A road, especially in India, reveals itself as a time capsule capable of transporting one back by centuries.

National Highway 8 distinguishes itself for anchoring the future from the same thread that, when tugged, opens up one of the most impressive clan histories. The eight-lane expressway from Delhi to Gurugram windows the future with highrises and multinational companies constellating it. At Gurugram, the highway is lined with remarkable futuristic buildings, including one of the world’s eco-friendliest.

Gradually, the highway tapers down to four lanes and the landscape steps down accordingly; the sleek Hondas and Toyotas give way to Marutis and, at times, camel carts; the towering offices dissolve into intermittent mustard fields. The road passes through the Shekhawati region and leads to the historical city of Jaipur, a place that retains a bit of the past. Approaching Jaipur is the old city, nestling Amer Fort that was given its final touch in 1592 by Man Singh, one of Akbar’s nine courtiers. Amer Fort was witness to no great war and was presided over by amicable Rajput-Mughal relations. NH 8 thus takes the time traveller from the future near the capital to medieval history in the span of a few hours.

Calming silence

I reach the city of Ajmer in the evening, when the coolness of the settling dusk had whipped the city into a frenzy. I walk from the train station towards Ajmer Sharif Dargah. I don’t need to ask for directions for it seems everyone is moving in one direction, shoulder to shoulder on these narrow lanes. When I find the dargah, I settle in against a wall, and close my eyes. All around me, there is activity, but a calming silence takes form inside me. The place, the people and the faith they carry inside them feel familiar.

Isn’t that the beauty of Indian roads, for they connect not just cities, but bridge the gap between cultures, faith and people?

NH 8 then takes me to Chittorgarh, a town that was once the centre of acrimony between the Rajputs and Mughals. Chittorgarh was thrice put under Mughal siege and each time fought back, choosing death over surrender. The city, once the capital of Mewar, saw Sangha fighting Babur, and later, the exiled scion Maharana Pratap dying while fighting Akbar to regain his lost kingdom.

Shamed by defeat

In another grim twist, the artisans of the town abandoned it when their kingdom was lost to the foreigners. The modern-day wandering Lohars in Rajasthan are from here. In 1568, shamed by the defeat, they swore to a life of wandering and self-denial. Sleeping on upturned beds, they wander on the roads to this day.

At 1,428 kilometres, NH 8 is not only one of the longest highways but also one of the busiest in the subcontinent. However, the part of the highway in Rajasthan is still relatively sparsely filled with vehicles, allowing one to enjoy the scenery around. One such beautiful stretch is the part of NH 8 leading to Udaipur. Curving between small hills, the bare earthen surroundings slowly dissolve into a green stretch, indicating presence of water nearby.

Udaipur appears like a shimmering mirage. From far off, the water of its lakes flickers in the afternoon sun. I park my car on the edge of Lake Pichola and stretch my legs walking along the lake’s periphery. In the centre of the lake, perched on a small island, is Lake Palace, built in 1746 as the summer palace of Maharana Jagat Singh II.

I reach the end of my journey. But this is not the end of NH 8. I realise that I have not even coursed half its length and promise to do the full stretch the next time I am in India. I have surely discovered but one thing: the strange time travel experiences a road, even a simple single-lane pothole-ridden road, is capable of providing to an inquiring yet unexpecting traveller ready to wheel on it.

The adrenaline rush-seeking travel writer lives in Malmö, Sweden.