Krishanu Kona is the usual guy next door with a shy smile. And like any other 23-year-old guy he likes bikes, movies, music, photography, travel and outings. But there is something indefinable about him which distinguishes him from others. No, you cannot identify it easily. But, trust me there is something. He calls himself ‘crazy’. Maybe he is, or maybe not. Leaving that for you to decide once you read on to know who he is and what he is up to.
So, here is why I am talking of him. The young lad has thrown himself in for a challenge.
He is to travel on a motorcycle across the country covering a distance of 50,000 kilometres in the next six months. All alone with his personal Bajaj Pulsar which he is quick to mention at the outset, he “bought it in February 2015.”
And, with this he intends to set a new Guinness World Record of longest distance covered on a motorcycle within a country.
With dreamy eyes and overtly ambitious demeanour, Krishanu by all counts seems like an average college-going kid who finished his schooling from Mother’s International and pursued Digital Marketing, a PGDM in International Marketing and a job in an MNC.
But then, as he puts it, “I didn’t want my life to be a long wait. Like, we all wait for the weekend getaways and then go on an outing of a day or two. I knew that was not for me. I wanted to travel all over India. And for this there shall be no one weekend,” He started to plan for his grand all India outing last year.
“I went to my mom first. I told her I want to go and travel all over the country. And, I want to do it all alone. My mother didn’t react at that time thinking that I wasn’t serious. But in some days she understood that I was. Soon she came to me and told me, ‘son you must do it. This is something I wanted to do all my life’.”
So there he was to tread on a nation-wide journey but that was not to make any record. Krishnau then shared his idea and plans with a few more people. And, the idea with a bit of tweaking became “the Green Dream Challenge.”
Design consortium’s quest for connecting with nature and its founder Nilanjan Bhowal’s personal dream of going green then merged with Krishanu’s idea. Bhowal, an architect, offered Kona a deal he couldn’t refuse.
He offered him sponsorship for his journey. All Krishanu had to do was to visit the project sites of Design Consortium in all four directions of the country. Soon, they both sat down to work it out.
Finally, they finalised on the plan and Krishanu started off on his expedition on 30 August.
But then, Krishanu a little crazy and full of surprises still has his humour in place. Keeping control over his nervousness just before starting off he sighs, “Oh! There is no petrol in my bike. I don’t think it could reach to the nearest petrol pump too. But, it’s fine. I will manage. After all, I have to manage all alone for the next six months.” Well, that’s Krishanu still indefinable for me. And for you!
