How Three Indian Grandmas Road-Tripped Across India In 29 Days

Grandmothers have always had quite the reputation — motherly figures with all the perks, and none of the rules, combined with delicious food, baked goods, and a ton of hugs. However, here are three other grandmothers, who decided they’d break the status quo; fondly titling themselves the ‘Naanis On The Highway’. Neeru Gandhi, Monicka Chanana, and Sarita Manocha went on a road trip of a lifetime across India, starting from North India in Delhi, to South India, in Rameshwaram.

Clocking in a grand total of 4,400 kilometres, their road trip was well-planned, something we really should’ve expected from women used to running not just their lives, but handling entire households, and the residents within. The trio got everything down, right from stopovers along the entire route, and the most important; a list noting down where to find the best food. But they didn’t just stop there! They even learnt how to fix their own car in case of breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, and managed to document their whole journey using the latest tech (including a selfie stick.)

Their first journey took them a total of 29 days, during which they kept themselves entertained on the road with an age-old favourite: Antakshari. As noted down in their blog, “So whenever any of the team mate is about to doze off the other two Naanis start singing…at the top of their voices, songs from yesteryears Pyaar hua ikraar hua hai…to Mere sapnon ki Raani kab aayegi tu…to the more recent hits Mere Saiyyan ji se aaj maine break- up kar liya…our Naanis can give all the newbies a run for their money with their driving as well as singing abilities.”

The blog also talks about their experiences across each state, the experiences and laughs they shared, as well as skills that they picked up from the occasional artisans they came across. And there’s no stopping them — they’ve decided to do another trip this year! Although this year, Sarita Manocha is stepping away, Prathibha Sabharwal, another naani has stepped in happily.

If you’d like to stay up to date with the naanis and their adventures, you can visit them on their Facebook page and their blog.