Monday, March 24, 2014

Mukutmanipur, Bankura - Kolkata on WHEELS

This was not just the road-bug raising its head… this was more than that! After I had returned to Kolkata, I had been fiercely searching for a group where people were interested in driving and pure driving! A life membership with Kolkata on Wheels gave me that chance. I found out a group of guys who were into everything to do with driving… and I mean literally everything, right from forming a community for the like-minded people in the city, arranging regular meetings and drive-outs to different parts of the state and so on! Thus this trip was their plan and a very well-organized one, definitely!

This getaway was planned only for the life-members and families and was a close-knit one as this was their longest getaway planned ever – approx. 600 kms in total. There were 14 cars in total planned to span the highways in a convoy with my Alto as the smallest one. Still, yours truly was honored the Marshal wheels, one of the smallest Marshal cars I've ever known. This was the first time I was marshaling and that at such a magnitude, I really felt privileged.

All the participants were supposed to meet at the Homeland Mall at 6:30 am and we were supposed to start-off at 7 am. After setting up the cars with the numbering and sponsor stickers and the group briefing, we could only flag-off at 7.20 am. We were supposed to take the Durgapur Expressway till Muchipara, Durgapur and drive to Mukutmanipur via Bankura Town.

The planned route:





This was a heavily planned trip as all the trips from Kolkata on WHEELS are. The tulip chart was ready. As a part of the Marshal team, I had the advantage of speeding ahead of the rest of the people and did not need to maintain the convoy speed. We were there ahead of the convoy directing them in the Y-forks where it was hard to identify the correct route. More on that later!


We started from Homeland Mall, Bhowanipore and set our trip meters to 0 at Vidyasagar Setu toll stop. Our first pit stop was at Charnock, Bardhhaman, where we were supposed to have our breakfast. It was a lovely arrangement and they even arranged for bread-butter for one of our members even though that was not predefined in the menu.

Convoy at Charnock, Bardhhaman

This gave us enough human fuel to continue for another 120kms all the way to the Bankura Engineering College and stop for a tea-break there. We were delayed at startby 30 mins. Still we did good enough not to get delayed anymore throughout the drive.

We reached Peerless Resort, Mukutmanipur just minutes after 2 PM and I rushed to the dining hall to grab some food. The Marshal team had to go out again to get the passes to visit the dam. Three of us went proudly to the officiating person to get the permissions done so that the rest of the group can come later. What a thought! The guy first said that the maximum time to entry was 4 PM which was 5 mins back. On persuasion, that extended to 4:30 PM. Then he instructed us to line up all the cars in front of him so that he can write the permits. We were really crestfallen! People were eating and changing back at the resort; thus no chance of getting them down then! Further persuasion made this a bit open ended with the precondition that everybody needs to come back by 5:30 PM.
Photographers ;-)
Photographed!!!
Having done this, we informed the team back at the hotel and decided to have a look at the dam ourselves first. Starting on, we found out that it was a 3500 sq.km. dam and as we kept driving, it was just not getting over! It was 12km long! Later, we were joined by the entire team and what followed was fun and pure fun. There were extensive photo sessions with a bit of drizzle that moderated the temperature to a great extent.

We came back and decided to get together in the lawns. The resort people set the lawn with tables and chairs for us. We had a blast for 2 hours discussing all the what-not of everything around us.




The dinner was served at 9:30 PM and we retired to our rooms with several plans of getting up early morning next day! The next morning was completely spent in a relaxed mode. We had our morning tea/coffee again in the lawn and the ladies went for walk to a nearby village. In between, the drivers managed to get hold of a couple of guys from the resort to wash the cars. Breakfast was served at 9 AM. It was a heavy one! The rooms were to be vacated by 11:30 AM and the lunch was scheduled at 12 noon. As usual, I declared right after breakfast that I would be skipping lunch and got many raised eyebrows ;-)!

So, everybody did their things and gathered back at the dining hall at 12:30 PM for lunch. Few took light food and few stuffed themselves to the full. After lunch was a group photo and preparations to flag-off homewards.


Then came the exciting part for me again! The drive back! After we left the resort, a couple of miles ahead, we stopped for a photo of the convoy.


This time, there was an extra stop as people had to refuel their vehicles. We sped ahead to find a proper petrol pump with air check. We found one just before the Bankura Engineering College about 40 kms ahead. When we stopped here, the full stomachs were already kicking in. Drivers were watering their eyes and already craved for a tea/coffee break. The Pilot was pulling the convoy carefully, not to slow down too much as we had another 225 kms more to cover. However, he could not speed as he had to stick to the group. We pulled through another 20 kms to stop at a road side dhaba for tea. We ensured that they could serve 45 cups fast enough and flagged the convoy into the parking. 

Once aging, we ripped through NH-60 and SH-9 towards Durgapur. These roads deserve a special mention. Such lively were they that I was averaging at more that 80 kmph without stressing at all. And we got some lovely snaps on the way with the downward Sun luring over the woods on both sides of the road. I have not seen better State Highways in West Bengal than these roads. We were right on schedule and had little to worry about with the convoy keeping up beautifully as well. Kudos to the drivers that they ensured to keep up with rest of the convoy timings all throughout!


We stopped at Shaktigarh! Everybody wanted have and buy sweets for home and now I wanted FOOD! With just less than 100 kms from home, I knew I could eat now safely. As soon as we reached there, I started eating :-D and others in the Marshal Team were waiting for the convoy! When I am on an eating spree, its hard to stop me and I had quite a plenty!

Everybody were energetic enough till then and we were happy that we could pull through most of the roads before sunset. Changing lights is always a trouble for highway driving... This stop was for about 30 mins before we decided to take on the last leg of the trip. I always feel saddened whenever a trip is about to come to an end and this one specially turned out to be a great one.

We were supposed to regroup for one last time after the Dankuni Toll Plaza. So, we sped forward ahead of the convoy for about 80 kms this was easy as I had combat only the egos of other cars on the road... I have experienced this several times that other drivers with costly cars on road feel humiliated when I overtake them with my Alto. Neither do they respond to passage request nor do they let you go ahead of them ;-). We reached Dankuni well ahead of the convoy (I was not rash driving, that's what I was supposed to do!) and they reached after a good 15 mins, all together. This is the place where we bid farewell to the people returning to North Kolkata ... it feels great with so many cars on the side ways, hazard lights on and everybody on the road watching us.

As we started towards Vidyasagar Setu, 3 cars diverted towards the Kolkata road and the rest carried on towards Vidyasagar Setu. Got some traffic outside Santragachi and finally stopped after the Setu toll plaza at 8 PM.

Everybody congratulated each other on a successful trip. The convoy had most probably the best performance in the longest trip and we were so happy!

VIEW ALL THE PICTURES HERE!!!

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