 6 hours due to good road conditions. The initial stretch to Gudmalani was a breeze and the first 100 km went by in an hour. The next took two hours. Indifferent roads and heavy cargo movement were the reasons. NHAI must be held culpable for such horrendous infrastructure. Many vehicles had broken down on the highway due to the poor road condition. Google Maps guided us via Deesa and Palanpur to Ahmedabad by 8.30 pm. The city, as with a few others in Gujarat during the pandemic, has curfew between 9 pm and 6 am. Rajiv was relieved to have beaten that deadline.

I have had very poor experience with the ICICI Fastag I had secured in Chennai. While it took me a couple of months to get it due to address glitches, the incorrect logging on the OMR toll plaza had me filing for reversal of debited amounts. The toll company and ICICI were so lethargic handling the reversal that I ended up losing money. In complete frustration I had taken down the ICICI Fastag. Wide publicity was being given to total enforcement of Fastag with effect from 1 January 2021. This left me with no alternative than to get one again. At most toll plazas in Maharashtra and Gujarat agents were present to instantly activate Fastag without much documentation. Rajiv had helped me obtain one from a toll plaza between Somnath and Bhuj. I had only to download the PayTM App and populate the wallet to get the account activated. Since Gujarat State Highways are free for all vehicles other than commercial ones my Fastag had not been tested to this day. And, my experience today surprised me. There were just two NHAI toll plazas between Barmer and Palanpur. At both toll pazas the Fastag lanes were unmanned. The reader performed flawlessly and I was through in seconds. Mighty impressive.

Day 8 - 26 December 2020 - Dholavira to Gudamalani - 323 km

As mentioned earlier, this trip is all about balancing work and pleasure. The work element stemmed from the search for appropriate building structures and amenities for setting up leisure homes in two company owned properties that abut forests. One of the requirements in such sensitive locations is to ensure that the structure is temporary, yet sturdy, liveable and economical. With this in mind, Rajiv had carefully chosen where we halted. The first was to explore traditional Bungas, which are earthquake resistant houses and cottages, in Bhuj. The Tent City in Dhordo had been another such foray. Today we are travelling onwards to Barmer to explore and experience a container resort.

Water in Dholavira is brackish. It was indeed a struggle to brush my teeth in the morning. Instead of having a bath I restricted the exercise to a thorough sponging. Sunrise in this season in these parts is after 7.30 am. Right behind our resort room was the vast expanse of the Rann of Kutch. A few minutes before the scheduled sunrise I walked to the edge of the salt flat and marvelled at the magnificence of Nature yet again. The interplay of colours, its magical overlay on the salt flat and the sheer promise of the rising sun are all fuel for a galloping start to a new day. All self-doubts, negativities and anxieties recede with the rising of the sun.

Fuel was topmost on the to-do list of the morning. Sanjay arranged that with no fuss at all. He induced Praveen Ahir, the young manager of the Rann Resort, to part with 5 litres of his generator set fuel reserve to tide over the crisis we were faced with. That was readily acceded to and we were ready for a healthy breakfast of Poha and Khamman. A couple of cups of hot masala tea and we were ready for the road.

The plan was to drop Sanjay at Rapar, 90 km from Dholavira, where his car would come from Bhuj to pick him up. His company over the past three days had enhanced the value of the trip and his contribution to the twin objectives of it, of work and pleasure, had been exponentially high. While awaiting Sanjay's car at Rapar Rajiv and Sanjay partook of a portion of Dabeli from a wayside vendor.

At Balasar I turned into an Essar fuel station to fill up fuel. While the attendant was topping up I met the leader of a biking team that was on a ride in the region. Deepak Gupta is known as The Mountain Man. He told me that he had ridden in all the Stan countries and Mongolia as well as from Alaska to Antarctica. He said that he had not followed the Pan American highway, but had done 51,000 kms on the North and South American continents! When I listened to that awesome achievement the seeds of a fresh adventure was certainly sown.

From Rapar the road to Barmer was through horrible stretches on NH68 and SH127. It was impossible to believe that Gujarat, and for that matter an Atma Nirbhar Bharat, had such lousy roads. In many places they could not be called roads. They were just huge craters. When we cannot make and maintain even standard roads I wonder why we give a call for Make In India. The Ministry of Highways takes pride in reporting 30 km of highways built every day. Do they even inspect the facilities they have built, I doubted?

The Kiri Container Resort is not exactly in Barmer, as we had originally thought. It is about 80 km short of Barmer, at Nai Undari village, Gudamalani. On the way we had a glimpse of why the place is important. The Rageswari gas fields are in close proximity and the container resort catered mainly to personnel working in the gas fields. We were booked to stay at the resort so that we could thoroughly inspect the facilities. That was done in the company of Vipul, the General Manager of the resort.

