A lake with clear water in Delhi that you can swim in? It sounds like a contradiction in terms, but you’ll be surprised by how much there is to discover in the Capital and its suburbs.
In our rush to skip town and head to the hills, or down to the coast, it’s natural to give short shrift to the city you live in. In this episode, Meraj and Johan decide to discover the city they call home. And what better way to do it that on two wheels: Johan on his trusty Enfield Thunderbird and Meraj on a borrowed Indian FTR 1200.
The two decide to join the scores of riders who dust off their motorcycles and zip around town on the weekends. Motorcycling has really come of age in the National Capital Region over the last two decades. With a surfeit of choice in the market, there’s no dearth of riding clubs and enthusiasts plan Sunday rides on the outskirts of the Capital.
In particular, the circuitous route from South Delhi to Gurugram via the Faridabad road is really popular: the loop starts from South Delhi to Tughlakabad Fort, and winds toward Surajkund village.
From there, riders take the radial road that goes to Faridabad and turn off toward Gurgaon. As picturesque roads go, this is by far the most scenic ride in this town. With no commuter traffic on Sundays, this route is taken over by motorcyclists on superbikes, cruisers, vintage cars, you name it.
Meraj and Johan stop for breakfast at a popular bikers’ hangout called Throttle Shrottle. It’s while sitting and chatting there that they make a spontaneous decision to go look for the ominously named Death Valley–water body somewhere within once heavily-mined Aravalli hills near Faridabad. They discover an impossibly blue lake with crystal clear water and a fearful history.
Watch the episode to find out where the lake lies and whether you should consider taking a ride there.