Day 7: Indore to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) via Dhule

The morning began with breakfast and getting the car ready for the next long stretch. Roughly eight hours to Aurangabad, or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar as it is now officially known. Before leaving, got the Duster cleaned and checked. A small broken piece on the dashboard, the only casualty so far on the trip, had started making noise. Stopped at two stores, including a 3M outlet, but nothing useful came of either visit. Bought a strip of 3M double-sided tape and fixed it on the spot. It held for the moment.

Left Indore around 11:30 AM.

The National Highway That Isn't in a Hurry

The road at the start was not great. Traffic was heavy, wayward driving continued to test patience, and the national highway here was nothing like the expressways. Slower, patchy in places, not particularly well maintained. Construction work for new roads ran alongside many stretches, narrowing what was already limited space.

As the drive progressed, traffic began to thin. Stopped once at a roadside restaurant to freshen up and have something small. Crossed Dhule and Pawar House along the way.

The Delhi Plate

At one point, a policeman flagged the car down. He seemed more curious about someone driving alone from Delhi than anything else. The number plate gives it away easily. He was cheerful, joked about the free solo drive, checked the PUC, and waved the car on.

As traffic thinned further and speed naturally picked up, another checkpoint appeared. This time, just a friendly warning about a third check ahead and to manage speed. Until that point, not a single speed limit board had appeared on the national highway since Bharatpur. From there onward, kept it at around 80 km/hr, which is generally the limit on national highways and the right call for this road regardless.

The Tapi river had a beautiful riverfront in the Dhule district, adding a quiet presence to the route. Couldn't stop, but for anyone with time, it is worth one.

Aurangabad, or Sambhajinagar

Reached a crossroad near the city where the road ahead appeared blocked, even though Google Maps showed it continuing straight. Stopped to ask an autorickshaw driver for directions to Aurangabad. He gave them clearly and completely. The moment he finished, a tall man nearby, a saffron cloth around his neck, called out firmly.

"It's Sambhaji Nagar."

The correction was sharp but brief. The NHAI hoardings on the opposite side of the road, as it happened, still carried the old name. The autorickshaw driver's directions were good.

Reached Aurangabad around 7:30 PM. Checked into the hotel, had dinner at the restaurant, and took a short stroll in the hotel compound before calling it a day.

One thing noted for the morning: another Jyotirlinga was waiting here. Ghrishneshwar. The third of the trip, and once again, unplanned.