On a relatively free day in office, we took the Honda City out for a leisurely drive through the countryside
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It was one of those laid-back days when not much was happening at the office and so our editor said, “Why don’t you boys go out for a long drive?”
At the very mention of the word ‘long drive’, our eyes lit up like those of a child being handed a biggish bar of chocolate. How could we decline this offer?
And so it came about that we headed towards the nearest Honda showroom and picked up a sparkling new Honda City that was just waiting to be driven away. Our plan was to start from the Honda showroom in Mumbai and make our way to the scenic weekend getaway of Nashik, the only exception being that we were going there on a weekday.
Mumbai To Nashik
We decided to take the NH 3, which known both for its smooth surface and heavy truck traffic. Luckily we had the Honda City. Its ‘arrow shot’ design meant it was aerodynamically spot on and its 1.5-litre i-VTEC engine could make short work even of a particularly convoluted traffic jam. It was as we approached the Kasara Ghat that our car came into its true element. It handled each turn with such ease that we felt like taking a U-turn and doing it all over again.
Further on NH 3 the road began to deteriorate with rough patches popping up all over. However, the bumps were hardly felt as the trusted MacPherson and ‘torsion beam’ shock-absorbers took care of those. Besides, the additional ground clearance recently given to the car helped us a lot. We just had to sit back and listen to music on the radio.
Soon we reached our first stop, which was the Pandav Leni Caves. These are a cluster of Heenayana Buddhist rock-cut caves dating back to the first century BCE and are located on the Trivashmi hills. Extremely detailed carved doorways and superb sculptures are the highlight of the caves, which used to be the dwelling places for the monks. A little further down, we took a left turn and drove on SH 27 towards a place we have been wanting to visit for a long time: the serene Sula Vineyards. A few kilometres into Nashik and we reached the renowned Vineyards. It is a vast breathtaking place with spectacular views of the lake, mountains and much more. Since we were there on a weekday the place was not much crowded, which made the whole experience even better. As you enter the Vineyards, you are greeted by acres of greenery filled with grapevines and a very nice driveway winding through. There is ample parking space and the main area, The Tasting Room, is a spacious 2,000-square-foot hall overlooking the Vineyards. From there you can see the mountains in the distance, the lake and lush flora all over. Their in-house restaurants serve some delicious food which, needless to add, goes down well with a glass of wine. This is one must-visit place if your anywhere near Nashik.
The road up to the Vineyards and through Nashik is slightly narrow and, as elsewhere in the country, you come across stray animals standing right in the middle of the road or crossing it in an utterly leisurely manner. Since our Honda City had a decent set of ABS with EBD, we had no fear of a skid in case of emergency braking.
Nashik To Aurangabad
After our stopover in Nashik, we decided to continue further towards the famous Ellora Caves. As we approached the caves, we first visited the Zar Zari Zar Baksh durgah at Khultabad, which attracts hundreds of pilgrims each year. After that we made a short visit to the Malik Ambar tomb. He is said to have founded the city of Aurangabad initially and the tomb is said to contain his remains. Then we went to visit the Ellora Caves.
The 34 caves here are structures sculpted from the vertical face of the Charanandri hills. They consist of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples and viharas and maths, which were built between the fifth and 10th century AD. As you exit the caves, you’ll find many eateries and a few shops selling local merchandise. We chanced upon one shop, called Caves Crystal, which had a good collection of beautiful yet natural crystals, which were collected from around the area. We picked up a few as souvenirs. Before we knew, the sun had set and we decided to spend the night in Aurangabad.
After a good night’s sleep we visited the Bibi Ka Maqbara, which is situated in the centre of the city. It was built by the Mughal Prince Azam Shah in the late 17th century as a loving tribute to his mother, Rabia Durrani, but its similarity to the Taj Mahal resulted in a general unawareness about this monument. It is also known as the Dakkhani Taj (the Taj of the Deccan).
Aurangabad To Pune
We then headed for Pune via SH 60, which is a pretty good road – not too many tight bends and generally mostly empty (at least when we travelled). We reached Pune late in the evening and parked the car. The weather was just right for a refreshing drink and some slouching around. With no more driving left for the day, we were content with the fact that we saw so many beautiful places in two days and all that ensconced in the comfort and luxury of the Honda City.
Throughout our journey the Honda City made sure that our drive remained comfortable as well as fun-filled. The new blue combination meter graphic was pleasant to the eyes and the integrated audio system kept us cruising along the highway with a tune on our lips and a smile on our face. What more could a couple of blokes ask for?
Throughout our journey the Honda City made sure that our drive remained comfortable as well as fun-filled
Story: Rommel Albuquerque
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
