Planning a road trip to Jammu? This is one road trip you’ll not want to miss out on. The journey stretches across a patch of approximately 590 km and should take you about 10-12 hours depending on traffic conditions along with the number of stops you choose to take.
Start your journey early in the morning so that your first stop can be the ever so famous Murthal, which is about 50 km from Delhi. Your first pit-stop has to be at Amrik Sukhdev dhaba where you can enjoy some piping hot stuffed parathas with some cool curd and tangy pickle for breakfast. You could also stop at some other food joint such as Pahalwan Dhaba, Gulshan Dhaba, Pehlwan Dhaba and many more.
Paratha
Moving on with a full belly, you’re now going to cross a long and stretch in Haryana with mustard and paddy fields on both sides. Driving past Sonipat and Panipat which is known for its delicious pickles (Pachranga to be specific) the next city you will cross is Karnal which is known for the Karnal Lake. You could stop here for some boating or a little bit of shopping at the rest point, or skip it and move on as the journey ahead is a long one.
Next comes the the holy land of Kurukshetra. If you’ve grown up hearing tales of the Mahabharata and are intrigued by the stories, then do stop over for a while and witness the very spot where the great war between the Kauravas and Pandavas took place. If you’re in the mood for some sort of pilgrimage, you could also visit the Brahma Sarovar.
Kurukshetra – By Giridharmamidi
After a brief stopover here (if you stop at all), the next place you cross is going to be the city of Ambala.Though a well established city with a prominent army cantonment, there isn’t really much to do here and you can simply drive ahead towards Punjab.
Ludhiana is going to be the first major city of Punjab that you will pass by on your route, followed by Jalandhar. This is probably going to be around lunch time. There are many lunch options in the city. If you are in the mood for some dhaba style food, then you can opt to eat at Lucky da Dhaba (known to be “world famous in Jalandhar”) or if you’re in the mood for fine dining, nothing is better than Jalandhar Haveli!
Haveli – From the official website
Remember the sprawling yellow mustard fields from DDLJ? Well now that you’re crossing the state of Punjab you’re going to see many of those on both sides of the road. And if you happen to get tempted enough to step out of the car, feel free to do so and click away. We all deserve a Shah Rukh Khan moment, don’t we?
Mustard Fields
And mustard fields aren’t the only thing that this part of Punjab is known for. Another interesting object will catch your attention on way. Keep an eye on the rooftops of houses and you will find footballs, a warrior on a horse, hens, bodybuilders and tractors perched high. If you are wondering what they are? No they aren’t statutes, they are actually fancy water tanks. People have strong belief attached to their water tanks; like if you have an aeroplane, you will surely fly abroad.
Water Tank in Punjab – by baxiabhishek
As you reach the city of Pathankot it is also time for some evening snacks and nothing can be better than the famous ram ladoo you get here. Enter this city and both sides of the roads will be swarmed with small little kiosks selling these mouthwatering moong dal pakoras (lentil fritters). You will be served the piping hot pakoras with some delicious green chutney and mooli ke lachhe (grated radish) on bowls made of fresh leaves. Pair this with a hot cup of tea, and you are surely going to reach flavour paradise!
By the time you leave from Pathankot it will already be pretty late and you’ll still have a little over 100 km to cover. It’s advisable to cover the remaining stretch non-stop. Once in Jammu, you will see the beckoning you from all sides. Spend a few days in Jammu where there are many places to visit and things to do. If you are in the mood for some pilgrimage, you could continue on to Katra the next day to visit the Vaishno Devi Temple.
This is how I would take the road trip from Delhi to Jammu. However, if your’s is another story with new experiences, do leave a comment and let us know. Happy travels!
About the author:
Travel, Cook, Write. This about sums up Kanika’s world. She loves to explore new places and write about new things!
