CHANGED REALITIES
Adarsh Mohandas
Exploring Swaraj 1.0, 2020
This journey of Swaraj has been really meaningful for me and is extremely relevant one considering the times that we are in.. Each participant had a huge role to play in order to create a space which pushed everyone’s thinking. The conversations and discussions really pushed me and triggered parts of me which were lying dormant. The support from the group has enabled me to explore a project that has been in my mind for a really long time. I am really happy that I have taken this journey. It was extremely fruitful!
Aishwarya Pradip
Exploring Swaraj 1.0, 2020
I feel empowered having had the opportunity to Explore Hind Swaraj. The experience expanded my outlook on the world and opened up important questions and quests to be pursued personally. I would recommend this experience to anybody who is looking to place oneself a step higher in terms of understanding Gandhi, his ideas and the very relevance of Swaraj.
Aishwarya Phadke
Swapathgami Cycle Yatra, 2020
I believe I have been pushing the boundaries of the concept of comfort zone through minimalistic, wholesome travel experiences. Recently though, I participated in a week long cycle yatra, which is by far the most unconventional travel I've undertaken. Money-less, gadget-less 5 days of cycling on a basic non-geared cycle through central Kerala. The idea was to experiment with gift culture, where we would rely on all our needs to be fulfilled by the universe (through kind strangers on the way) either selflessly or in exchange for some help we could offer them.
This 1 week away from my phone, money, chemical products, and only carrying 3 sets of clothes was transformational in more ways than even I understand at the moment. Countless moments of immense gratitude towards strangers who offered us bananas, meals, water, biscuits, places to stay amongst other acts of kindness.
I'm inspired, overwhelmed and changed! Thank you Travellers’ University's Rahul, Ashik and Ashwini! Keep doing what you guys are doing! You guys are incredibly kind, thoughtful and revolutionary.
Here's to learning and friendship!
Nandini KS
Nila Yatra, 2019
As part of homeschooling our 8-year-old son, we travel frequently. Nila Yatra was the most eventful and educative of all the trips we have been so far. It was a very meaningful trip of learning. We got an experiential awareness of many things throughout the trip, mainly the human connection with the river and pollution that is happening in the name of development. Our path towards an alternative and sustainable way of living got deeper with a lot of insightful experiences. The diversity in the group brought different perspectives and was an eye-opener. The trip was thoughtfully planned and at the same time, it was not tightly structured.
Nidhi Majumdar
TTT 2.0, 2019
TTT has been a wonderful and alluring experience for me which I think I can't express in words but still giving it a shot. It has been a life-changing experience. I not only learned to travel slow and got so many important tips but I also travelled miles within myself. Since then I have built the courage to move around along with my 9-year-old daughter. We visited different places and met people who in their own ways helped me evolve as a person and I observed my daughter blossoming beautifully.
For the first time in my life, I made so many friends during my travel and places I visited in just four months which I never did in my 38 years of life till now. I had always been hesitant and reserved. My heart feels light and content to travel and wants to be like this forever and now I can't picture myself without travelling. The most important thing along with learning about travelling which highly impacted me was the love, warmth, trust and support I received from not only the facilitators Deepa, Tautik, Rahul, Ashik and Ashwini but also from all the participants in those 6 days. And the friendship continues with the same feeling is a treasure for me that I will keep for my whole life. I actually have no words to express my gratitude to each and every person from TTT and so my travel will continue now all my life.
Chinmay Dhiman
Swaraj Yatra, 2019
I started wearing organic Indian attire for formal meetings. I now don't judge people directly, but try to understand the situation from their perspective. I'm not afraid to drink outside water as we drank water from so many places and nothing happened. I've fallen more in love with forest after that forest tour we did. I have started to understand the structure of society with so much more clarity. I feel more connected to myself following a lot of important lessons from Swaraj Yatra. I have left almost all daily use products. I as well feel less scared about interacting with animals now.
Vivek Mahajan
Swapathgami Cycle Yatra, 2018
As a child born in village, inside our own home and schooled at the town nearby the village. But most of my long summer & Diwali holidays including all short holidays, I have been experiencing & living the rural culture. Having this background, I know any new face seen around in villages, was and to some extent is considered a guest of a village. So they treat that person or persons like a guest.
