Netarhat Trip [1]
Netarhat Trip
Our pickup plan was a true cross-city adventure! Two friends were at opposite ends of Kolkata, and Firdous was at Kolaghat, a solid 70 km down the route. Then there was Sharma, who needed to swing by CMPDI HQ in Ranchi to wrap up some office work to secure his leave.
The plan was for me to start bright and early at 6 AM, picking up Sharma first. But in classic Sharma style, he let me know that punctuality was optional—any delay was welcome! On hindsight, this was possibly to accommodate Sharma’s morning clearance routine!
As luck would have it, my pet Daichi decided his morning walk (and other business) needed a little extra time today. So, by the time I finally hit the road from Rajarhat, it was already 6:40. Sharma reassured me he’d be at our meeting spot by 7:10, so I shared my live location to help him track me down in the maze of Salt Lake’s winding lanes. To my surprise, even at 7 AM on a Tuesday, VIP Road was bustling with traffic headed for central Kolkata! This city has transformed beyond anything I could have imagined in the last 36 years I’ve been away!
After picking up Sharma, we were off to Behala to collect Pillai from Mangalam Park. As we rolled into Behala around 7:45, we were greeted by a steady but manageable flow of morning traffic. The narrow, single-lane roads were busy on both sides, making for a slow but scenic drive through the lively streets. I’d almost forgotten how much time Kolkata commuting can eat up, but we were still moving, inch by inch!
At last, with Pillai on board by 8:20 AM, we hit the road toward Kolaghat, where Firdous would be waiting since 9:00—an arrival time we were bound to miss by a good stretch! But with Pillai and Sharma together now, the trip was about to feel a lot more like our old college days, filled with jokes, stories, and latest health hacks from Pillai!
At 9:30 we picked up Firdous & at 10:15 AM, after a hearty breakfast with all four of us, we were finally on the road to Ranchi. The six-lane highway was a treat for driving—smooth, with beautiful greenery stretching out on either side with very less traffic. With a solid cruising speed, we were on track to reach Ranchi by 4 PM. However, once we hit the city, the traffic was intense, turning our last few Kilometers into a half-hour crawl to reach our hotel - Pride Prime. But we made it finally and now ready for the next leg of our adventure!
The next day, we dropped Sharma off at his workplace, with him threatening he’d only need “one hour” to wrap things up. Knowing PSU culture all too well from my own days, I had my doubts. So, off we went to the Rock Garden to kill an hour. But lo and behold, one hour stretched into two… then three, as Sharma’s “quick stint” turned into an epic saga. By the time he finally re-emerged, we’d already checked out of the hotel and were ready to hit the road. So, without further ado, we set our sights on Netarhat—our next adventure!
I was driving, and the 155 km road to Netarhat took us through beautiful, dense forests—perfect for a scenic drive. We hadn’t eaten lunch yet, so we stopped at a small roadside dhaba, where we enjoyed a simple, tasty meal that filled us up just right. With full stomachs, we set off for the remaining 100 km. The last 40 km was all twists and turns through thick forest bordered by thick Sal, Pine and Palash trees and some sections have sudden changes in altitude and sharp bends that make the experience both scenic and thrilling. Fully alert & excited we made our way to Netarhat - the queen of Chota Nagpur!
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