Solo Bike Ride to the Last Village of India

Tripoto
6th May 2017
Photo of Solo Bike Ride to the Last Village of India by Savpril Salwan

‘To travel is better than to arrive’ is what has been my story so far.

Enthralling experience it has been. And all these experiences are shared with the bike which is made like a gun (RE Classic 350). My mind explore destinations more than I do. A small break and my mind already had like million plans. Confused in all those, I was scared to go out on a bike trip all alone but a little less than being excited for all this.

A few things that you must carry if you’re going on a bike trip alone:

Safety knife, tool kit, motorbike service, rope, torch, battery check, portable charger, gloves, scarf, eye glasses, leg guard, sunscreen, arm cover, rucksack, sleeping bag, camp.

Day 1

6:00 AM: Starts in the morning for Patiala, where I had to meet a friend. 2 hours of bike ride and I started having doubts to continue the trip or return back. Challenged myself and that's what made me run miles.

12:00 PM: I reached Patiala. It was all hot out there and in those 6 hours of journey, I got tanned.

3:00 PM: I started my journey towards Dehradun. .

I took the road from Ambala and crossed Saharanpur in the daylight. After it got dark, I was facing difficulty in driving my bike because of parasites due to light on the road.

9:00 PM: I a friend’s place. The family was already waiting for me to have dinner. I slept early after having dinner.

Day 2

6:00 AM: I woke up early and after a light breakfast, left Dehradun. The day started with one of the best roads that I’ve experienced. The stretch is between Dehradun and Rishikesh which passes through a forest and people can see elephants and other animals roaming around the stretch. I couldn’t stop even when I wanted to capture it on my phone because I wanted to cover as much distance as I can in the morning. I never imagined that the roads could be this good that I experienced the best driving moments.

I took a stop in my way back and saw sadhus travelling towards Kedarnath and Badrinath. Breathing in the hills is altogether a different experience. No doubt why people come to hills and find it paradise on the earth. With every turn, I could see a different scenic beauty.

Photo of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan

9:00 AM: And then came that one view which was unlike any other that I’ve seen. A place where I can see green and brown merging together into an aesthetic beauty, Devaprayaaga.

"Devaprayaga" means "Godly Confluence" in Sanskrit. As per Hindu scriptures, Devaprayaga is the sacred event of merging two heavenly rivers, Alakananda and Bhagirathi, to form the holy Ganges, and is one of the Panch Prayag (five confluences) of Alakananda River.

According to mythology, there is another river belong to this confluence named Saraswati which originates from Mana Village in Badrinath and in Devprayag, the river comes from the feet of Shri Raghunath Ji in Raghunath Temple. There are also the footprints of Lord Rama exist at "Ram Kunda".

Photo of Devprayag, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan

11:00 AM: Have you ever heard of Srinagar in Uttarakhand? Yes, it’s a beautiful place situated in the central part of Uttarakhand; famous for Garhwal University and the white sand banks of river Alakananda.

2:00 PM: It took me another 3 hours to stop at a dhabha before Nanda prayaag to eat something. And instead of ordering some heavy food, I ordered Maggi. Believe me, maggi’s taste and the smell will always cheer your spirit up. I was all set to drive again but this time it didn’t take me too long to realize that my butt is in pain. I has to take regular stops now.

4:00 PM: After I crossed Joshimath, it started raining and I had to stop again. Mot that I did not want to drive in rain but I wanted to give my bums some rest. After half an hour or so, rain stopped and I continued driving. The road from Joshimath to Badrinath is a sheer pleasure. It includes rocks and rough roads with water flowing through the roads. I was so delighted to cross the small streams of water and rocks. That is the only time I wish I had some one with me to capture the moment.

6:00 PM: Instead of staying at Badrinath, I went directly to Mana- The last Indian village. I had to find the place so sleep in the night. I kept my bike at the entrance of village and went inside to explore the place. With a few more people roaming around, I easily figured out the way to the last tea shop of India.

India’s last tea shop as it was displayed there by the owner and the SBI board, is run by 2 brothers, Mr. Chandar Singh Badwal and Dilwar Singh, for the last 36 years. They work in the shop for 6 months and shift to Chamoli during winter season when snow falls. Shop and home stay is their sources of income during their stay in Mana. I really enjoyed my stay with this family during this trip as they got inspiring stories and insights of the places around. And in addition to that, I was offered great food and a room to spend my night for just two hundred bucks.

Photo of Mana, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Photo of Mana, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Photo of Mana, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Photo of Mana, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Day 3

5:00 AM: I woke early next day and visited Badrinath Dham, a Hindu Temple dedicated to Vishnu which is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand, India. The temple and town form one of the four Char Dham. It is open for six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), because of extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region. The temple is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alakananda River at an elevation of 3,133 m (10,279 ft) above the mean sea level.

10:00 AM: I started my journey back from there and followed the same route I came from. I had a feeling then as if I didn’t want to come back. However, I continued the journey as it has never been the destination but the journey that made me happy.

Photo of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Photo of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan
Photo of Badrinath, Uttarakhand, India by Savpril Salwan

7:00 PM: I reached back Dehradun that night and stayed there for a night at my friends’ place. I can never thank much for the way they treated me.

Day 4

8:00 AM: I started from Dehradun after having the breakfast.

Day 4

1:00 PM: I connected with another friend to meet during my way back from Chandigarh.

8:30 PM: I reached back home. This day was all about digesting everything that I experienced during this trip.

1800+ kms, 4 days, mountains, rivers, roads, 1 rucksack, 1 bike and 1 soul. I still can’t get over the trip with all those moments with adrenaline rush and where I found my soul.

Things to take care of on an economical Bike Trip:

1.Bike service (Tyre, Oil, Brake, Battery)

2.Spare bottle of petrol (5 litre)

3.Rain cover

4.Water proof shoes

5.Sleeping Bag

6.Camp

7.Eat food from Dhabas outside the city area

8.Get a home stay

9.Negotiate

Total cost of my trip- INR 2850/-

1.Petrol- INR 2000/-

2.Food- INR 500/-

3.Stay- INR 200/-

4.Miscellaneous- INR 150/-

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