S. Vikram has not done many adventurous things in his life. But that is about to change. On May 3, the 23-year-old started out on a 4,000-kilometre journey on foot from Kanyakumari in South India to Kashmir in the country’s extreme north.
He spoke to TAN editor Arnab Nandy on his motivations and goals for this odyssey, and life in general, a day before leaving on this adventure of a lifetime.
Excerpts:
AN: Hello Vikram. Tell us about yourself.
SV: Hi. I am from Madurai city in Tamil Nadu. I am 23 years old and hold a diploma in mechanical engineering. Till recently, I used to work at a vehicle service centre… had that job for 1.5 years. But now I have left it to go on this journey.
AN: What made you want to go on this journey? This is not something most people would do…
SV: I am not the most adventurous person. But over the last months, I had been feeling that the days were rolling by and I was not living to my full potential. So, I decided to change my situation. I want to become a travel photographer and this journey will hopefully be the first step towards that goal.
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AN: It’s a brave decision to leave your job to pursue your dreams. Have you been inspired by anyone?
SV: Shubham Dharmsktu, who is just about the complete his Kashmir-to-Kanyakumari solo walking expedition, has been a big inspiration. The adventures of (adventurer and social activist) Nigin Binish and (traveller-entrepreneur) Vimal Geethanandan also inspire me. Getting to know about their incredible stories made me believe if they can, I can do it too. They travel slow but far, without spending almost any money.
AN: Other than it being a prelude to your career as a travel photographer, do you have any other specific goals for this trip?
SV: I am doing it for the thrill of new experiences as a traveller on foot across India. Perhaps my story will motivate some people to give their dreams and goals a chance…
AN: You have shared a rough itinerary on your social media. How did you decide on the places you are going to pass through? You do realise you’re going to be walking long distances in the peak of summer…
SV: I have considered the summer factor, which is why I chose a route through Kerala and along the Arabian Sea coast up to Mumbai. Hopefully, it will be relatively pleasant near the sea. From Mumbai, when I head further north through Gujarat and Rajasthan, the height of summer will have passed.
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AN: What have you packed for the trip?
SV: I’m not carrying much… primarily my clothes, a water bottle, and my camera,
AN: How slow/fast are you going to go? Do you have a date by which you would like to complete this trip?
SV: I plan to walk on an average around 25 kilometres a day. But that would change according to the day’s circumstances. The entire journey, I think, will take around 200 days.
AN: How do you plan to fund your trip? Have you found sponsors?
SV: I really have no idea and I certainly don’t have enough money to fund the trip on my own. But I am going ahead anyway and hope things fall in place. Sponsorships will certainly help me but like I said earlier, I haven’t done anything like this before and I don’t know if anyone would want to sponsor me. So, to be honest, I have not made efforts to get sponsors. I have a destination and I am just walking towards it.
AN: Have your family and friends been supportive of your decision?
SV: I’ll say that’s a 50-50 for my family. They are not thrilled but they’re not very against it either. And my friends, most of them are confused about why I would do such a thing!
