"I felt fearless. There is nothing in this world that I
feel I can't achieve," she said.
The idea of travelling excites everyone and we all
have some places on our bucket list. While we see so many people around us
going on solo trips, a woman travelling alone still hasn't become a norm in
India. Safety concerns hold us back from having the fun of setting out on our
own, meeting new people and discovering a new connection with our own self.
But 27-year-old Roshni Sharma shed all these
inhibitions, picked up her bike and kick-started her journey from Kanyakumari
that ended in Leh, covering 11 states that came along her way.
An engineer by profession, Roshni hails from Naraura
village in Uttar Pradesh. In the month of June last year, she embarked upon the
journey of a lifetime that not just added a new horizon to her personality, but
also inspired many others.
She passed the lofty Himalayan mountains, tough
terrains, high passes of Rohtang, Sarchu, Pang and Tangalangla and rode through
the dangerous glaciers that tested her endurance.
She had started to prepare for the arduous journey
7-8 months prior to setting out. The planning included chalking out a route
plan, confirming the route, convincing parents, buying a bike and other
necessary equipment. She also learned about the bike to be able to handle it in
case it broke down and also paid some extra attention towards her fitness.
Before her cross-country trip, Sharma had done more
than a few solo bike trips like Bangalore-Pune-Bangalore and
Bangalore-Chennai-Bangalore. But even for a seasoned biker, an expedition
across the length of the country through notorious regions and dangerous
highways like the Leh-Manali Highway presented new challenges and lots of
disbelief.
Roshni claims
she feels liberated riding around in the midst of nature . With her trusted
bike, she rode all the way from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, all on her own. She is
India's first female to do so, and she covered 11 states in 19 days.
If anything, her stereotype breaking experience of
traveling alone in India might give many women the final and much awaited push
to pack their bags and stop waiting for people to go with them. The thought is
scary but Roshni's example and first hand experience makes for an inspirational
story which had it it's own doubts, but conquered all.
Roshni also believes that the myth about solo women
travelers first needs to broken in the minds of the traveler themself.
Talking about the expedition, Roshni said,
"Biking is my passion and by taking this expedition, I want to spread a
message among women, especially young girls, to come out of social taboos and
live a free life." Well a great source of inspiration to many lone
travellers, especially women.
Sharma defies all the stereotypes associated with
not only women, but women from small towns unexposed to the glitz and glamour
of India’s most urbanised cities. A lone wolf in the vast expanse of the
country, between dhabhas and highway lodges, a few small accidents even,
Sharma’s feat is reflective of what a woman on a mission can achieve.
- By Bhavya Bhatia
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