The resort is spread over an area of over 10 acres, in two sections. One is called the Camp, which is meant for those on deputation with gas fields’ works. That has a separate kitchen. The resort, which is open to public, houses modern facilities of a swimming pool, jacuzzi, bar, gym, et al. Sadly, with the pandemic all such common facilities are unavailable. The large meeting and recreation facilities are housed in 40 feet by 20 feet containers.

Two types of accommodation are available. The suite room is well laid out in an odd sized container with a mid-size living room, large bedroom and toilet. The rest of the rooms are in 40 feet by 10 feet containers partitioned into two living quarters, which has a bedroom cum toilet. Further security cabins, reception and other offices are also made out of containers. The blend of Rajastani and modern architecture is the highlight of the resort. The visit was most informative.

Kiri da Dhaba is a large restaurant at the entrance to the resort that caters to the resort/camp residents as well as casual visitors. We tried the Schezwan Noodles and Paneer Chilli Dry for dinner. It was a bit too spicy for our palates. That did not deter us from taking proper rest overnight, though.

Day 7 - 25 December 2020 - Dhordo to Dholavira - 323 km

It was Christmas day. The Tent City arranges sunrise visit to White Desert Zero Point for those who avail two day packages. Sanjay is not one to be cowed down by such minor technical issues. His contacts include the MP of the area, Vijod Chavada, who has been a friend of many years. He pulled the right wires and we were included in the sunrise watchers list. The Tent City bus would leave at 6.30 am, we were told. Sanjay and I were in the bus much before that. Zero point is a ten minute drive from Tent City.

Zero point is a five storied watch tower with multiple accesses to every level. While most people crowded at the top, Sanjay and I took our places a couple of levels lower for the 7.35 am sunrise ‘show’. The 45 minutes I spent there included time for prayer and thanksgiving. I had not imagined at all till the day before that I would be enjoying a White Christmas. Thanks are due to Rajiv, Sanjay and the Almighty. The reflection of the changing colours on the salt flats were magical. The squeals of delight from the expectant crowd must have made the Sun feel happy and proud. The majesty of this morning's sunrise and yesterday's sunset made me appreciate why our ancients worshiped the Sun.

We had stayed in the Tent City in a premium tent with an extra bed placed to accommodate all three of us. The Tent City has two phases with about 450 tents. Sanjay told me that normally the Diwali and Christmas/New Year slots close within days of the booking opening up. So is the case with ekadasi days. However, this year has been disastrous, as was to be expected. Normally 30 percent occupation is foreign inbound, which is zero now. Even local tourists have shied away, for the most part. It is sad to see such a fantastic facility underutilized to such an extent. It is a superb initiative of the Gujarat Tourism Board with private participation.

Breakfast was an elaborate buffet. Khakra, tepla, pooori baji, uthappam, ghattia khadi, sev khamman, fruit cuts and tea. It was time after the feast to check out and set our sights for Dholavira, the location of one of mankind's oldest and greatest civilizations.

Dholavira is in the Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary on Khadir Island in the Rann of Kutch. This is widely considered as one of the most flourishing cities of the Indus Valley Civilization. The remains of a great city came to life after the initial archaeological digs by JP Joshi in 1968. A tour of the seven layered city, built over by successive generations that lived between 5000 and 3500 years ago, was facilitated by a knowledgeable guide. The city was divided into three sections within the outside walls, of while the Citadel and middle town were further walled. Therefore, it is inferred that inhabitants of the lower town were plebeians. The remains in Dholavira suggest an advanced water conservation system and location of possibly the world's oldest signboard etched in the Indus script. Dholavira is almost entirely built in stone possibly because water conservation did not permit use of water for operating brick kilns.

In the Wood Fossil Park, a few km away from the archaeological site, one gets to see fossilized remains of trees and incredible views of Kutch. The fossil remains are believed to be of the Jurassic Age, dating back to more than 160 million years. The plant fossils and petrified wood in Dholavira are similar in vintage to those in Akal, Jaisalmer. The Park is on the banks of the Rann of Kutch Lake.

While enjoying the views, absorbing information and committing incredible views to camera I forgot to check the fuel gauge. There was just enough fuel to get to our night halt station in Rann Resort, and lo and behold, there was no fuel station in Dholavira. Sanjay, as is his wont, brushed aside the impending calamity and assured that the matter would be attended to in the morning.

Cottages and commodious rooms are available in the Rann Resort. Sanjay had managed a large room with extra bed for us to rest the night after a decent meal. Local artists entertained the small group of tourists who were staying at the resort and local handicrafts were on display for those who wished to buy.