Long drive, hearty meals: Murthal a hotspot for youth despite safety concerns linked to night trips

Murthal, about 50 km from Delhi on NH-44, is a hotspot for Delhi’s youth due to its 24*7 dhabas that serve delectable parathas. Police investigation in both the cases point to rash driving as a key factor, with the absence of helmets noted in the Libaspur crash.

Such incidents have raised safety concerns linked to the Delhi-Murthal route, particularly at night. According to the Delhi Road Crash Fatalities Report 2022, released by the Delhi Transport Department’s Road Safety Lead Agency, 97% of fatalities involved vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists, cyclists, and auto-rickshaw occupants, the demographic heavily represented in two-wheeler trips like those to Murthal.

Of at least 315 fatal crashes, a majority of deaths took place on weekends between 9 pm and 2 am — the usual time for late-night dhaba visits.

Despite such incidents, Murthal, a quiet village in Haryana’s Sonipat district, has long been a culinary beacon on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway. It draws thousands of youth from Delhi-NCR for late-night paratha feasts.

Tracing history

The 1-km stretch of roadside dhabas has transformed from a 1950s truckers’ halt into a 24/7 food hub. It all began in the 1950s, when the Delhi-Amritsar highway, then part of undivided Punjab, was a vital trade route. Small, unnamed eateries sprang up to serve truck drivers hauling goods from Punjab to Delhi, offering simple meals of rotis, dal, and stuffed parathas alongside basic rest facilities.

The famous Gulshan Dhaba was founded by late Takan Das Kukreja and his son, late Kishan Chand Kukreja, in 1950 mainly to cater to the need of truck drivers. In 1956, Sardar Prakash Singh, a Ludhiana migrant, established what would become Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, named after his sons. Now an iconic eating outlet, it had a humble start with tents and charpais for weary travelers.

Both then catered to the same gritty clientele navigating rain-soaked, potholed roads, and are Murthal’s star attractions till date, their fans having diversified.

The 1980s and 1990s saw a boom, fueled by India’s economic liberalisation and rising car ownership, swelling the number of dhabas from a handful to over 50 today. The early 2000s marked Murthal’s shift into a youth magnet, as Delhi’s students and young professionals embraced it for late-night drives.

The 100-km round trip from Delhi, taking about 90 minutes each way, became a ritual for groups of youth seeking escape after movies or exams — the rush hours spanned between 10 pm and 3 am.

Murthal’s dhabas offer Punjabi vegetarian staples: crispy parathas stuffed with aloo, gobhi, paneer, or even rabri for dessert, served with curd, Panipat’s famed pachranga pickles, and lassi in clay kulhads. Some dhabas, like Amrik Sukhdev, have expanded into North-South Indian, Chinese, and continental dishes, while others, like Shiva Tourist Dhaba, offer dosas and Indo-Chinese noodles. Amrik Sukhdev, among the largest, reportedly serves 8,000-10,000 customers daily.

Visitors attest to the popularity of these dhabas. Says Aditya Saroha, 28, a pricing specialist and reporter at a financial services giant: “I’ve visited many of the newer dhabas that have opened in and around Murthal in recent years, but I still prefer the older ones like Pahalwan, Sukhdev, and Gulshan — they retain a touch of the original authenticity that’s hard to find now. There’s been an explosion of dhabas, not just in Murthal but in nearby areas too. The commercialisation of Murthal has made it difficult for new visitors to find the right place. ”

Going to Murthal is about much more than just the food, it is the experience, he stresses.

“It is only about an hour’s drive from Delhi, so it naturally became a perfect little road trip. Since most dhabas there are open almost around the clock, there’s no rush or worry about timing. There’s also a sense of authenticity — you’re technically crossing into another state, and people feel the food is made with cleaner, fresher ingredients. The famous paranthas, topped with a generous dollop of makhan, don’t just melt on the plate — but the hearts of North Indians who grew up with that flavor. Personally, being from Haryana, eating at Murthal dhabas feels like being closer with my roots at least in terms of food. There’s a rustic charm and warmth you don’t get in a Delhi restaurant — the open roads, the hustle of the tandoor, and the earthy hospitality. It’s not fine dining, but it’s soulful dining.”

Delhi University alumnus Hani Hilal (26) recalls getting a similar feeling when visiting the dhabas during his college days. It is about the journey, he says, while adding people are usually speeding in and around the stretch, specially on the way back.

According to Inspector Karambir Singh, Station House Officer (Traffic-Murthal), the Murthal area specifically is not accident prone. “However, we always have three cars on standby and during night peak hours remain on high alert. The road safety standards and services here are quite optimal.”