Rashmi Rekha Das, OP
Avid traveller and model, Priya Priyambada has an unquenchable thirst for exploring quaint destinations and gathering knowledge of peoples and cultures
Priya Priyambada has many feathers in her cap. She is a traveller, travel blogger, model and social activist. Just a girl who travels, as she calls herself, she is one of youngest travel bloggers who admires art, history and culture of destinations both across and outside India and picks the most exciting places of all.
Her aim is to discover undiscovered places and let people know about the beauty of these places through blogging. She has won several accolades. Her travel stories will encourage you to take a trip, right away. Orissa POST spoke to the multifaceted woman about her journey as a model and blogger.
Hailing from Bhadrak, Priya prefers solo travelling or with people who are as curious as her. “I don’t believe in the saying ‘It’s a man’s world’,” she said. “I explore the world on my own terms. I love to explore rural and tribal areas with a historical relevance. I have visited many rural yet interesting places in Sikkim, Kerala, Rajasthan, Goa, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. I have visited many states just to explore people, their traditions and cultures. Everyone knows about Thar desert. But people hardly visit Khuri desert. I visited the place and wrote about it in my blog. Khuri is a famous spot where you will be treated to many beautiful views. People are fascinated by the adventures they have in the desert. Camel rides at Khuri sand dunes are very popular. I had a great time, thanks to barbeque dinner, camps, folk songs and khalbeliya dance. That apart, there are also mud houses in the desert where you can stay and enjoy.”
About her amazing experiences as a traveller, Priya said: “I had many exciting experiences as a traveller. I am sharing one of the most exciting yet terrible experiences I had last year when I was at the Ranthambore National Forest, in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. It was a tiger safari, a territory hosting more than 50 Bengal tigers and a lot of other wild species. One of my friends was working there at the forest department and with his help I was able to fulfil the craziest dream of mine: I went to the jungle by the travel jeep at midnight, just to experience the night scene. I even heard the roars of the wild animals. Barring the tigers’ roaring, I could not make out who else were roaring. It was damn scary, horrible, and I didn’t know how I managed to hold my breath.”
“In a wild, deadly jungle only two persons in a jeep, one of them me, explored the nightlife of wild animals and it is the craziest yet the most extraordinary experience in my life till date,” added Priya, who visited Koh Phi Phi island in Thailand and posted every details of it in her blog post.
Priya, who is all set to explore England next month, said: “My favourite destination is Jaisalmer, the Golden City. For me, the place is not less than any wonder. From history to present, from ancient to heritage, from desert to lake, from classic to royalty, from the golden fort to the wildlife sanctuary, from most haunted place to India’s war shield Tanot Devi are favourite spots in this royal and heritage city. The city’s cultural heritage, loving people, special Rajasthani food everything was so great.”
That’s not all about Priya. She has made a mark for herself in the fashion and glamour world. She was crowned Miss Stylish Girl Odisha in 2013, at Forum Mall in Bhubaneswar. It was a pageant organised by Big Bazar. Later, she was selected for the reality show IICE-The City Crawl along with their broadcasting partner Channel V in 2013. In 2016, Priya won the title of Mrs Global India Extreme cause in Goa. She has appeared in several calendars as a model.
Asked about her aim as a model, Priya said: “My goal is to achieve Mrs India Crown as the first Oriya married girl.”
What are her other interests? “Apart from content writing, blog posting and travelling around the world, I am passionate about helping the needy. I visit schools and distribute study materials among needy students in my leisure hours.
About her inspiration, the Kolkata-based model said: “I would like to attribute my success to my husband, software entrepreneur Dhrub Patel. He always motivates me to do different things.”
