Coimbatore duo undertakes a CNG-powered expedition from Kanyakumari to Kashmir

Krishnakumar Viswanathan and his cousin Mahadevan Rajamani
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement

When Krishnakumar Viswanathan and his cousin Mahadevan Rajamani decided to go on a cross-country expedition, they were sure of one thing: theirs would be a little different. “I had just bought a CNG powered car and we thought, why not use it?” says 41-year-old Krishnakumar, a freelance consultant based in the city. Thus began their Kanyakumari to Kashmir roundtrip, through which they spread the message of green fuel

The journey started from Coimbatore on May 25 and lasted 34 days, during which they covered 14 States and four Union Territories. With Indian Oil as their fuel partner, the duo covered the farthest road in the South, that is Kanyakumari and the highest motorable pass in the world, Umling La.

“We focussed on covering places of historical importance,” explains Krishnakumar adding that they visited places such as Dhumalwadi, Aurangabad, Ellora, Ajanta, Agra, Ujjain, Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikri, Kurukshetra, among others.

Krishnakumar explains that 65% of their trip was CNG powered. “It was not possible for us to use CNG cylinders in Himachal Pradesh due to difficult road conditions,” he says. While they came back with a truckload of memories, experiences, and photographs, Krishnakumar says that they also followed a strict diet regimen that got them through the expedition without any major health hiccups.

“We indulged in a lot of local fruits such as litchis, strawberries, pears, and apricots. Bananas were with us on most part of the journey,” he says. “We ensured we did not give in to local fried foods, although we were tempted very much,” he laughs.