The idea to start sharing my experiences came to my mind a few months after I moved to Gurgaon - sometime back in October 2017. I was in Gurgaon way back in 2004 and when I moved out of the city in 2006, I had made a promise to myself - never to come back here for another job, no matter how lucrative it would be. But then you can't change what destiny has in store for you and here I was back in the city one hot summer day in May 2017. The first 6 months went by, settling in the new city, getting comfortable with my new job, looking for a school for Kashvi, finding a gym in the neighborhood and getting back to the life I was used to. Thanks to Gurgaon, its infrastructure and my flexible work schedule, I had some time to think what I wanted out of life. From there on it was a trial and error process engaging with multiple people and activities and at the end narrowed down on - a) heritage walks, b) cycling and c) yoga and fitness. These 3 (along with my family) have become an i
So this weekend I was busy dusting off the bike after a month-long break. The last ride was on the 5th of November after which the weather in Delhi deteriorated with AQI level of 500+ which was considered hazardous. It was unimaginable to cycle in those toxic conditions. So 2 weeks passed by and then I have a short weekend getaway during the Thanksgiving Break (Nov 23rd), more of which I shall share on a different page. This gave me an idea of not just sharing my cycling stories but also my extensive Heritage Walk stories.
Finally the much awaited Saturday when you clean up your bike for the Sunday ride. So after a 4-week rest, we thought of testing ourselves and set to break our trip distance record. After a lot of thinking, we narrowed down to Asola Bhatti Sanctuary which was a one way 38km trip from our starting point, Galleria Market.
For a change the, prep took much longer, thanks to the weather. The morning temperature is usually 10 degree this time of the year and the wind makes it "feels like 6 degrees". So had to ensure I had the right gear - headwarmer, neckwarmer, gloves, armwarmer, gilet/windcheaters, wollen socks.
Finally Sunday morning the alarm rings at 5:30AM and I sneak out of the bedroom without waking my wife (strict ground rules now). 6:30AM I meet up with Kabir at our designated meeting point. So still in two minds whether to make it a short ride or go all the way 35kms to Asola Bhatti. Like always we end up choosing the tougher goal and thus starts our 2 hour long ride. We had 2 route options - one via GFR (Gurgaon Faridabad Road) which was a longer 38km option and the other via Gurgaon Mehrauli Road which was a shorter 30km option. So it was a no brainer when it came to chosing the route for the ride. We had done this route multiple times just that this time we needed to take the right from Qutub Minar towards Saket and cross Tughlakabad Fort from where we needed to take the right turn connecting back to Faridabad.
Nothing new to write about the route except for the stretch from Lado Sarai to Tuglakabad Fort via Saket. The road was moderate with heavy trafiic for a 1km stretch. Finally we could see Tuglakhabad Fort and took the right turn which went all the way to Faridabad. This was another hilly winding road with 2 way traffic which made cycling a little difficult with speeding vehicles from both side. Finally another few kilometers and we were greeted with a signboard and gate which read Asolo Bhatti Sanctuary.
We were surprised to know that there exists a wild life sanctuary right in the middle of Delhi. Just to get the expectation right, do not expect to see wild and ferocious animals roaming in this place. Nevertheless, the place offers opportunities for long walks leading to a number of lakes which are almost hidden and therefore yet not completely tourist ridden.
Asola Sanctuary is dotted with multiple lakes which are mostly man made, which probably got created due to excessive mining in this area. Illegal mining still continues and we were told that this sanctuary is also a sanctuary for smugglers who use this as a transit route from Faridabad to Delhi (avoiding the border tolls).
As a word of caution, travel in a group with at least 1-2 persons who knows the place: It is quite easy to get lost in this place and quite often you do not get mobile signal inside the park. Also a chance meeting with the smugglers inside the park may not be a very charming encounter.
Go with a spirit of adventure and fun and not with an expectation to watch plenty of wild life and great pictures. This is more of a picnic / nature walk than a safari. You will enjoy it more if you do not build up un-achievable expectations.
On our way back we had a short 5 minute halt at Tuglakabad fort. More on Tuglakabad Fort the next time we make a dedicated stop.
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