Cleanliness is Godliness
We drove to the mystical north eastern part of our country in search of a very special place
Not till long ago, cleanliness was not a common virtue in India. People spitting around and even relieving themselves in public was common. The household trash been thrown on to the road was also a common sight. However we were stunned to hear about Mawlynnong, a mystical place in Meghalaya which had been awarded the title of being ‘The cleanest village in Asia’. We drove down the straight highways and landed up in North Bengal. A jungle trail followed suit. While the forests around Sevoke proved easy, Jaldapara Wildlife Park proved to be quite a challenge. After driving through days we reached the village. We parked our Mitsubishi Outlander and the Skoda Yeti in the designated parking spot of the village and instantly felt like they were out of place. While everything around them was squeaky clean, our cars were all caked in mud thanks to the thousands of kilometers they had traversed over the last couple of days. Rain, sun, good roads and bad, they had done it all.
The village was a small one and it felt so good to see that the people living there had an inherent trait of cleanliness. Even if a tourist drops something by the road, there is no hesitance in a local going and picking up the thing and binning it. Although we stayed in a bamboo hut that night, we were spellbound with the level of cleanliness all around. The food we ate was served on clean banana leaves as well. We surely had discovered Swachcha Bharat many many years ago.
Less than 1,000km separates the first places you’ll find snow in our country from the desert. Just think about that for a second – all that stands between temperatures below freezing and a scorching 40 degree Celsius is a day’s worth of driving. And the slight mental imbalance necessary to head out in search of snow at the end of March, right at the onset of summer. That’s exactly what we did. The Honda BR-V was made to point towards Narkhanda in Himachal Pradesh and we were off. While we were unsuccessful in spotting snow in the usual destinations, locals suggested that we head out to Hatu peak. We headed in anticipation and just around the last bend we spotted white. It was snowed out and we were now on for the challenge to get to sand ASAP. After a few customary shots it was now a run to Sam in Rajasthan. The run to Sam was nothing short of being spectacular. The BR-V and the Auto Today team traversed through iconic locations which included Pokhran where India tested its nuclear missile. The barren landscapes give us a very different experience as the BR-V sped through the empty roads. Now trip to Rajasthan is complete without tasting local delicacies and if you are a non vegetarian, a spot at the local Laal Maas is highly recommended. The other spectacle offered by Rajasthani culture is the painted walls of most homes. They have been
We were wondering how quickly we can get from a location snowed out to a location known for its sand dunes. Here is the tale of another Auto Today epic