TRAVERSE 111
TRAVEL- INDIA
LEIGH WILKINS
A PILGRIM IN THE LAND OF THE GODS
Ihad been in India long enough to think I understood it. For a while I had ridden through sprawling cities where traffic flowed according to rules known only to those participating in it. I had crossed dusty plains where the heat rose from the asphalt in shimmering waves and spent evenings wandering markets overflowing with colour, noise and humanity. Like many travellers before me, I had gradually pieced together an image of India from my own experiences.
Then I arrived in Uttarakhand and realised I had barely scratched the surface.
The change began north of Haridwar. The plains slowly surrendered to foothills, and the horizon, which for days had stretched flat and featureless into the distance, suddenly became layered with ridges. The air cooled. The roads began to curve. Trees replaced
open farmland. For the first time in days, I found myself opening my visor simply to enjoy the breeze.
Ahead lay Uttarakhand, a state often referred to as Dev Bhoomi— the Land of the Gods.
Nestled along the southern slopes of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand occupies a unique place in India ' s cultural and spiritual landscape. It is home to some of Hinduism ' s most sacred pilgrimage routes, rivers considered holy by millions, and mountain communities that have existed for centuries among some of the most spectacular scenery on the subcontinent.
For motorcyclists, however, it is known for something else.
Roads. Magnificent, endlessly twisting roads that climb through forests, follow rivers, traverse mountain passes and connect villages seemingly balanced on the edge of the world.
I had come for the riding. What
TRAVERSE 111