17,700kms and counting!

Ever since Galileo's discovery that the world was indeed round, people have dreamt of circumnavigating the g lobe. Over the centuries many suc h journeys have bee n made by land, sea and air, and each has irs unique features. Currentl y in Australia are thr ee young m en from India who have embarked on ao epic jow:ney to travel round the world by road. lt might seem an insane fantasy, b u t the Great lnclian \Xlodd Trip is well and truly on its way. The drive will cover a staggering 7Ll,U00km s oo roads across the g lobe that range fro m being smooth as silk to unpaved ones that will trn.ly test the driving s kills of rhese young men, and the 4x4 itself. The days a nd nights will unfold across the skies of 50 counu-ies and 6 continems, with our intrep id young men meeting and associacing with different peoples, races, langu ages a nd foods Sure ly it takes a steely toughness to w1dertake such a project.

Tushar Agarwal, Sanjay Madan, Prasad and thei r trusted 4\,'vD fo rm the team of this wo rld trip. The stated motivation for the journ ey is a n attempt to challen ge the common man's definition of d1e NRI It's aa endeavour to see beyo n d the glitz associated wi th the concept of the NRJ. The ream intend ' to interact with such Indians settled the world over and find out how life is treating them'. Ulcin1ately they wish to ger an idea of how Rls are faring in their chosen lands. So why do I get the sneaking feeling that it is the lure o f an exciting adven nire with all the risks invo lved in doing so m e thing breathtakingly huge, that is the true motivation fo r this enormo u s journey? \Xlith such a ven ture full of challenges, it is e.'lsy to e nvisage the rush of adrena lin o n e might feel as one starts to wonder whether the project w ill succeed There can al so be the d esire to test oneself. \Xlill the bod)' and mind be able co endure the stre n uous schedule? Has the forward planning accoumed for all the contingencies that might arise? To answer these questions can itself become a r eason for undertaking such a journey.

The obvious question i s - will the Great Indian World Trip succeed? Of course, one never predict the funire but it's very unlikely that o ur team will be the proverbial bunnies caught in the headliglus of a 4x4 The team's track record speaks fo r itself Previously they had d ri ven 12,000km from London to Dell1i in .51 days. T hey h ave been part of the Indian team at the ASEA India Car Rally 20 12, from Indones ia to India. One endearing achievement was the record- setti ng drive in the tiny Tata Nano to Khardung La Pass at 5600m on the highest motorab le road. There have been many other record - breaking drives high up in the Himalayan ranges including to Mt Kailash and Mansarovar Lake, and down on the plains.

The team has also officiated in the most popu lar car rallies i n India including Desert Storm and the Formula 1 race. Who would bet against Tushar, Madan and Ptasad completing their current world trip?

Often it is wise not to gee too carried away by one's own lifestyle and the high - 5s associated with it. The g lamour and adulation ch at comes w ith undertaking a drive round die world can easil y go to one's head. Those less fortunate and not in one's devared circle can often be fo rgotten and left behind. So it is very much to its credit that The Great lnd ian \Xlorld Trip has taken up the cause of the Guru Vishram Vrid h Ashram in Badarpur, Delhi. This ashram takes in the sick, the destitute, those with mental and physica l ailinents, and provides a place of safety and shelter for the elderly. These young men arc spreading awareness of the ashram, and providing a platform for the pub lic to make donations to it via the J\shraa1's website.

The drive has already passed d'U'ough Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore, covring nearly 7,000km s. "The 17,700km drive across Australia is an attempt to create a Guinness World Record," confirmed Tusbar. Ar the time of goi.ng to press, the trio was beading to Sydney. Late r they head to other coumries such as Tanzania and South Africa, which are home to wonderful wild l ife. Some coun tries being visited in clude those wid1 political tensions such as Kenya, Columbia and som e in Central America.

The route goes from Alaska in the very north, to the somhern-rnost tips of South America and Somh Africa. From Alaska and California i.n d1e west to Sydney, far away in the ease. So many hours to sit in tbe driving seat as the world goes by. So many chance events that may take place with the joy of the accomplishmen t as it unfolds.

In the near furore I expect to meet the rrio co learn more about their stories; but in the meantime, I wish our adventurers well. To quote from their webs ite V.'W\V. g reatindianwoddtrip com: "Roads No Roads. T he expedition must go on Th is can happen only when it's steered by men who believe in i r, powered by a machine char n ever lets them down an d backed by a mechanism that keeps the engine roaring and wheels rolfu1g. The Grear Ind ian World Trip is no e."ception".