Anand Mahindra mesmerised by Himachal road, says Dhauladhars make it feel like ‘some destinations are not meant to be reached’

A road in Himachal Pradesh has left industrialist Anand Mahindra captivated. The reason is not the road itself, but what appears to be waiting at the other end of it: the towering Dhauladhar mountains.

Mahindra recently shared a video of the Kangra-Ranital stretch on X. The short clip shows a quiet road cutting through the landscape, with the massive Dhauladhar range rising in the distance. From the camera’s viewpoint, the mountains appear almost like the natural end point of the road. For Mahindra, the view brought back a thought he has carried for decades.

“You can never reach the end of a rainbow,” he wrote, drawing a comparison between a rainbow and the destinations that keep people moving forward even when they remain out of reach. The thought fits the scene particularly well. The road appears to lead straight towards the mountains, yet the Dhauladhars remain distant no matter how close they look.

A road that makes you want to keep driving

Kangra sits beneath the Dhauladhar range and is known for its valleys, tea gardens, rivers, temples and historic sites. But the beauty of the Kangra-Ranital stretch lies in the journey itself.

As the weather changes, so does the view. On a clear day, the mountains stand sharply against the sky. Clouds can partially cover the peaks, while sunlight breaking through after rain can transform the entire landscape.

It is this changing scenery that makes the drive memorable. There is no single viewpoint that needs to be reached before the experience begins. The view keeps unfolding along the way.

Mahindra’s rainbow analogy

In his post, Mahindra also spoke about the difference between a mission and an aspiration. A mission can have a deadline and a clearly defined goal. Aspirations, he said, can remain just beyond reach, continuing to pull people forward.

He has used the rainbow as a metaphor for his group’s core purpose for decades, describing it not as a destination to eventually arrive at, but as something that provides direction. The Himachal road, with the Dhauladhars seemingly waiting at its end, offered a striking visual version of the same idea.

What to see around Kangra

A trip through the region can also include Dharamshala, Palampur and Bir-Billing. Palampur is known for its tea estates and forested mountain landscape, while Bir-Billing is a popular destination for paragliding. History lovers can visit Kangra Fort, while the ancient Masroor Rock-Cut Temples offer another interesting stop in the region.

And perhaps that is what makes this particular road so appealing. You keep seeing the mountains ahead, keep driving towards them, and yet the journey never really feels like it has to end. As Mahindra put it, some destinations are not meant to be reached. They are there to give direction to the journey.