These Indian Travelers are Changing the Country One City at a Time

Not all those who wander are lost.

And not all those who wander have a purpose driving their every step and movement, to the extent that they wish to change the world through their personal journeys.

Here are a few Indian travelers, who have seamlessly combined passion and patriotism. These travelers not only travel across the country discovering it, but also make sure that the people they meet are moved to a sense of necessary awareness through their visit. 

Dr Capt Ritu Biyani Joseph: 30,000 kms, one message.

At the age of 40, when she was diagnosed of breast cancer her life took an unplanned route. Two surgeries, 6 chemotherapy cycles and 5 years of antibiotics can leave many spirits scarred but not hers. She was determined to dedicate her life to a mission. 

Touching lives of more than 70,000 people in India, in a six month journey, she organized 140 workshops attended by 26,000 people and covered 30,220 kms in 177 days including as many as 26 states. She launched the Project High>>>way in 2006, a unique initiative to link adventure sports with cancer.

Ritu has received the Manthan South Asia Award in 2008, thus getting recognition her efforts to create an awareness about breast cancer throughout the country. She was also honoured on the DEF Mobile Summit as "Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things" in the Red Rickshaw Revolution.

Bagicha Singh: 22 year Long Walk

At a vulnerable age of 81, when all you care about is a peaceful and dignified exit from the world, Bagicha Singh prefers to serve the nation through his unique walk of hope. Singh has been walking all over India for the past 22 years in a hope to create awareness against corruption, smoking and consumption of alcohol.

He has already completed 21 rounds of India and has now undertaken his 22nd expedition. Bagicha Singh is from Panipat and he started his non-stop journey (from Jammu to Kanyakumari) in the year 1993 and since then has never returned home. As a true testament to the selfless love he has for the country, he carries 2 Indian flags.  

He has till now covered an unbelievable distance of 5,60,000 km and acknowledges Subhash Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh to be the reason behind his motivation.

Grand Tour of India: 3 bikers riding 14,500 kms for 250 kids.

These young bikers have collaborated with CRY foundation to hep 250 kids go to school for an entire year. This initiative involves them riding their way through India on bikes in under 31 days, covering 20 states. 

The promotion of necessity of primary education in India requires our help. And these bikers have launched self funding campaign here and are halfway their goal of required amount. So, if you are capable do make sure to contribute to someone's journey of India's betterment, if you can't take on one yourself. 

The Grand Tour of India can be discovered more here. 

Indrajit Sinha: Cycling 2500 kms for a cause.

Indrajit Sinha from Silchar, a small town in Assam, started a journey to cover 2500 km from Guwahati to Jammu in a span of 65 days to raise awareness about adolescents’ rights and issues. Rajiv Gandhi National University graduate and founder/director of WAY foundations, Indrajit has always been concerned about the plight of adolescents and had a desire to stand for their rights.

The motive of this journey is twofold. Apart from raising awareness about adolescents’ rights and issues, he will also strive to raise fund for project BLACKBOARD, an initiative by WAY foundation to impart life skills to the underprivileged adolescents from Guwahati city through various channels such as creative art, music and games based modules. 

Source The Better India

Garlanding India: Planting hopes.

Uday Damodaran, a finance professor in XLRI Xavier School of Management, is set to cover 46 cities to raise funds for 22 NGO's in their respective causes. Especially involving spreading greenery across India.

Despite the obvious challenges that will be accompanying him, Prof Uday is eager to continue his endeavor by carrying 330 samplings with him, planting few everywhere he goes, including the challenging terrains of Leh-Ladakh. The purpose to make up for the carbon footprint he will be leaving behind.

More people should adapt Uday Damodaran's approach to traveling, assuring that whatever cause their travels may follow to whatever remote or popular places, nature is taken care of and not ignored in humanities eagerness to walk the earth.

Source Garlanding India Facebook Page

Do mention in comments if you have a story of Indian travelers who have taken travel beyond self-pleasure and privilege, in an effort to spread awareness about greater causes to make the very country they live on a much better place.