Visiting the Sikh Gurudwara at Dhule
A Gurudwara On The Mumbai- Indore Route
Dhule falls midpoint between Mumbai and Indore and has a lovely gurudwara with air conditioned rest rooms to break journey
The Mumbai-Indore National Highway is a beautiful road, developed during the last 2 years. It's a four-lane highway and connects Mumbai to Indore over a distance of 585 km. Its part of the national highway grid from Mumbai to Agra and is often referred to as Agra Road. Many people drive down from Mumbai to Indore by car. Instead of doing almost 600 km in one day, it is best to halt at Dhule in Maharashtra en route to the city of Indore.
Dhule is a small town on this road but has a string of hotels with very good amenities for the traveler to break the journey. Dhule is in the interior of Maharashtra and the countryside is pretty barren but the city has a beautiful Gurdwara dedicated to Guru Nanak the founder of the Sikh religion.
It's on the road to Indore and it is best to halt at Dhule and for Sikhs, it is doubly important as they can stay at the Gurdwara. This is an marble construction and is located close to the highway.
The Gurdwara also has restrooms for the traveler and has both AC and non-AC rooms. The AC room can be hired for Rs 500 for a 12-hour stay. The caretaker of the rooms will also arrange for meals but one will have to make do with vegetarian meals only, as meat dishes are not permitted.
The Gurdwara itself is a wonderful piece of architecture in white marble and unlike most gurdwaras has the Adi Granth placed on the first floor, so one does not have to climb up the steps to reach the abode of God. Even otherwise the Gurdwara serves regular community lunch which is often referred to as "langar" but one will have to sit and eat on the floor.
Dhule is an important place to break the journey on the way to Indore. I invariably drive down to Indore in my XUV 500 and always break journey at this Gurdwara. The rooms are neat and clean and in the heat and dust of the summer the AC room is a delight.
Coming down to the road between Mumbai and Indore one can safely say that it is one of the finest in the country and one must thank the Government of India to have constructed such a lovely road. The road crosses Nashik on the way and if required one can halt at Nashik but the midpoint between Mumbai and Indore is Dhule. There is another alternative route via Shirdi the abode of the Sai Baba. This means that one will have to make a detour of about 75 km but for followers of the Sai Baba, this is a very small distance.
People who wish to travel on this route can make use of the small bit of information that I have provided and that will make the journey all the more delightful.