One for the Road

In the Nubra Valley in Ladakh, a biblical message gets an update on the roadside: “Love thy neighbour, but not while driving.” The Border Roads Organisation tries to be witty — “Be Mild on My Curves” — somewhere between Manali and Rohtang Pass. Road signs are quirky, sometimes they are like misspelt haiku, sometimes they try to serenade with “Curves are blind and sharp, Drive your vehicle like playing a harp”. Ajay Jain didn’t just look and pass by with a smile; he stopped and photographed them on his 10,000 km trip across north India. “Road signs are meant to be informative but most end up tickling your funny bone,” says Jain, 38, who has put together a collection of funny road signs in his book Peep Peep Don’t Sleep (Rs 350). A former business journalist, Jain has set up Kunzum.com as a one-stop site for anyone who is keen on discovering the road less travelled in the Himalayas — and most of these hilarious road signs owe it to these routes.