The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Around the country in 57 days A journey to `feel' India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 25, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Around the country in 57 days A journey to `feel' India

Special Correspondent

`Bharat Parikrama' took three bikers to many States Three bikers went on a `Bharat Parikrama'

BACK HOME: The Bharat Parikrama team

Bangalore: They are back from the "Bharat Parikrama", traversing the country, biking over 16,000 km for 57 days and getting back to Bangalore.

Team member Navroze Contractor describes the expedition: "It was a journey not just to see India but feel India.'' Another team member Dinesh Reddy says: "Some areas we travelled through had the worst possible roads but the most hospitable and friendly people.'' Bhari Kumar was the third member of the team.

The journey began on September 25 and they were back here on November 20. "Except for two brief spells, we had rainless days and nights all through; the weather was kind to us.

Of course, we had to face all extremes of temperature from 40 degrees to minus 15 degrees,'' Mr. Contractor recalls.

An avid biker who has travelled on other continents, he meticulously planned the Parikrama. A short documentary is expected to come out as a result; Mr. Contractor is known as a talented cinematographer. There were memorable incidents, such as getting lost in rural Gujarat and finding their way to a tiny village, where a village elder was more than hospitable before tracing out a route for them to follow. "We must have looked like aliens from another planet in our helmets and riding gear,'' adds Mr. Reddy.

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