It was raining like cats and dogs. Wind was severe and density of fog had reduced the visibility to less than 10 metre. There we stood on the road, three compatriots, braving against the weather, but with a profuse grin on our faces. Cherrapunji was living upto its reputation of being one of the wettest places on the planet. But after having ditched the State tourism buses from Shillong to travel on our own gave us the thrill of a lifetime . The way we took, aberrant as it may seem gave us the confidence to travel anywhere. The locals had advised us against it, our minds had forbidden it but the heart said yes and sometimes a small nod is what you need.
This is just one small experience that I have shared from the countless others that we had during a journey around India. One of the flagship programmes of IIT Gandhinagar, explorers fellowship is indeed an experience of a lifetime. We always dream about travelling to other places but rarely are we able to garner enough courage to overcome the activation barrier to persue our dream. There is a traveller in each one of us. Deep down everyone wants to get a ticket away from our mundane life to catch a breath of fresh air. However, seldom do we execute it. We cite issues of time, money and comfort for the non- compliance. If there is one thing that I have definitely learnt from this experience then that would be the tricks of the trade. How to travel far and long with minimal balance and least fuss.
In Kerela we visited a school teaching kaliri, an ancient form of martial arts. In Guwahati we visited a lady who had an experience of more than 30 years in teaching bihu, the folk dance of Asssam, watching with great admiration as her granddaughter showed us some steps. In Varanasi we witnessed the all famous Ganga Aarti. Moving from south to north we could experience the diversity that this country has to offer. Diversity in not only people but climate, terrain, language, religion, beliefs and culture. Its strange how the feeling of nationalism could create an atmosphere where people different in so many ways could live together.
After having a long an ardous four years of enginnering the fellowship provided us with the perfect getaway. The brainchild of our charismatic Director, the fellowship has grown through leaps and bounds in both popularity and respect and has the numbers to show for it. We are now able to have a broader view of our Nation. All in all, a must do for all IITGn students.
