The Golden Quadrilateral is a coffee-table book takes you through the length and breadth of our amazing country by following the Golden Quadrilateral. The book is authored by veteran auto journalist Bob Rupani and the foreword is by RC Bhargava, Chairman, MSIL (Maruti Suzuki India Limited).
In case you didn’t know, the Golden Quadrilateral can be credited for being India’s first modern highway network that links four metro cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, connecting the major industrial and agricultural centres of the country. Erstwhile Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone for this project, which began in 2001, and was finally completed in 2015 after 5,846 kilometers of laying asphalt.
The book is divided into four sections; Delhi to Kolkata, Kolkata to Chennai, Chennai to Mumbai and Mumbai to Delhi, with a couple of pages of nostalgic rant sandwiched in between about how the Indian automotive scenario evolved since the British Raj, including the road networks.
The story telling isn’t verbose, it’s lucid. Some of the pictures are breath taking, and accurately capture the essence of the cultural melting pot that India is. It isn’t surprising, because stalwart photographers like Makarand Baokar, Joydip Mitra, Dhritiman Mukherjee and Dinesh Shukla have contributed with their acclaimed lens work.
As the story and the journey progresses through each region, Bob sheds light on the nuances of that particular region, including its festivities and gatherings. All of this has been expressed crisply in ink, while the stunning imagery speaks for themselves.
Be it the Durga Puja in Kolkata, or the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, or the Baliyatra Utsav in Cuttack, or the Uttarayan kite festival in Gujarat, The Golden Quadrilateral has got them all covered in pictorial detail and cogent, compact text. A word or two about a region’s delicacies, its historic monuments and special attractions have also been thrown in. All along, the dangers that Indian highways offer have also been pointed out.
The nostalgic bit, penned by veteran journalist Gautam Sen, is a throwback to the times when India was at its nascent stage as far as automobiles and roadways were concerned. This piece recollects how the Indian automotive scenario evolved from the days of Ford and GM during British Raj to the birth of Sanjay Gandhi’s brainchild – the iconic Maruti 800.
There are descriptions in this piece that truly take you back in time, like how even the smallest of road trips were a planned affair back then, with travellers having to carry spare parts, water and what not. It was like setting out on an adventure, because well paved roads were almost non-existent.
Gautam recounts the camaraderie between the travellers, considering they were only a few that took to the roads almost four decades back. He also mentions about how the air was crisp and pollution-free, while the handful of good roads that existed were enjoyable to drive on because they were virtually traffic free and tree-lined. All in all, The Golden Quadrilateral is an immersive read if you’ve got the soul of a wanderer.
The Golden Quadrilateral – India’s First Modern Highway Network
By Bob Rupani
Price: INR 1,525
Available on Amazon
