Discovery of self in chaos.

by Harshal Bopardikar (India)

A leap into the unknown India

He had thought it for so long to travel uncharted and unplanned. Responsibilities always stopped him from doing that, going there as they do to everyone with the worries had him strangled to the materialistic world of sorrows. But he knew that this was necessary as he had been in shadows of some or other do as long as he had lived. His wants were far different from the "normal" and needs further away from "the known". Baggage of thoughts made his shoulder heavier. Soul trapped between the carnal desires and spiritual needs. He took off unplanned in search of the outsides he hadn't been to discover the insides he hadn't seen. All he had was a ruksack and a rough plan, for the boy was young and the hopes up high. He traveled cheap in the general class, stayed at road side restaurants, dormitories and shared spaces to throw himself in all those uncomfortable situations for him out was necessary to know himself better. He traveled to vapi, lived in a lodge in a building about to fall, doin light lit the reception with man smoking cigarettes there. It was all sorts of shady as it could get and he chose to go along the plan as set. He traveled around nearby towns, silvasa, daman staying where there was a roof that he found. The whole experience was soul enriching as his hope and his cause started inching. He went around towns getting falls after favours from whom so ever he found. He went to vapas next. He had a friend place to crash. He went around the town for a while, to the places such as mountains, valleys and the exquisite palaces that put up a smile. With places comes stories of the bygone era, stores those are wonderful and heart wrenching at the same time. He nice forth for his journey, crashing with his friends, living in the dormitories from one town to never town. The next place he reached was Ahmedabad, a place so exquisite with sublime places such as Sabarmati ashram which make you humble to the core and also with those exquisite mosques beautifully carved stones. He felt lost in the city full of people yet so lonely. He travelled to Diu and travelled back to the most long and the interesting journey all the way to Jaipur. As if it was necessary not for the place but for the journey, by local bus, general compartment trains changing one after other, encountering fellow travellers from Bihar to bullish transgenders visiting after midnight. The journey never seemed to amaze me. Travelled Rajasthan, lived in dormitories for as cheap as 5 bucks for a night. Jaipur was a bundle of joy as an Indian you are mesmerized too see Indian architecture at its best. Going around the place from one monument to other, eating dal bati emersing himself into the experience. He bid adieu to Jaipur moved towards Jodhpur traveling at nights and teaching early mornings. Enjoying tea at the dawn in empty market places with iconic clock tower, to roaming in the meandering streets of the walled city of Jodhpur painted blue made his heart warm. Visiting Mehrangarh to sitting in a cafe in the evening gazing towards it from far at the dawn it's was breathtaking to visiting step well, toor ji ka jhalra and sketching it. Made new friends with fellow travellers went to the New destination that was Jaisalmer. Went around the town of sandstone to the living fort along with the new found company. Said goodbye to them moving forward to next destination Ajmer only to recieve the warmest of the welcomes from a friend. Visited Haji Ali dargah one of the most famous places and warmest of welcoming to visiting Hanumanji temple at a hillock I dealt the divineness of the places. Visited Pushkar the next day with the only Bramha temple in the world and the ghats of Pushkar with women floks washing themselves cleansing in the river believed to be holy. Hence ending my solo travel so as to return to Jaipur the next day and then to my home town Nagpur, Maharashtra.