Bhubaneswar, July 24: A road trip with friends is always memorable, more so when it ends with a glimpse of the Lord.
With Puri-bound rail tickets going scarce due to the overwhelming gathering of devotees during the rath yatra, the youths of the state have opted for road trips to reach the holy town and seek blessings of Lord Jagannath and His siblings.
A group of six friends started off on their motorcycles from Koraput and covered 500km in 12 hours to reach Puri.
Partha Samal, a 26-year-old tour operator, who was a part of the trip, said: "I and my friends had planned to visit Puri as this is the year of Nabakalebar. Initially, we thought of travelling by train but the tickets were not available. One of our friends suggested a road trip and we jumped into the idea."
He added: "Our state has some of the best scenic motor routes and road trips have become quite a trend now. It offers adventure, and exploration at once."
The trip gave them an opportunity to garner their hobbies. "Some of us are part-time shutterbugs and the route offered some wonderful photography opportunities. Besides, we discovered some wonderful food junctions including dhabas and roadside kiosks," said Tanmay, another member of the group.
Garima Sukirti, a corporate telecomm professional, took a road trip to Puri with her friend Ipsita Acharya, a day after the yatra. For Sukriti, the journey was all about strengthening the bond of friendship.
"I have been staying out of the state for over a year. So, we decided to take a trip so that we could spend some lone time together along with seeing the Lord," said Sukriti.
Like Partha and Garima, a lot of youths are taking road trips to Puri this year. Ayan Bhattacharya, a 23-year-old engineering student, drove from Calcutta to Puri with his cousins to visit the Lord at the Gundicha temple.
"We have been planning for a road trip since long but were not finding the right place and the car festival gave us the perfect break. Although there was not much greenery in the route, the drive was quite smooth and peaceful. We had fun," said Ayan.
Speaking about the benefits of a road trip, Ayan said: "We had the car with us for sightseeing around Puri. So, the hassle of hiring public transport was avoided."
A number of youths from far-off places are also opting for road trips to the holy town during this time.
People from various places such as Visakhapatnam, Angul and Kharagpur have also travelled by motorcycles and cars to reach Puri.
