Journey Beyond Meerut: Exploring Sugarcane Farms and Ancient Empires via Road Expedition
Driving to Yesteryears: A Scenic Drive Through Sugarcane Country and Hidden Gems
October 2025
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For those traveling eastward from Delhi, the expressway to Meerut is a delightful experience, showcasing India's broadest access-controlled highway. But for history enthusiasts, the real gem lies in exploring the countryside's forgotten corners rather than the modern symbols along the way.
Plunge into the Past: Journey Through Winter's Sugarcane Landscapes
This trip, is more than just a drive. It takes you through picturesque landscapes of sugarcane fields on one side and canals on the other, dotted by the brick kilns. At times, the air may carry the pungent scent of sugar processing factories. A more enticing option is the jaggery offered by roadside vendors, each boasting about their purer product than their neighbor.
Meerut's Old Enigma: Mound Known as Lakha Mandap in Barnawa
The district of Meerut eventually gives way to Baghpat. The intriguing "Mound known as Lakha Mandap" in Barnawa is a notable spot listed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Upon arriving, the only remnant of Barnawa's past that still stands seems to be a mosque dating back to the Mughal era, although layers of whitewash make its inscription unreadable.
The Solitary Hillock and Legendary Escapes
A peculiar hillock invites outside town, a solitary rise amidst flat fields and no other hills nearby. This hill is actually a mound, as confirmed by the ASI signage. One side offers a medieval chhatri said to be a Sufi tomb called Badruddin Shah, although there's no grave present. A path on the other side leads to a tunnel-like structure, believed to be the Pandavas and their mother's escape route according to Mahabharata legends. Welcome to Varnavat, popularly known as Barnawa, just one of the region's enigmatic findings.
Begum, Basilica, and the Baoli
Half an hour away lies Sardhana, a hub of Christian culture surrounded by predominantly Jat and Muslim communities. Farzana Zeb un-Nissa, once a dancing girl and village owner's wife, played a significant role in local politics. She cleverly maneuvered alliances during the Mughal period's chaotic decline before converting to Christianity and constructing churches in both Sardhana and Meerut. Her ambitious endeavor even extended to petitioning the Pope for a bishop. The Sardhana church, now a basilica, stands as a grand blend of Italian and Islamic designs.
A Forgotten Time in Mujhera
About an hour northeast of Sardhana lies the village of Mujhera in Muzaffarnagar district, where the ASI lists an "Octagonal wall." A closer look at the term and an "e," and the location boasts a magnificent, intact baoli (stepwell). Though vegetation has started reclaiming the site, the octagonal well shaft remains intact. Mujhera is also home to four impressive red sandstone and marble Mughal-era tombs, belonging to a family claiming descent from the Prophet through Iraq.
From Pandavas to Pipe Organs
Twenty-seven kilometers south, you arrive at Hastinapur with expectations of ancient palaces. However, the site offers a semi-excavated mound that once housed the Kuru capital. Today, Hastinapur is better known for its Jain temples. Frequent sightings of monkeys reverting to souvenirs with a stout stick can be a reminder of the epic's Kauravas.
Finally, you reach Meerut, a bustling city where much of the past has been buried beneath chaotic urban growth. Still, with effort, you can find remnants of the Mughal, post-Mughal, and British periods, including the Shahpeer ka Maqbara, the dargah of Najaf Ali Shah, and Abu ka Maqbara, once surrounded by a garden and now hemmed in by squatters sheltering goats.
Meerut played a pivotal role in the 1857 First War of Independence. Modern temples like the Digambar Jain Temple, Kali Paltan Temple, and Panchmukhi Temple stand among remnants of the past. Wander further, and you'll come across old Havelis, civic structures like the Mukandi Devi Dharamshala and Meerut's Town Hall, and the colonial-era cantonment, where St. Joseph's Cathedral and St. John's Church (with a silent pipe organ from England) and a British-era cemetery can be found.
These are just a few glimpses into a region teeming with hidden treasures. Keep exploring, and you may come across the horrifying black goo used for jaggery, which isn't for the squeamish. In Sugarcane Country, perhaps it's best to stick to the history.
OT Travel Itinerary: Your One-Day Guide to the Top Attractions of Meerut
Uttar Pradesh | Meerut
Mind the monkeys in Hastinapur to avoid karmic revenge.
In this historical and scenic journey, one can explore a mix of lifestyles, as you travel from bustling cities to the serene countryside, such as the home-and-garden retreat of Sardhana, showcasing a unique blend of Christian culture and Mughal architecture. Afterward, your travel continues with a pit stop in Sugarcane Country, a region that offers more than just a drive, but a trip through picturesque sugarcane landscapes and historical discoveries.
