19-year-old on journey across India, hitch-hikes through 15 states
Mangaluru: Nineteen-year-old Rohan Agrawal from Nagpur, decided to quit his BCom and learn while hitch-hiking.
He began his journey after a holy dip in the Ganga in Varanasi on August 25 last year. He has already covered 15 states.
Rohan, who believes in learning through a process that is more like gurukul education, was in Mangaluru recently. He is currently in Belagavi. He stays in temples, mosques, churches, outside buildings, homes or on the streets.
He is on his way to Goa and Maharashtra but has plans for much wider travel.
“When I decided to learn through travelling, my parents thought it was a weird decision and I should not take it forward. This journey is the result of my reading and wanting to explore the world on my own. I have called this journey, ‘Hiking to Siberia without money’. In the next 10 years, I hope to reach Oymyakon in Russia by walking from Delhi. I started this journey with only Rs 2,500 of which Rs 1,000 was robbed, but I have been able to sustain myself. I don’t ask anyone for anything, but when anyone offers something, I do not refuse it,” he said.
Throughout the journey, Rohan has volunteered in dog shelters and farms, worked in hotels, served as a chef in a hostel, taught English to underprivileged children and done all kinds of odd jobs.
“I am keen on learning about religions and have realised that travel is an integral part of all religions. Despite seeing a lot of negativity around, I am glad that humanity still exists. On the journey, I have realised that the biggest problem is the plastic menace and there is lack of awareness on how to reduce the use of plastic. In the last one year, I have conducted and participated in about 15 clean-ups, “ he said.
On why he selected Siberia as the final destination, Rohan said: “I have a problem facing extreme cold conditions, but believe that we can overcome anything as most problems are in the mind. The journey has been amazing so far as I am working and learning new skills,” he said.
Rohan is the son of Ramesh Agrawal, who runs a water bottle store in Nagpur, and Seema Agrawal.
He began his journey after a holy dip in the Ganga in Varanasi on August 25 last year. He has already covered 15 states.
Rohan, who believes in learning through a process that is more like gurukul education, was in Mangaluru recently. He is currently in Belagavi. He stays in temples, mosques, churches, outside buildings, homes or on the streets.
He is on his way to Goa and Maharashtra but has plans for much wider travel.
“When I decided to learn through travelling, my parents thought it was a weird decision and I should not take it forward. This journey is the result of my reading and wanting to explore the world on my own. I have called this journey, ‘Hiking to Siberia without money’. In the next 10 years, I hope to reach Oymyakon in Russia by walking from Delhi. I started this journey with only Rs 2,500 of which Rs 1,000 was robbed, but I have been able to sustain myself. I don’t ask anyone for anything, but when anyone offers something, I do not refuse it,” he said.
Throughout the journey, Rohan has volunteered in dog shelters and farms, worked in hotels, served as a chef in a hostel, taught English to underprivileged children and done all kinds of odd jobs.
“I am keen on learning about religions and have realised that travel is an integral part of all religions. Despite seeing a lot of negativity around, I am glad that humanity still exists. On the journey, I have realised that the biggest problem is the plastic menace and there is lack of awareness on how to reduce the use of plastic. In the last one year, I have conducted and participated in about 15 clean-ups, “ he said.
On why he selected Siberia as the final destination, Rohan said: “I have a problem facing extreme cold conditions, but believe that we can overcome anything as most problems are in the mind. The journey has been amazing so far as I am working and learning new skills,” he said.
Rohan is the son of Ramesh Agrawal, who runs a water bottle store in Nagpur, and Seema Agrawal.
