This first post is about the roads from DELHI to MORI and back. Based on surveys done on several websites, we finalized two routes for Mori. While going, we took the route from Delhi – Pipli – Yamunanagar – Paonta Sahib – Sataun – Minus – Tiuni – Mori and on the return trip we took the route Mori – Purola – Nainbag – Vikasnagar – Saharanpur – Baghpat – Shamli – Panipat – Delhi. Needless to say, the return route was much better – good roads as well as more scenic. Here I present the details of the route :
Delhi – Mori
We drove a Brand new Maruti Swift VDI – the famed diesel engine and started on afternoon of Thursday, 29th May. That was because all the roads in NCR were blocked due to the Gujjar agitation. Even though the Delhi – Amritsar highway was shown closed in the news flash at 2:15 PM, we decided to take the risk and departed at 2:30 PM. Here are the timings and KM readings for the trip ………
MAY 29, 2008
Madhuban Chowk, Pitampura- Rohini Junction – The roads are surprisingly empty and the drive was pretty comfortable compared to city traffic on normal days. We crossed the Delhi border at Kundli within 30 mins.
3:12 PM; 30.6 KM; Sonepat Mod
4:07 PM; 80.0 KM; Panipat
Here we take a brief stop. There were also some 2-3 brief stops enroute to take phone calls. The roads were surprisingly empty. There was a Gujjar barricade which was just broken by police when we reached there.
4:55 PM; KM – 122.5; Karnal (Haryana Tourism – Oasis Retreat)
5:07 PM; 136.7 KM; Toll Plaza
5:16 PM; 149.4 KM; Pipli Chowk (Kurukshetra)- Turn Right for Yamuna Nagar.
5:58 PM; 191.1 KM; Yamuna Nagar – Turn Left for Jagadhri.
6:12 PM; 197.3 KM; Jagadhri Bus Stand – Turn Right.
6:17 PM; 199.5 KM; Left Turn for Paonta Sahib
The road turns bad from hereon. Driveable but not good for speeds above 60 kmph. Enroute is the Tajewala barrage on the Yamuna where the water share of Delhi is decided. The roads then turn excellent as soon as we enter Himachal about 15 kms before Paonta Sahib. Beautiful drive through forest.
7:16 PM; 251.3 KM; Crossing – 3 way. Right goes to Paonta Sahib. Just 2-3 kms before that, there is a small toll barrier.
7:30 PM; 257.2 KM; Hotel Yamuna, Himachal Tourism is where we spent our night. It is located right next to the famed Gurudwara of Sh. Paonta Sahib on the banks of the Yamuna river. Nice big rooms but not very well maintained, just OK. The flushes were a fight. We visited the beautiful Gurudwara after a shower and went off to sleep. So it took us about 5 hours to cover 257 KMS and reach Paonta Sahib from Madhuban Chowk, Delhi.
MAY 30, 2008
We got up a little late and are all set to leave the Hotel after having breakfast. Decent breakfast only, not very good.
8:20 AM; 0.0 kms at the HP Petrol Pump, Paonta Sahib. Move towards main town and there is a roundabout. Turn left towards Sataun. The Airtel network covers Himachal well. Its better than BSNL in Himachal.
8:47 AM; 18.6 kms; Sataun Petrol Pump. There are not one but two pumps at Sataun but it is too close to Paonta Sahib to get a refill
9:15 AM; 33.5 KM; Kamraun Village. A small village enroute just a little after the ascent begins. The road is mountainous.
9:28 AM; 40.4 KM; Kafota Village. The roads are just decent. Very little traffic and not at all scenic. Devoid of greenery.
10:20 AM; 66.3 KM; Shillai. An agricultural township with large step farms.
10:48 AM; 79.4 KM, Fork. Turn right towards the Tons river which is visible now. Minus town was on the left road which we missed as we had to turn right. The road now gets worse. There are some places where the signal is dead – both Airtel and BSNL.
11:25 AM; 96.7 KM; GUMMA Village
11:49 AM; 109.3 KM; ATAAL Village
12:32 PM; 130.4 KM; TIUNI Bridge. Turn right towards Tiuni town.
This is the last major stop. The Airtel signal works till about 10 kms from Tiuni. After that both Airtel and BSNL do not work till Mori where only the BSNL works. Then turn left for Mori which is 30 kms from here. Roads are better and the scenery also changes dramatically once we enter Uttarakhand. We drive slowly testing the signals on the way.
1:03 PM; 145.5 KM; HANOL VILLAGE. Small little village with a big temple of Mahasu Devta.
1:20 PM; 153-154 KM; Questrails Campsite . The First campsite is located right across the river which we came to know later was the Questrails Campsite devoid of trees.Next there is theHRR Campsite with a good location by the river and a lot of Pine trees. Next there is the AQUATERRA site – Camp Lunagad which seems the biggest and the best equipped campsite. But here also the trees are less.
Finally after 2-3 kms, we reach our destination – MHE Campsite . Excellent location with lots of greenery and a gurgling river Tons. It lifts our spirits immediately. Mori town is sill 3 kms away. Thus today we covered only 160 kms and it took us 5 hours mainly die to bad roads and the mountainous route. Thus the total time from Delhi to Mori through this route is about 10 hours and the distance is 415-420 kms.
Wait for the post on return journey….
Welcome aboard Anand.
Very detailed log and I can imagine that how much useful it would be , if someone decides to head that way.
I have been to Paonta Sahib few times and we used to take the same route. Your post reminded me of the beautiful jungle drive. With rains, I guess it would be very green and lush.
Waiting for the return route post. I wanted to find out the quality of the roads of the Baghat-Shamli stretch.
Hi anand ,
one suggestion you could have taken Right Turn just after karnal Bypass
and saved the way going to pipli chowk and the toll plAZA
it goes through -indIri ,radaur AND LEFT TURN TO yamunanagr & jagadri
STRAIGHT IT GOES TO SAHARANPUR
rest is all fine nice post
but minus the photos
so right Deepak. I went to Doon some weeks back and I took the same route as you have written (infact I took a right just at liberty chowk and went through many villages but anyway) and avoided Toll and saved some time. How did i miss it when I wrote my comment :)
thanks. with everyone’s collective information, all of us I guess are getting wiser :)
Nice post.
Couldn’t find a name attached to it, however hard I tried.
So Anand (trust Nandan got it right), you gave me the route to Mori, can I have a motive as well? Hope the next post is going to give me the reason for your visit and some pics too.
Thanks Nandan…
waz out touch due my internet connection fault
Anyways i also took this route when i visited poanta sahib on my way back from mussorie two years back.
must see the clean blue waters …of our very own Yamuna nadi at the tajewala barrage.-compare it with delhi u see gift of the so called Urbanisation
i was in indica car only small cars passby on that tiny bridge
it has a small restaurant ,nothin more and the other side is Uttar pradesh
you can see trucks ,trolleys nearby of the
free mud collecters to take the silt from the river basin