We are roadies in Aug 2023-Visit to Bharuch and Kevadia: Statue of Unity

 

13 August 2023

We left Mulund East at about 7.45 am and had a brief stop at Shree Dutta roadside restaurant for breakfast. As usual, I enjoyed sabudana khichdi with yoghurt. Amount of yoghurt [curd] was like chutney, not enough  for one who lived in North India for half-century. Later, after we crossed Navsari, at about 1.30 pm, we stopped at Sugar and Spice restaurant for lunch for about one hr. It was a bit spicy, not up to the standard expected. We reached at our relative’s residence at about 4 pm.

Car driving on the way to Bharuch

Lunch time

                                                     14 August 2023

We stayed in Bharuch. Jai, Jiya, Jyoti and Nalini went to do boating and see Kabirwad, an island encircled by the river, Narmada that culminates in to sea at Surat.

I visited Navsari Agril University’s relatively new College of Agriculture and met Dr D D Patel, Prof of Agronomy and Principal and Dr Bhat, Prof of Extension Education. We had a good discussion incl. some on variants of cost-benefit ratios so often used in farming. Bharuch has a very old Agril Res Stn for dryland cotton of the NAU, and ICAR-CSSRTI station too at Maktampur, now a part of Bharuch. I have been visiting Ag Res Stn for cotton for more than three decades and got their non-Bt seeds for our studies. 

Later, in the evening, we had a dinner at the restaurant eating dosa, upma, etc. hosted by my father-in-law in honour of birth day of my mother-in-law. It was her 83^rd birthday. Food was very good. Later, from the window of my room, I saw beautiful coloured lightings of the bridge over the river Narmada, before sleeping; and bright venus before getting up. This house on the 7th floor near the Narmada is very airy, giving a feel of being air borne. So, Jai and Jiya showed acrobatics of being blown away. 

View of bridge over the Narmada river from my room

Arti [prayer] for mother-in-law by her daughter wishing a long life on the birthday

15 August 2023

We left Bharuch for Kevadia in the morning at about 8 am. We reached Kevadia at 9.45 am, and then proceeded to see the Statue of Unity (SoU0, about 182 meters in height, reported the highest statue in the world. This statue is in the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who was the first home minister after independence in 1947, credited to have brought more than 550 princely states under one dominion. Sardar Patel was educated in law, who practised in India, before becoming a barrister in UK and then returned to practise law again for brief period. He came under the influence of Mahatma Gandhi and participated in the freedom struggle and is credited with leading Bardoli farmers’ agitation and also participating actively in the Salt satyagraha at Dandi.

The Statue of Unity is impressive, built up in bronze with intermittent escalators for walking up from the entry point, and then a lift from the bottom to the deck at the shoulder height of the statue (called a viewing deck) to see surrounding. At the ground, there is a photo-exhibition of freedom struggle with prominence to Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.

At the foot steps below the Statue of Unity

Statue of Sardar Vallabh-bhai Patel 

After viewing the SoU and its surrounding, we left for lunch at about 1.30 pm at Ramada Encore Hotel. Lunch was buffet at Rs 750/- + taxes per person, with complementary food for Jai and Jiya, our grandchildren.

After lunch, we checked in at Tent City Narmada II and later at about 4.30 pm, went for boating for about 45 min. Our guide showed mountain range that separates Deccan from the North. Later, we visited Dino trail park and some viewing points to see dam. We did not visit cactus and butterfly gardens, nor did any shopping. Narmada embankment did not seem to have received a lot of rains during this monsoon, as little water was flowing from the dam.

At about 6.30 pm, we visited helipad ground for viewing light and sound show. It started at about 7.45 pm and was for about 22 min, depicting life and times of Sardar Patel and also some aspects of building this statue with message of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

We returned at Tent City at about 8.35 pm, had our dinner, not so good, and then slept.

View of the Sardar Sarovar Dam from the viewing gallery

Traditionally dressed Saurashtra woman

 16 August 2023

We checked out at 9 am and left for Mumbai via Rajpipla, Netrang, Bardoli and joined the national highway at Surat. We wished but could not visit Dandi [near Navsari] where there is a museum of the famous Salt agitation (Khar satyagrah) that Mahatma Gandhi organized and was arrested along with other freedom fighters. On the way, we had brief stop to buy monkeynuts [moongfali], to check the mirrors of car, to have a lunch at roadside restaurant and then cold coffee at McDonald near Mumbai. As we entered Ghodbandar road, we realised tyre puncture that we got repaired at roadside shop. then reached Mulund East at about 6.30-7.00 pm.

Boating at Sardar Sarovar dam: Dividing plains of North from Deccan in the background

Grandchildren enjoying in the Dino trail park

 We drove a total distance of 873 km, spent about Rs 8500/-on petrol, Rs 750/-on toll tax, Rs 21000/-on stay-hotel and food totalling about Rs 30250/-. Car efficiency was Rs 10/per km.

                    PS: we enjoyed eating two kg of monkey  nuts roasted or steamed and salted over next three weeks.