Bhubaneswar: It might not be a common sight in India to see women revving up their bikes and putting up helmets to embark on a long solo road trip. But, it is a reality now. More and more women are breaking the stereotypes to vroom into a male bastion of riding motorbikes. And, believe it or nor—they aren’t just sitting pretty on motorbikes. They know everything from changing tyres, fixing clutch wires to racing and sometimes they can even awe you with stunting. Today, women are not restricting themselves to nimble scooters, but are also riding super bikes, bullets and the classic ones. They are stand as equals to their male counterparts.
In such a changing social scenario, 26-year-old Chennai girl Radhika Rao is touring India on her bike to spread love and peace. A freelance photographer by profession, Rao had taken up the journey of touring the country in just six months time.
Rao had started the journey from Chennai April 9. After covering Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Raipur, she is presently in Bhubaneswar. In Orissa, she has visited Sambalpur, Jharsuguda and Puri. Her next stop will be at
West Bengal.
“Our country is a symbol of unity in diversity. We celebrate so many festivals, wear different types of dresses, and speak different languages. This fascinates me. Through this journey, I want to capture the happiness of each and every place and people. I want to spread cheer and joy everywhere,” said Rao.
As this idea struck her mind, she bought an Avengers 220 street bike. “I got the support of my parents. They never stopped me from taking up adventure trips since I am a girl. I have even taken training on repairing bikes so that I can handle minor glitches during the journey,” she added.
Her petite stature is not be mistaken for her gigantic plans. “Sometime people question my decision of travelling. But I want to show that everyone is eligible to do whatever they want. There should not be any differences of gender or anything,” she added.
In Orissa, she had visited Puri and sought blessings of Lord Jagannath. “It was only when I reached Puri,. I came to know about Lord Jagannath and his greatness. I learnt about Nabakalebara festival is characterized by the installation of new idols at the temple. I was happy to know all these things. This journey is helping me to know the culture and traditions of various places,” she said.
“I was amazed to see how people were devoted to Lord Jagannath in Puri,” she added.
She is also the member of a bikers’ group called Bajaj Avengers club. “The club has supported her journeys in many ways. I started this road trip with crowd funding and with the help of friends and parents. I am excited to face challenges during the journey,” she said.
Arindam Ganguly, OP
