He flew to Australia to study architecture 18 years ago and returned to India on Sunday on a two-wheeler. Raj Narayan Andagare, son of a teacher, travelled 40,000 km by road from Melbourne in two years to get home.
When he reached Balehonnur, his native place in Chikkamagaluru district, his parents, relatives and friends were overjoyed as they had been waiting for him since early 2014.
Raj Narayan completed his studies in Australia and began working there. But, the itch to return came in 2014. He sold his car and purchased a motorcycle, a tent, sleeping bag, camera and other essentials required for the journey. He started from Melbourne and rode through north Australia, Central Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Bangladesh, Nepal, and finally India.
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“The purpose of my journey was to study traditional patterns of house construction. Being an architect, I am interested in understanding construction activities. All through my journey, I visited many places and studied how people build simple houses. Besides, I like riding. Travelling on a bike gives freedom and helps understand different places very well,” the 39-year-old biker told journalists he met in Hassan and Chikkamagaluru on his way home.
As he reached Azad Road in Hassan, he stopped and interacted with pedestrians and they crowded around him eager to learn about his long journey. He modified his motorcycle to carry his belongings. It has a mobile phone and camera battery-charging facility.
On the way, he spent nights in his tent or in people’s homes, temples, mosques and churches. He also met with an accident, but recovered soon to plough on.
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Raj Narayan has been recording his trip in a photoblog. Now, he plans to join his brother Ajith, also an architect in Bengaluru, to continue his professional journey.
39-year-old Raj Narayan,
who began his ride from Melbourne in 2014, reached Chikkamagaluru on Sunday