Who: Neeru Gandhi (62), Monicka Chanana (54) and Pratibha Sabharwal (62)
Driving: S Cross Nexa
Longest ride: Delhi to Rameshwaram
1,700 km over six days. That’s what it took Delhi-based Neeru Gandhi and her friends Monicka Chanana and Pratibha Sabharwal to traverse the India-Bhutan border at Phuentsholing, an adventure that saw them driving through four states. Upon reaching Thimphu, the trio, self-labelled as ‘nanis on the highway’, tried their hand at archery (the national sport), drank some local butter tea and took a much-deserved break. Then they headed over to the Paro Valley to attend the eponymous dance festival dating back to the 17th century.
Neeru recalls many a raised eyebrow, given that they were three older women travelling alone. But the nanis are well-seasoned road trippers. In 2016, she decided to embark on a mammoth drive from Delhi to Rameshwaram, prompted by an earlier trip with her son to Haridwar. Convinced that she would benefit from company, she reached out to her friends. She found her travel mates in her sister, Sarita Manocha, and Monicka.
Today, Neeru and her friends (often a different group) have completed four road trips, not without their fair share of challenges. On the second drive — Varanasi via Ayodhya — the team went through a rough patch when Monicka’s wallet (which contained all her ATM cards and driving license) was pick-pocketed, putting a spanner in the works till she obtained a duplicate copy of the license. “Also, the highway from Ayodhya to Varanasi was in very bad shape,” adds Neeru. “Because of that, we had to drive late in the evening, and even at night, against our routine practice.”
Typically, the ladies start their journey before 8 am and try to cover a distance of at least 160 kms a day (they’ve gone up to 560). For their first three trips, they drove a Suzuki Ertiga, before moving to an S Cross Nexa, sponsored by DD Motors, a Maruti Suzuki dealership based in Delhi. And because their journey is not just about getting to the destination, they usually spend more than a night in many cities, participating in local activities like camel rides, desert safaris and rafting. They rely on Google for navigation, but when there’s no Internet on the highways, strangers come through to guide them.
“As we move further away from Delhi, people get shocked seeing our car, with ladies behind the steering wheel,” admits Monicka. Even while checking in at hotels, more than one receptionist has asked them where their driver has parked the car, expressing astonishment when they reveal that the nanis are the ones behind the wheel.
“Over the past three journeys, I have become more confident and capable,” says Neeru, about dealing with curveballs and smashing stereotypes. And meeting friendly people along the way has been a highlight. From the group of male schoolteachers who helped them change a flat tyre en route from Amravati to the Ajanta Ellora caves, to the Bishnois villagers of Jodhpur who taught them block printing and pottery making, the memories have been incredible, say the three ladies.
After driving through to Bhutan and back to Guwahati, the nanis are back in Delhi and are already planning their next trip.
A series featuring senior citizens on exciting road trips.