Likewise, in our cycle yatra, we have experienced village people's generosity & willingness to share. And we were so overwhelmed & touched by their hospitality & love. While this emotional & self-introspection happening in the thoughtful mind, one thing I realised that definitely these village people may not be giving the same love & the willingness, generosity to share their commodity with their neighbours or cousins. ....
So, I felt very strongly - " Let me carry with me from this cycle yatra, that I will inherit the kindness, love for all fellow humans & generosity to share ....... especially in my daily life with all living beings around me.
Mohit Gupta
TTT 1.0, 2018
Being from a middle-class family and engineering background, I never had a chance to explore much about life, nature and people. I always did whatever society/family asked us me to do. Never questioned on anything. But there was a bug inside me who keeps telling me to follow some unconventional paths. After quitting my job in the corporate world, I got a chance to meet Rahul Karanpuriya, cofounder of TU through one of our mutual friends. And that’s when I realized that there are people who are not caring about society but listening to their heart. Through TU, I met a whole community where people are doing so many unconventional things and learning more deeply about life, nature and people. These are the people around us but we never bothered to know them because we were so busy in our lives.
I was still exploring me as a person travelling to different places and meeting new people like Himachal Pradesh, Pune, Goa etc under the guidance of TU. I learned that people around the world are the same and it depends on us that how we judge them. Basically everyone is our reflection. So the very first change starts from ourselves and this world is a way more beautiful than it appears. I always questioned that how people travel so frequently and still managing everything. That myth was broken down when I attended this workshop “Transition from Tourist to Travel” hosted by Traveller’s University. And it was again a chance to meet great facilitators. Learning the art of slow travel and sustainable travel so that you’re not exploiting the community and nature of that place. It feels that the way we live is fulfilling the needs of our body but not our soul. So I would say TU is one of those communities where you get a chance to explore a truly YOU with the help of their amazing journeys.
Alok Pandey
TTT 1.0, 2018
साल भर हो गए होंगे । उस वर्कशॉप में मैं इत्तेफाकन ही आ गया था। लेकिन उस इत्तेफाक ने मेरे भीतर कुछ सुंदर फूल खिला दिए, छोटे छोटे जंगली फूल। आप मिले । दीपा मिलीं। और साथी मिले। एक से एक। LSUC का पता मिला और राजस्थान कबीर यात्रा की राह भी। मैं तो जानता ही न था कि ऐसे लोग भी हैं इस दौड़ती - भागती - हाँफती दुनिया में। कोई मेहता साहब हैं जिन्होंने बंजर को जंगल बना दिया। कोई मनीष जैन हैं जिन्होंने उस जंगल में स्वराज यूनिवर्सिटी का वट वृक्ष लगा दिया। कोई राहुल है जिसके पास 52 परिंदे हैं और ख्वाबों में ट्रैवेलर्स यूनिवर्सिटी। कोई तौतिक हैं जो अपनी प्यारी पत्नी के साथ पैसे का नहीं इस धरती का आलीगंन कर रहे हैं । कोई दीपा हैं जो इस दुनिया को न सिर्फ नई आंखों से देख रही हैं बल्कि देखने की आँख भी दे रही हैं। एक बहुत प्यारे दोस्त भरत ठाकुर भी उसी वर्कशॉप में मिले।
आप लोगों ने उस वर्कशॉप में बहुत कुछ सिखाया , बिना जताए । सिखाया कि कैसे कम से कम में जिया , रहा और इस प्यारी पृथ्वी को घूमते हुए प्यार किया जा सकता है। कि कैसे अजनवी वर्षों पुराने दोस्तों जैसे लगने लगते हैं। कि कैसे देते हुए जीने से जिंदगी भरती चली जाती है। कि कैसे खेलते खेलते हममें जीवन खेलने लगता है। कि कैसे वालंटियर ज्यादा हो जाते हैं और काम कम। कि कैसे साथ खाने में स्वाद साथी हो जाता है। कि कैसे कोई तौतिक 5 रुपये की फेवी क्विक से एक चप्पल 5 साल चलाता है। कि कैसे दीपा के छोटे से झोले में सारा संसार समा जाता है। कि कैसे राहुल की साइकिल हाईवे से परे की दुनिया के दिल मे समा जाती है।
बहुत प्यारे दिन थे वे मेरे दोस्त। कि फिर से 'जीने' का मन करता है।