At The Heart

Think you’ve been there and done that? Rest assured, there’s still much left to see

We live in a glorious country. Rich and diverse, it is steeped in culture, heritage, and history. It doesn’t matter which direction you move in, there is always something wonderful waiting. And it doesn’t matter how much time you spend exploring, there is always more to see. It was with this thought in mind that we set out on one of the most epic and insightful journeys we have been on this year — the Hyundai Great India Drive.

It all started in Gujarat at the Statue of Unity located at Kevadia, about two hours from Vadodara. Our steed was the justifiably lauded Hyundai Venue. On its own, it is a car we love for a bunch of reasons. But standing next to the tallest statue in the world, it was overshadowed by its grandeur. This was the newest and grandest structure of India and will stand tall for decades to come. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, sternly overlooking the Narmada Dam, dwarfing everything for miles around. As a complete opposite, though, is a less popular but historically significant location, just outside Bhopal — the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters.

Getting there was a long drive, but one that the Hyundai Venue was more than up for. The roads up to Indore weren’t in the best of shape, but the Venue’s suspension didn’t seem to mind as it gobbled up everything with ease. And once we got onto the smooth tarmac highways between Indore and Bhopal, the car was just flying. It felt extremely stable at high speeds, and we covered a lot of distance in a short span of time. We also traveled through tiny villages and quaint towns surrounded by greenery at every turn looked better than the previous one. And then we finally turned off the highway toward Bhimbetka.