Karun Chandhok (http://www.karunchandhok.com) is a Punjabi, but considers Tamil Nadu as home - his family tree has been rooted there firmly for generations. When given a chance, it was not surprising when he embarked on a quest to explore Punjab, the land of his forefathers - when shooting for the My Endeavour alterrain series produced by Ford India and National Geographic. I got the opportunity to travel with him on this journey, and it was quite an experience to be on the move with a racing driver - not that Karun treated the highways as his racing track. He was driving Ford India’s SUV, the Endeavour alterrain edition (http://www.india.ford.com/suvs/endeavour) - quite a popular car in this state. And it was just the right car to take not only on the highway, but also through agricultural fields, village roads and training tracks of the armed forces. Did you watch the episode aired on National Geographic on June 16, 2013? Whether you did or not, join the journey from another vantage point - through images. [If you missed the curtain-raiser, have a look here - http://kunzum.com/2013/06/04/ford-india-national-geographic-my-endeavour-exploring-punjab-with-karun-chandhok/] You can also view more images at https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151370573880770.1073741839.108449295769. Watch the trailer on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H_YcJFmYPc

1. Exploring Punjab in
India with Karun Chandhok
THE EPISODE ROUND-UP
The show was telecast on June 16, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.,
India Standard Time
All photographs and text by Ajay Jain
ajay@ajayjain.com / http://kunzum.com
Monday 17 June 13

2. Karun started the journey in Sirhind near Ludhiana - this town is known for giving trucks in the
state a colourful and artistic look. Karun the racing driver turned into Karun the artist for a while.
Monday 17 June 13

3. Punjab is the agricultural capital of the country - and it’s rich
farmers sure can afford big, mean machines
Monday 17 June 13

4. Punjab is known for a variety of crops - including these beautiful
sunflowers that Karun stopped to have a closer look at.
Monday 17 June 13

5. Karun’s inherent sense of adventure saw him drive through
fields when he could
Monday 17 June 13

6. When in Punjab, we stopped to eat at dhabas (roadside eateries)
whenever we got a chance - they serve the best meals in the state
Monday 17 June 13

7. One of the highlights of the journey was witnessing the Gatka, the
traditional weapons-based martial art of the Punjab region. We
managed to witness the show while in Jalandhar.
Monday 17 June 13

8. During the Gatka performance, this snake like metallic weapon
sure sent us all on a backfoot - if it struck any of us, its ‘sting’
would surely have hurt.
Monday 17 June 13

9. The men of the Sikh community of Punjab wear turbans as their traditional
headgear - and the likes of Bhupinder Thind even run academies in
Jalandhar to teach the art of tying turbans in many different ways. He is
seeing here tying one on Karun - with a self-imposed challenge of doing so
blindfolded. And he managed to do a perfect job.
Monday 17 June 13

10. A visit to Punjab cannot be complete without a visit to a Akhara, or a
traditional mud-wrestling arena - like this one in Jalandhar that we visited.
Monday 17 June 13

11. It was fun and games too at times - like when Karun hopped onto
a tractor for a joyride in Hoshiarpur.
Monday 17 June 13

12. While in Hoshiarpur, Karun also got a primer on how to make gur or
jaggery from sugarcane - at a small set-up along the highway.
Monday 17 June 13

13. Karun could not resist taking home a box full of freshly made
jaggery.
Monday 17 June 13

14. Often, the best of travelling is when you can just sit around
without an agenda or plan - in other words, you can chill
Monday 17 June 13

15. We were fortunate to have got an opportunity to spend time at the BSF camp in
Hoshiarpur - and witness how our soldiers stay fit and combat ready to keep us safe
Monday 17 June 13

16. Karun and BSF officials exchanging notes on their respective
occupations and lives before Karun got a tour of the camp
Monday 17 June 13

17. And then we reached Amritsar - where a visit to the Golden
Temple is a must
Monday 17 June 13

18. One of the fascinating experiences of the Golden Temple is dropping by at the langar
or community kitchen - thousands are served meals here daily, with much of the work
being carried out efficiently by volunteers. Karun sure enjoyed his lunch here.
Monday 17 June 13

19. You sure need oversized woks and strong arms when you have to
cook for thousands daily
Monday 17 June 13

20. Volunteers cleaning dishes to have them ready for the next set of
people coming in for a meal at the Golden Temple
Monday 17 June 13

21. A sense of nationalism was seen in full when Karun visited the India -
Pakistan border at Wagah; thousands visit the site daily in the evening to
witness the lowering of the flag ceremony for the day.
Monday 17 June 13

22. The alterrain finally brought the journey to an end at Wagah
Monday 17 June 13