Every great spiritual marathon has that one missing piece of the puzzle that demands its own dedicated journey. For us, that piece was the Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga. While we had covered incredible ground across the country in our XUV 700, this sacred shrine in Madhya Pradesh remained unvisited.
To rectify this, we designed a brand-new road trip. We called it “The 3 States” expedition, spanning Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, with a slight detour into Rajasthan. We hit the road on November 7, 2023. However, instead of our usual XUV 700, we decided to tackle this specific route in our Mahindra Thar to experience the raw thrill of the highways and ghats differently.
Here is the highly detailed diary of how we finally secured our blessings at Omkareshwar, celebrated Diwali across state borders, and stood at the very edge of the nation.
Day 1: The Thar Drive, Maheshwar, and the Missing Jyotirlinga (November 7, 2023)
We initiated the drive at exactly 4:00 AM from Mumbai. Leaving before dawn is our ultimate road trip strategy; it allows you to escape the city limits before the traffic builds up and lets you witness the absolute beauty of the empty roads. We drove the Thar out through the Bhiwandi bypass, enjoying the smooth, newly constructed stretches of tarmac.
As we ascended toward Igatpuri, the temperature dropped beautifully. We took a quick tea halt near the Manas Resort. The crisp morning air was so pleasant that we actually had to turn down the AC in the Thar. We cruised smoothly down the Nashik highway, crossed Dhule, and reached the Madhya Pradesh border checkpost by 10:30 AM.
By early afternoon, we arrived in Maheshwar and checked into our room on the third floor of a hotel located right within the historic Ahilya Fort complex. After dropping our luggage, we immediately hired a local taxi for the two-hour drive to the Omkareshwar Temple.
Reaching Omkareshwar requires crossing the massive Narmada River. We chose to walk across the suspension bridge, enjoying the breathtaking views of the river and the massive dam in the distance, rather than taking a boat ride. We secured our darshan at the main Omkareshwar shrine, but the pilgrimage here is uniquely two-fold. To successfully complete this specific Jyotirlinga, you must also visit the Mamleshwar Temple situated exactly opposite Omkareshwar. We completed both, officially filling the missing gap in our Jyotirlinga circuit.
We returned to Maheshwar by evening and walked down to the Narmada Ghat. The sight was magical—hundreds of lit diyas were floating gracefully on the dark river waters. We ended our victorious day eating dinner at Banke Bihari, a local spot highly recommended for its incredible Dal Baati.
Day 2: Ghats, Gujarat, and Miniature Jyotirlingas (November 8, 2023)
We checked out of Maheshwar and hit the road again, transitioning from Madhya Pradesh into Gujarat via National Highway 47.
Driving the Thar through the ghat sections provided a completely different driving dynamic compared to our XUV 700. The Thar’s steering is significantly heavier, which surprisingly instills a lot more confidence on winding mountain roads. The lighter, toy-like steering of the XUV 700 requires immense concentration on ghats, whereas the Thar feels rugged, planted, and deeply connected to the road.
The highway connecting MP to Ahmedabad was flawless. We maintained excellent speeds, stopping only to buy fresh guavas from roadside vendors. By late afternoon, we successfully crossed the Gujarat border and arrived at my cousin Nilesh’s house in Gandhinagar. We parked the Thar and I took over the driving seat of his XUV 500 for the local evening transit.
To keep the spiritual momentum going, we visited the Vasaniya Mahadev Temple located on the outskirts of Gandhinagar. This beautiful, peaceful temple features stunning miniature replicas of all 12 Jyotirlingas. Under a gorgeous evening sky, we walked through the complex, paying our respects to the replicas of Mahakaleshwar, Bhimashankar, Kedarnath, and the others we had worked so hard to visit in real life. We wrapped up the night by bursting firecrackers to celebrate the festive Diwali season.
Day 5: The Indo-Pak Border and Ancient Sun Architecture (November 11, 2023)
Note: Days 3 and 4 were spent exploring the hill station of Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
We checked out of the Royal Palace Hotel in Mount Abu at 6:20 AM. The sky was a striking grayish-orange as we drove down the Abu Road ghats, crossing the Rajasthan border back into Gujarat.
Our primary objective for the day was Nadabet, the Indo-Pak border viewing point, located about 63 kilometers off the main state highway. Driving past massive salt pans and water bodies, we arrived at the Seema Darshan complex. The infrastructure here is phenomenal. We parked the car, secured our wristband tickets (entry is free for children under 3), and boarded the official bus that takes you to the actual border.
We explored the military museum, walked through the art gallery featuring letters sent to the BSF jawans by their families, and even tried out the adventure zone—which included a thrilling bicycle ride on a suspended rope. Finally, we were taken to the Zero Point. Standing at the viewing deck, looking directly at the fencing that separates India and Pakistan, fills you with immense pride and respect for the armed forces. Before leaving, we visited the Nadeshwari Mata Temple, which is uniquely maintained and serviced by a BSF jawan acting as the official pujari.
On our drive back to Gandhinagar, we made a strategic halt at the Modhera Sun Temple. Maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (entry fee: Rs. 25), this 11th-century UNESCO World Heritage site is an architectural masterpiece. It was designed so precisely that during the solar equinox, the first rays of the rising sun would directly illuminate the main idol. Even though active worship no longer takes place here, walking through the ancient stepwell and intricate stone carvings is a mesmerizing experience.
We finally arrived back at Nilesh’s house in Gandhinagar to rest. However, the road trip spirit never truly sleeps. At 11:30 PM, we found ourselves back in the car, driving out for a late-night tea run to Pakwan crossroad, perfectly concluding our multi-state adventure.
