BHPian nishakal recently shared this with other enthusiasts:Day 3: Narayan Sarovar, No Lunch & the Long Road HomeWe all woke up late – not surprisingly – and rushed to the restaurant for breakfast. While the rest of the gang scrambled to get ready, some of us were still wiping sleep from our eyes and stuffing idlis into our mouths. Classic us. As we checked out, the hotel manager casually asked about our next destination. We told him about our ambitious plan: Narayan Sarovar Lakhpat Mata no Madh and then head home. He quickly glanced at the time and warned us – “Reach Narayan Sarovar before noon or you’ll miss darshan. The temple closes at 12:00 sharp. It’s Vishnu Bhagwan’s temple.” We got the message. We were crawling into Day 3. Anshu? Already 10 steps ahead, hyped up, and chanting, ‘Chalo chalo chalo!’ Sharp at 9:00 AM, we hit the road for Narayan Sarovar and Koteshwar – the westernmost point of India. It was a solid 144 km away, and we had just about 3 hours. Originally, Gabbar was supposed to drive. But given the time crunch, I took the wheel – no breaks, no nonsense – maintaining a steady 100-110 km/h. We reached by 11:15 AM. Mission accomplished. Word of advice for anyone taking this route: Carry your food. There’s only one small town, Naliya, where you might find chips or some light snacks. Avoid traveling this stretch after dark – there’s barely any traffic, and mobile signals vanish in patches. If something goes wrong, you’re on your own. Plan smart. Gabbar, Kavy, Anshu, and the gang – from white salt to sacred soil, we survived the storm and reached the shrine. We reached Narayan Sarovar, had a quick chai, and went for darshan. The temple is ancient and carries spiritual weight – but sadly, it’s in dire need of maintenance. Narayan Sarovar is one of India’s sacred lakes, yet its current state is disappointing. A little effort from the government and us citizens could do wonders. You can have lunch and dinner as prasad at the temple trust canteen here – simple, spiritual, and very affordable. We skipped it (thanks to our overconfidence) and planned to eat at Mata no Madh instead. Koteshwar Temple, just a few kilometers ahead, sits right by the sea. It’s under BSF control, so the area is clean, peaceful, and the location? Absolutely stunning. Road ends here hearts full of faith. Darshan with the dream team From there, we headed to Lakhpat, just 35 km away. We assumed it was a quick 30-minute drive – it turned out to be over an hour thanks to narrow, patchy roads. Next stop: Mata no Madh (40 km from Lakhpat). We reached around 2:45 PM and went for darshan. Afterward, we headed straight to the temple kitchen – only to find it closed. Lunch hours: 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. We missed it by just minutes. Now the hunger pangs kicked in. The only options? Dabeli and Panipuri. Not exactly ideal. So we made do with a few sugarcane juices and some milk halwa – which, surprisingly, was very tasty!The Return Begins – and the Great DetourWe started our return journey to Bhuj around 3:45 PM, reaching by 6:00 PM. A friend had invited us for dinner – a long overdue catch-up. Home-cooked food never tasted better. Around 8:30 PM, we said our goodbyes and started our final stretch home – 360 km to go. The route: Bhuj Anjar Gandhidham Bhachau Samakhiali Khirai Halvad Dhrangadhra Viramgam Sanand Ahmedabad. I had been driving since morning and desperately needed a break. Gabbar stepped up, said he’d take over for 2-3 hours. I gave clear instructions: Stick to the Anjar route. Then I passed out in the back seat – totally exhausted.And that’s when we made our biggest blunder of the trip.Instead of following the planned route, Gabbar – encouraged by a few cars and Google Maps – took a so-called “shortcut” through Dhaneti to Bhachau. The route was 10-15 km shorter on paper, but a total disaster in reality. The road passed through factory zones like BKT Tyres, and we hit a massive traffic jam. From Bhuj to Bhachau, the road was a nightmare – 78 km of potholes, 60 km of which felt like our car suspension’s final exam. Meanwhile, I was snoring peacefully through it all. Gabbar and the others realized their mistake too late. But they didn’t wake me up – even Mrs. Dubey, who works in freight forwarding and knows these roads thanks to her monthly trips to Mundra and Kandla ports, stayed silent, hoping the road would get better. It didn’t. At 12:30 AM, just past Bhachau, they stopped at a place called Madhuli Hotel for a break. I woke up – fresh and surprised. “Wow, you guys drove 4 hours already?” And then came the kicker: “Yeah… but only 85 km covered.” We took a quick 15-minute tea break and resumed our journey. I got back behind the wheel. The next stretch – Bhachau to Khirai on NH-27 – was smooth and manageable. From Khirai to Ahmedabad via SH-7 was even better – excellent four-lane highway, hardly any traffic. Everyone else in the car dozed off. I took one last 5-minute chai stop after Halvad at a lone dhaba, and then drove non-stop – dropped Gabbar at 4:00 AM, and reached home by 4:30 AM.A Trip to RememberFinal Thought / Conclusion:In the end, this wasn’t just a road trip – it was a crash course in patience, adaptability, and the unpredictable joy of shared madness. We faced dung bombs, dusty detours, dead ends, and detours that felt like dares from the gods. But we also found unexpected kindness in strangers, unfiltered laughter in silence, and the kind of peace only a beach at midnight can give. “Some journeys don’t go as planned – they go better. Not in comfort or convenience, but in the kind of stories they leave behind.” Signing off for now – with a head full of stories and a heart full of memories. Will try to pen down more of these travel tales when time – and encouragement – permits. Until then, happy journeys. Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
