Power Couple

How many nights did you have to spend in the Thar? NJ: “None, as we managed to stay in varied accommodations during the entire journey. We were also equipped with a tent and sleeping bags. Oh yeah, “We believed in detailed exploring more than milemunching per day. The longest distance we covered was 465 km, in a span of 15 hours” The Pangong lake located at 4350m above sea level is the highest salt water lake in the world “While we’ve always been diehard fans of the mountains, the eight sisters of the Northeastern region delighted us”

we cooked many times in our Tusker. He held a cooking platform and we carried butane canisters to get the car party started.” Was there any occasion when you thought ‘whose bright idea was this’? NJ: “Since there was no room for competitive thoughts, there were several occasions of collective gratitude that ‘our’ idea was finally being executed.” What music was being played? Whose playlist? NJ: “We’ve always been fascinated to listen to local, regional, music of the The Everest base camp is located 17,598 ft above sea level place that we drive through, to rightly imbibe the vibe of that region. Local radio stations played a great part here along with our diverse playlist, curated for remote corners. Adding to all this, what better than having a singer wife on a long drive. I had my happy ears open all the time. I sang too, but in her absence. I care about her comfort, you see!” Your favourite state or Union Territory to drive through? PJ: “While we’ve always been diehard fans of the mountains, the eight sisters of the northeastern region delighted us. No wonder they held us for a lovely two months through 7500 km. As for the Union Territory, Ladakh! Ladakh! Ladakh! This is a no-brainer for us. We are still finding pieces of our hearts that got stolen there.” Where did you find the best drivers/riders? NJ: “Mizoram, undoubtedly. The traffic sense in every individual in the state is worth a mention. Lane discipline at its very best

Where did you find the best roads? NJ: “While certain metropolitan cities have great roads in the country, we were in awe of the impeccable work, high up in the treacherous mountains, by our very own BRO — Border Roads Organisation. We drive by calling them the most dangerous roads but they build them all. A big salute, indeed!” Best three drives you recommend? PJ: “The Batalik route connects Kargil and Leh, via the last few Aryan villages of India. This is a less taken and a more picturesque stretch when compared to the Kargil-Leh highway. The reverse gear was used more than the forward here. A two-way narrow delight! Then, the road to the world’s highest motorable pass, Umling La, Ladakh. It gives you all the high you crave for. And lastly, the drive through Spiti valley. Well, you have to see it, to believe it.” Where did you get your best meal? NJ: “While Priyanka enjoyed her soul warming Thukpas in Ladakh, I relished the local flavours of the Northeast.”

Kibithu is India’s easternmost inhabited place which stands on the line of control or LAC The journey from Kargil to Leh takes you through some of the most beautiful vistas that the famous Srinagar Leh highway has to offer In total the Wander Monkeys duo clocked over 32,000km in their Napoli Black Thar Our diverse country presents very different landscapes, by just crossing a few states as seen on the right side The duo at the final destination of the drive, in Kanyakumari, the tip of India

Would you stick to this route if you have to do it all over again? PJ: “This route was planned, keeping in mind the climatic conditions in different regions of our country. Nevertheless, with the sequence being intact, we surely would include a few more places, if we were to do this all over again.” Was there any occasion where 4L was used to get out of trouble? PJ: “Trouble can either naturally occur or can be invoked. It was the latter for us, when Nish wanted to get the Thrill of Driving till the end of a steep hill, overlooking an enormous valley in Gulmarg, Kashmir. We did reach the end, to realise that our Tusker had got badly stuck in a tricky spot, so much that we started going sideways, closer to the “Trouble can either naturally occur or can be invoked. It was the latter for us, when Nish wanted to get the Thrill of Driving on a steep hill” deep valley on every try to get it back.

Nish had to manoeuvre in 4L to get us out of this dreadful situation. While I still get goosebumps thinking about it, Nish, being the crazy one, calls it a thrilling experience. Opposites attract, they say!” Any issues that you had with the Thar? How was the service? NJ: “We did have a minor issue with the DEF dosing module up in the hilly region of Uttarakhand. We were not stranded but the block in the module had to be cleared soon. The proactive service team of Mahindra set things up for a quick resolution of this issue in the district of Chamoli. Since this was a drive for 32,000km at a stretch, we had to get our periodic services done three times in this journey, which was a breeze. Thanks to team Mahindra for all the attention and priority. We still don’t understand how but, no flat tyre. Yes, all through 32,000km.” What was the average mileage the Thar returned on this trip? NJ: “While the highest mileage was 15.55kmpl and the lowest was 6.03kmpl, we did see an average of around 11kmpl for the entire trip.” Three tips for anyone who wants to do an epic drive such as this. PJ: “Respect the mountains! Respect the locals! Respect your body! You are sure to have a memorable run with this.”