Gujarat to Nepal on cycle with Sunita Singh Choken(Alais Jenny Chocken)

The Adventure Begins-

The flighty temptress, adventure, beckons Sunita Singh Chocken (alias Jenny Chocken) once again. On the 15th of July at 8 am, the gutsy and feisty girl of Rewari (Haryana), Sunita, would embark on a solo cycling journey from the Somnath Temple in Gujarat to the foothills of the Himalayas in Nepal. She would cover a total distance of 5000km. over a span of 38 days (15th July to 23rd August). The Rotary Club of Rewari Main in collaboration with District 3011 is sponsoring the expedition. Sunita would initially carry the flag of RC Rewari Main, and exchange the banner several times, as she would pass through and meet the representatives of District 3060, 3051, 3054, 3040, 3030, 3261, 3250, 329 (among many other districts of Rotary Club).

Sunita has two principal messages to deliver during the course of her journey. Firstly, she would strive to replenish the greenery of the towns, cities and the countryside by planting trees (Save the Earth). Secondly, she would urge the society and its inmates to defend and advance the cause of the girl child (Beti Bachao). Honourable District Governor of District 3011, Rtn. Vinay Bhatia Ji and Assistant Governor of Zone 14, Rtn. Naveen Arora Ji, flagged the mission off on the 12th of July, in full attendance of the press. On that day Sunita received the blessings and benevolence of Vinay Ji amidst a tree plantation ceremony. Vinay Ji was also the chief guest of the ceremony, which throbbed with verve, hope and energy. The expedition is eligible for an entry into the prestigious annals of the Limca Book of Records.

Sunita is a mountaineer of uncommon skills and exceptional calibre. In 2011, she had scaled Mount Everest with a group of international mountaineers. Since that time she has vanquished several formidable peaks in the Himalayan fastness. During her illustrious career, Sunita has won many prizes and accolades such as the BSF Brave Daughter, Bharat Gaurav and the Kalpana Chawla awards. In 2016, she received the highly coveted "Naari-Shakti" award from the President of India. She is also the brand ambassador of the "Beti Bachao Beti Padao" program from Rewari, Haryana.

Last year around this time, we covered Sunita's extraordinary peregrination across the length of India, from the shores of the Indian Ocean (Kanyakumari) to the Khardung La Pass (5,359 m) in the Ladakh valley. She braved the sweltering heat and the pouring rain, while riding on her cycle through the lush countryside of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab Haryana, Himachal and Kashmir. At Manali, Sunita was joined by her sister Jen Chocken, and thereafter, the sisters cycled continuously for 10 days through the remote valleys and passes of the Himalayas. The steep gradients, the smothering atmosphere and the intense cold challenged the physical and mental stamina of the girls. After 46 days of superhuman effort Sunita reached the summit of the Khardung La Pass on the 28th of August.

Let us follow Sunita on another adventure, this time across the breadth of India. On Sunday, 15th of July, she would commence her ride, upon seeking the blessings of Lord Somnath. Honourable members of the Rotary Club, fans, followers and common people would cheer Sunita on, as she would offer her obeisance to the almighty, and thereafter, start pedalling in a south-easterly direction. Sunita would travel through the heart of India, and the route across Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh would convey her into Bengal, the land of her heroes, Swami Vivekananda and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Thereafter, she would begin her journey in a northerly direction, through Sikkim, towards Nepal.

Sunita's adventure is motivated by two solemn humanitarian causes. Along the way, she shall plant saplings, and raise awareness about global warming and other menaces, which threaten the environment of this green planet. The monsoon is propitious for the enterprise, and that is why Sunita chose the months of July and August for her expedition. Secondly, the long and tortuous journey would bring her in close contact with the rural and urban societies of India. She would use every platform available to her during the trip to argue emphatically for the girl child and her rights to education and health care.

On this blog we shall share her amazing stories, as she bikes along in her noble attempt to spread the words of gender equality and environmental safety.

Feel free to join her on this blog, or on the roads with your bicycle.

Good Luck Sunita.

Our sincerest thanks to the following Rotary Clubs for providing Sunita with succour and wherewithal in this venturesome project. There would be many additions to the following list in the next month.

RC Viraval, RC Rajkot Greater, RC Rajkot Midtown, RC Bhuj Capital, RC Halvad, RC Junagarh, RC Jaitpur, RC Ahmedabad Main, RC Ahmedabad Majesty, RC Dahod, RC Indore Central, RC Nagpur, RC Raipur Queens, RC Ranchi, RC Calcutta Mahanagar, RC Siliguri West Bengal, RC Darjeeling, RC Gangtok, RC Mithila and many more to add.

For more information about RC Rewari Main please visit https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubOfRewariMain/

rotaryclubofrewarimain.org