6 July 2021 - Jodhpur to Chandigarh – 705 km - Day 4 of Spiti Valley Exploration

The 4 am early start gives advantage of speed and average mileage. However, every good thing comes with a negative. The absence of rear lights of trucks and wandering cattle on the road pose serious threat to life and limb. I had at least two near misses. Normally when I drive I am loathe to stop lest I lose the momentum. However, this day I stopped whenever I felt the need to take a short break to stretch the limbs, have a cup of coffee or just say a few words with a stranger on the road. The windshield had become dirty and dusty over the past few days of almost non-stop driving. This day I even stopped to clean the windshield which also helped me take better photos from inside the car.

As I was driving through Churu I sensed a change in the terrain. I passed a sand dune with many ‘dressed up’ camels lying around. Besides that, what really struck my eye was ‘Dubai Restaurant’, a small restaurant that neither had the glitz nor the glamour to be called that. The youngster who ran the place said that he named the restaurant thus as it was his dream to go there and he had heard stories of deserts and camels in Dubai from friends.

The villages are almost completely dependent on agriculture. Acres and acres of farm lands with haystacks and dung heaps could be seen. The passage into Haryana was smooth and hassle free. There were no checks at the border. However, at many places check points had been set up to stop and enquire. Nothing of the kind happened with me. Another feature was that the toll booths were closed due to framer agitation in Haryana and passage was totally free. That saved me some money.

One thing I was struck by during the travel through Rajasthan and Haryana is the vast difference in the road conditions. While the NH is in need of urgent attention that in Haryana is top class. I hope that politics has nothing to do in this as the stated policy of the Government is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas”. While Rajasthan has a Congress government in power, that in Haryana is a BJP dispensation. 

Despite the frequent stoppages I was in the outskirts of Chandigarh by 1 pm. There are a profusion of dhabas along the highway and I thought I should try my favourite ‘Chole Bhature’ in one of them. While scouting around I came across a shopping complex with a large Haldirams outlet. Naturally, I could not drive any further without the Chole and Bhature. The large outlet is very well laid out and a helpful steward seated me and guided me to order and pay for the lunch online. Thereafter, I made a beeline to their dessert counter and ordered a rabadi rasmalai and cham chum. Polishing off the ordered items was not any trouble. 

I reached the Officers’ Rest House in Chandigarh shortly after 2 pm. The well appointed rooms are under renovation. However, I was given a decent suite room for which I paid Rs. 200. The only irksome part of staying in ORHs is that they are invariably by the side of railway stations and one could be annoyed by hooting of locomotive horns even late into the night. However, with the pandemic and suspension of many train services, the sound disturbance has reduced.

After taking some rest I decided to visit the Sukhna Lake and the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden. I had fond memories of these two as I had visited them years ago. Sukhna Lake was created in 1958 by the genius of Le Corbusier who designed the city of Chandigarh. He intended it to be a place where the residents of the city would be drawn to it for the care of body and spirit. He insisted that the water body should not have motor boats in the water or vehicular traffic on the promenade of the dam.

This day the Sukhna Lake was crowded to overcapacity. Young and old were there in large numbers. The relaxation of the pandemic restrictions has seen many more people out of their homes. But one thing must be said, the police constable deployed did a commendable job of ensuring that each and every one wore masks. Improper use was immediately challaned. I was impressed by a police woman taking on a group of yuppies who had taken off their masks for a photograph.

In contrast to the Lake the Rose Garden just had a few strollers. It was not hard to fathom why. The famous rose garden, the biggest in Asia, which boats of more than 32500 plants and 800 plus species, was a pale shadow of its former self. The flower beds were dry and the blossoms had died. It spoke eloquently of the neglect the garden has suffered as an aftermath of the pandemic. However, I feel that what I saw was criminal negligence. The garden should not have been abandoned in this manner.

My last stop for the day was the Sector 17 market, famed for its shopping places. The upscale market too looked forlorn. Just a few shops were open and there were not many shoppers around. However, one of the prominent shoppers that evening was Anil Vij, the Minister for Health in the Haryana Cabinet.

I was keen on some Chinese food for dinner. I googled and discovered that Mainland China is not far from Sector 17 and was enroute to my night halt in the ORH. I had a couple of large pegs of black rum with coke – my favourite drink – and dinner of Japanese wheat noodles and exotic vegetables in hot garlic sauce. The food was outstanding and it helped to shake off the heat of Chandigarh. While at the dining station I made arrangements for my stay in Kalpa.