Vishwas Govind Kulkarni was welcomed with applause and garlands by household and shut mates at his society gate on 6 June. 20,000 km within the states on their shiny blue Activa alone.
Speaking to The Indian Express over a video name, the septuagenarian stated that he has been an avid traveler since childhood. “Even as a kid, I just took my bicycle and went out and about. I was 17 when I ran away from home to join the Air Force. I had many postings and visited many villages during my road trip. I was a corporal for 15 years and after that, I worked with Tata Motors for 23 years. Still, I traveled,” he stated.
This isn’t the primary time that Kulkarni has deliberate to journey on his two-wheeler. In reality, he stated that he prefers to journey this manner as a result of you possibly can cease wherever and recognize the surroundings round you. “My first such visit was in 1992 with my wife. We covered 8,000 kms of India’s coastline in a month, from Mumbai to Kanyakumari, then to Kolkata and back to Pune on our Kinetic Honda,” he stated.
To date, he has visited Sikkim, Northeast India, Ladakh, Panipat, Konkan Darshan and Uttarakhand (for the Char Dham Yatra), and even Bhutan and Nepal on his M-80, Kinetic Honda. And on Honda Activa. “I have traveled with friends, relatives, travel groups, but I prefer to travel alone,” he stated.
Kulkarni deliberate the journey earlier this yr with the assistance of his daughter-in-law Mrinal. He additionally designed a GPS system alongside his path to facilitate dwell monitoring.
He was in Tamil Nadu when the second wave hit India. “My family was worried, but going back home also seemed like a risk,” he stated.
Covid restrictions, dangerous roads and unpredictable climate have been his companions. “I got wet in Leh; I met a man named Abdul Sheikh, who took me home and offered me warm clothes and food. While returning from Kargil, in Zojila, I fell into a pond, in which the water was freezing. Some nice people helped me reach the Srinagar Honda showroom. The owner, Mr. Kaisa, took me home and repaired my vehicle so that I could continue my journey,” he stated.
Kulkarni additionally stated that whereas he may enter some temples, others have been closed as a result of strict lockdown. “At the state borders, I had to undergo a rapid antigen test to enter,” he stated.
During this, Mrinal saved watching her whereas sitting close to her cellphone. “Their live location was updated every 15 minutes. In some states, there was a technical fault due to poor network. We also had to change their routes because of state regulations. We rode an average of 250 km during the day to get a place to stay and avoid traffic at night,” she stated.
Kulkarni has already deliberate his subsequent journey – Narmada Pradakshina. “After the situation gets better, I plan to go on this trip with my younger sister. I am in good health and I believe that our country is full of extraordinary places to visit,” he stated.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
