Feature image courtesy: Wikipedia

If Google Maps had existed a thousand years ago, its routes would look very different. Long before highways and express trains, India’s landscape was crisscrossed by dusty trails, winding hill paths, and coastal tracks that carried more than just traders.

Spices, salt, silk, and precious stones travelled these routes, but so did stories, cultures, and communities. Today, many of these ancient trade roads remain, offering modern travellers a chance to walk in the footsteps of merchants, monks, and adventurers.

Here are five such historic routes you can still explore:

1. The Grand Trunk Road

Stretching from Chittagong in Bangladesh to Kabul in Afghanistan, the Grand Trunk Road is one of Asia’s oldest and longest highways. In India, it passes through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Punjab, carrying tales of emperors, merchants, and travellers for over 2,500 years.

Sher Shah Suri revamped it in the 16th century, adding caravanserais and........

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