The Golden Quadrilateral of India

The Golden Quadrilateral of India is the dream project of India’s former Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpai. It is also the pride of many Indians. The Golden Quadrilateral highways of India is a network of highways that connects India’s four major metropolitan cities, namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata, forming a quadrilateral. In fact, in this detailed guide, we will discuss every aspect of the golden quadrilateral of India. 

The Golden Quadrilateral-The Pride of India

However, there is no doubt that the golden quadrilateral is the largest highway project in India. Launched in 2001, it was the dream project of Atal Bihari Vajpai. Atal Ji said, “hamare desh me sadkon mein gaddhe hain ya gaddhon mein sadke hain?” meaning, Does our country have potholes on the road or roads in potholes? In fact, this was the moment he planned to execute his dream of connecting India.

He dreamt of a road so grand that it would cover most Indian cities in one fell swoop. The planning for the Golden Quadrilateral took many years. But as soon as Atal Ji got the chance, he sanctioned GQ (Golden Quadrilateral). The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) took the project of building the golden quadrilateral of India. 

Details on The Golden Quadrilateral of India

The Golden Quadrilateral has four sections in total. These sections are as follows:

• First section: National highway that connects Delhi to Kolkata.
• Second section: National highway that connects Kolkata to Chennai. 
• Third section: National highway that connects Chennai to Mumbai.
• Fourth section: National highway that connects Mumbai to Delhi.

Cities and States the Golden Quadrilateral Passes Through

Section I is a 1,454km long National Highway named NH-2 (National Highway 2). It runs between two metropolitan cities, Delhi and Kolkata. The NH2 highway connects many Indian states like Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Similarly, it also passes through major cities like Delhi, Faridabad, Mathura, Agra, Firozabad, Kanpur, Allahabad and Varanasi.

Section II is a 1,684km long four-lane highway that runs between Kolkata and Chennai. It has been named NH-6 (the road that connects Kolkata to Kharagpur), NH60 (the road that connects Kharagpur to Balasore) and NH-5 (the road that connects Balasore to Chennai). Furthermore, it passes through these Indian states: West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

On the other hand, Section III is a 1,290km long highway from Chennai to Mumbai. This highway has also been divided into smaller fragments. These are named NH4 (the road that goes from Mumbai to Bangalore), NH7 (the road that goes from Bangalore to Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu) and NH46 (the road that goes from Krishnagiri to nearby Chennai). Furthermore, It passes through Indian states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Section IV is a 1,419km long four-lane highway between Mumbai and Delhi. It is a highway that completes the quadrilateral shape of the road. Finally, This section of the road constitutes four parts named NH 8 (the road that goes from Delhi to Kishangarh), NH 79A (the road that goes from Ajmer bypass), NH 79 (the road that goes from Nasirabad to Chittorgarh) and NH 76 (the road that goes from Chittorgarh to Udaipur). Furthermore, it passes through these significant states of India: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and New Delhi. Besides this, It also helps connect these cities: Delhi, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat and Mumbai.

Map of The Golden Quadrilateral of India

You can check out this map of the golden quadrilateral in India to better understand how it forms a quadrilateral and connect Indians with India. Furthermore, this picture of India with the Golden Quadrilateral is one of the recent ones and can be used to illustrate how it looks right now.

The Golden Quadrilateral and Tourism

After the independence of India, Atal Ji made it possible to connect every part of India through a world-class road network. Furthermore, the project Golden Quadrilateral also made it possible for many Indians and foreigners to easily visit different places in India, Thus giving rise to the Tourism sector of India. Hence, we have created a list of tourist places nearby the cities from where the Golden Quadrilateral road passes: 

Section-I

1. Delhi– Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Lotus Temple, India Gate, Parliament House, Jama Masjid, etc. 
2. Haryana- Panchkula, Faridabad, Panipat, Narnaul, Nuh, Karnal, Rohtak, Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary, Morni Hills, Damdama Lakes, etc.
3. Uttar Pradesh- Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Ayodhya Mandir, etc.
4. Bihar- Bodh Gaya, Nandangarh, Valmikinagar, Rajgir, Patna, etc. 
5. Jharkhand- Tagore Hill, Jagannath Mandir, Kanke Dam, Ranchi Lake, etc.
6. West Bengal- Victoria Memorial, Sundarban National Park, Howrah Bridge, Darjeeling Hill station, Tiger Hill, Dakshineswar Kali Temple, etc.

Section-II

1. Orissa- Konark Sun Temple, Jaganath Temple, Lingaraja Temple, Puri Beach, Simile National Park, etc.
2. Andhra Pradesh- Sri Venkateswara Swamy Vaari Temple, Rushikonda Beach, VMRDA INS Kursura Submarine Museum, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla, etc.
3. Tamil Nadu- Meenakshi Amman Temple, Brihadeeswara Temple, Marina Beach, Nilgiri Mountain Railway Line, etc. 

Section-III

1. Maharashtra- Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves, Ellora Caves, etc.
2. Karnataka- Mysore Palace, Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Bangalore Palace, Sri Virupaksha Temple, Hampi, etc. 

Section-IV

1. Gujarat- Gir National Park, Shree Somnath Jyotirlinga Temple, Sabarmati Ashram, Rani Ki Vav, Statue of Unity, Lakshmi Vilas Palace, etc. 
2. Rajasthan- Ranthambore National Park, Amber Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantarmantar, Jal Mahal, etc. 

Liked this article? Feel free to read further about different destinations that you can visit via the golden quadrilateral highways here.

(Travel Xamp is now on Telegram. Join our Telegram by clicking here to get all the travel hacks, destinations, blogs, and travel news for free!)