Mission Kashmir 2014 - Day 01

Delhi – Ambala – Akhnoor 

Our bags packed, we could leave almost at our planned time – 4:12 AM and amidst heavy fog, my brother could speedily yet comfortably pull over at our first watering hole at Ambala by 7:20 AM. After a heavy & sumptuous breakfast, we left at 8:30 AM and went non-stop till JK Border. The Crossing had lesser traffic – due to two reasons – Elections & off Season. The Border also looked less wider. We had planned to make a pit stop at Coral River Resort (on the East side of Highway) but in our obedience of traffic rules, we didn’t take the divider cut just before the resort. After the resort, there was no cut before the JK Border. So we did the needful at the filthy JK Border Building.

Same Dilapidated Building

The terrain didn’t really changed after the border. What changed was the scenario of Election Posters, Flags and posters of Modi everywhere (Now you know how BJP triumphed the Jammu area). Kathua, in fact, was holding ballot that day and we could see long queues outside voting booths spilling on the highway.

Just after crossing Tawi Bridge, taking the Canal Road to Akhnoor, we pulled over on a side for the delicious packed lunch from my in-laws. After carefully disposing them off, we reached the 13BRTF HQ at 22-23 Chainage at 3:30 PM.

Now your question would be “What is Chainage?” Chainage is the identification number of each Milestone and is unique for a road-segment. The road segment also would not be identifiable by you & me easily. For example: A milestone showing Ambala at 0 km & Delhi at 200 km would not be Chainage 0. It would have been so if the road-segment was Ambala-Delhi only but as we know NH1 is from Delhi-Wagah hence, the milestone mentioned above would be Chainage 200. You could confirm this by looking at the number written on the side panel of the Milestone. This number, my friends, is the Chainage. This number sets you free from the restrictions of noting the Distance mentioned on either side of the Milestone. The 22-23 Chainage mentioned above meant that on the Jammu-Akhnoor-Poonch road, the destination was between Jammu 22 & Jammu 23 milestone (i.e. if you are looking at it from the oncoming traffic side). This entire gyan would not have been received by me if it wasn’t for the BRO Guest House.

Final Indian Leg of Chenab

Chenab besides Akhnoor Fort

Akhnoor Fort

The evening passed on with visits to Akhnoor Fort (now unmaintained and inaccessible by Archaeological Survey of India), the 2 Cave Temple nearby (the priest of which claimed one cave goes to Vaishnodevi & the other goes to Amarnathji) and the wonderful true-in-it’s-existence Chenab River. I exclaimed to my brother – remember the confluence of Chandra & Bhaga at Keylong! The one-way Bridge over Chenab serves as the main entrance to the town of Akhnoor and we were told that this bridge was of utmost strategic importance during 1971 War since this was the only access to Poonch from anywhere (Mughal Road was also inaccessible that time). After that struggle, many more new roads have been laid down including the Akhnoor By-Pass which we took the next day to reach Sunderbani as well as the Mughal Road.

Over the Supper, my brother finally asked his friend whether Mughal Road is accessible and open right now. He speed-dialled a number and got an affirmation from his colleague. After a brain-storm, we decided to go ahead and in a few minutes, a junior engineer from BRO called us to confirm our next day’s food requirements. We cheered and slept with the Heater on!