After my Trip to Nepal with my friends now I was mentally prepared to ride my Triump alone. My family suggested me to make a trip up to TriputiBalaJi in Andhra Pradesh. I started serious thinking about it. While drafting the itinerary for this trip I chose to first go to Gaya in Bihar and from Bihar to Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh to Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and then to Rajasthan. The itinerary was ready and the total distance was coming out to be of six thousand kilometers approximately. I applied leave for 30 days and it was granted. This trip was for more days and more distance than earlier trips.

When I was planning for this trip in fact it was not only for Tirupati Balaji. It was through West Bengal then from eastern coastal way up to Pondicherry and through Karnataka, Gujarat, back to home. It was about ten thousand kilometers trip. After discussion with family members, rethinking it was trimmed. It was the month of February when I started. In those days, my friend Sh. Surinder Singh was working in Saharanpur. I diverted my route through Saharanpur. It was early in the morning when I started. I can feel the chillness of that day even today. Both of us met at outer edge of Saharanpur. After sharing tea, we departed. I stayed for one night at Agra, Lucknow and for two night at Banaras. I do not know why, but up to Gaya, I didn’t shoot a single video clip. Through Agra, then Lucknow, Banaras, I reached Gaya. Gaya is an important city according to Hindu religion. It is believed that in Gaya, while performing a particular Pooja, your Prayer, reaches to your elder members of your family who have died. I performed this Pooja with the help of Pandit Ravi. Now with the strength of these blessings, I was ready for my future journey. While Gaya, one is supposed to visit Nalanda University, passage for road made by Shri Dashrath Manji. I visited both these places by hiring a taxi of Shri Pintu Singh. This outing was of a full day. Next morning, I left Gaya. I still remember that before I reached Gaya, suddenly I was surrounded by thick rain and traffic jam on the bridge of Sona River. This Jam was of about five to six hundred trucks for more than three kilometres. I was completely exhausted because of rain, when I reached Darbar International Hotel near Railway Station of Gaya. From Gaya I was to reach Bastar in Chhattisgarh State. Bastar is an important district in Chhattisgarh. It is important because of its size and in earlier days it was a den of terrorism. This was one of the bigger districts of India. I stayed here for two nights before I reached Rourkela. Rourkela is in Odisha and it is third largest city of Odisha. On the way from Bastar to Rourkela, the journey was full of excitement and enjoyable from Rourkela. I was to reach at Rajamahendravaram. This is a city in Andhra Pradesh. I left Rourkela for Rajamahendravaram. On the Way I experienced different types / terrain of roads and I crossed all such roads, but when I was near to Rajamahindravram, just on the border of Odishsa and Andhra Pradesh, the rear tire of my bike got punctured. It was about 2:30 PM. I was all alone on this road. With no option / alternative I took out my tool kit and started removing the tire of bike. I don’t know what would be the shape of God and how does it help, but while I was busy with my bike, someone tapped my shoulder and offered help. I got some relief, but when that person told me that he is a mechanic, now I was confident that my problem is solved. He himself took out the tire. He told me that he would take the tire to some tire shop for repair. I agreed to him as I had no option. He took the tire. I do not know where, but I was left with my bike without the rear tire. I had no option but to wait for him, after two and a half hours when he didn’t come. I got worried, but after about an hour later, he came with the repaired tire. He himself fitted the tire and advised me to change the tube at the first chance when I get. I thanked him and the Almighty and started my journey for Rajamahendravaram with the thoughts about this instance. I felt that it was a person in shape of GOD who suddenly appeared and helped me. At about 9.30 in the evening, I reached Rajamahendravram. According to the original plan, I was to stay here for two to three nights. In fact, Rajamahendravaram is the place where the Godavari River emerges in Bay of Bengal. When I was in my room in the hotel, I searched for nearby triumph dealership, it was in Vijayawada. Vijayawada is about two hundred kilometres from Rajamahendravaram. After reaching Vijayawada, I contact the dealership. I was told to come next day while they ordered new tire and tube. When I reached dealership next day, I got my bike serviced, but I had to wait for one another day for the tire and tube as they were to be procured from Chennai. Next day in the evening tire tube were procured by the dealership person. Sh. Moka Prasad told me to reach a particular shop from where the tire and tube could be replaced. Since I bought this bike this was the first time when I faced this problem. Now my bike was fit and both of us, me and my bike, were ready for next part of journey. Next stay from Vijayawada was at Nellore. It is about 280 kms. from Viajywada.

Next day, I left Vijayawada at about 3 PM. Now this time I was quite confident and excited as the problem was solved. As I mentioned earlier that you never know the face and identity of God in which he meets you. I was on the way to Nellore, one bike crossed me and while crossing the rider waved me, I responded him. One thing that I realized during this trip is that nothing happens without any cost in your life. Now this biker crossed me, waving me, it’s a usual thing. It often happens when a person sees a biker on a journey, he or she, waves to him. After riding about hundred kilometers, I stopped at a tea shop. There, I saw that the same biker was there. Actually, those were two people riding on single bike, both of them were having cold drinks, and I took my cup of tea. Over this, we discussed from where I was coming and going and to where those people were going. The name of that rider was Nikhil. He was riding from Vijayawada to Tirupati. We shared our telephone numbers. He offered me on my request, any type of help for going to the temple. Tirupati Balaji is a famous temple in that area and other parts of the country also. After this, we departed. Nellore is a district in Andhra Pradesh and it’s located on Banks of Penna River. By sunset, I was riding on roads. In late evening I reached my hotel. I was to stay here for one night only. After having dinner, I came out of the hotel. At that time most of the shops were closed. After about half an hour, I return to my room and slept.

Next morning at about 10.30 AM, I left Nellore for Tirupati. It was the day fixed with my wife that on 24th of February she along with the family of her sister and me will reach Tirupati. Those people reached Tirupati on the fixed day. I went to meet them in their hotel. In fact, this was my first time in Tirupati and all of them had come here for 2-3 times earlier also. They had already planned to approach the temple. When I met them, those people were little bit worried as their plan was not working. I called Mr. Nikhil for help and he very gracefully accepted my request and advised me to reach temple without any delay and to call him when we reach there. I discussed the plan with my family members and they immediately agreed. We hired a taxi and reached the temple, contacted Mr. Nikhal on phone, and according to his guidance, we were able to pay our gratitude to the Almighty, prayed for blessings. For the whole night we were in the queue. At about 7 AM after having our breakfast, we started our journey back to Tirupati. They dropped me at my hotel. Those people were to fly back on the same day, but as I was tired, I opted for stay there for one more night. On 26th of February, I was ready for my next part of ride. This is the basics different of a tourist and travelers. A tourist approaches the destination in a quick and safe mode, but a traveler reaches the destination of his own. Tirupati is a famous city because of the temple of Shri Venkateswara. This temple is on the one of the seven peaks of Tirumala Hills.

On the next day, 26th of February, I started my ride for Kurnool. Kurnool is a major city of Andhra Pradesh. Earlier it was capital of Andhra Pradesh. Kurnool is about 350 km from Tirupati. It took about eight hours to reach Kurnool from Tirupati. From Kurnool, I was going to Kalaburagi. Kalaburagi is a district of Karnataka. By leaving Kurnool and entering into Kalaburagi, I left Andhra Pradesh and entered to the Karnataka state. From Kalaburagi to Ahmed Nagar, Ahmed Nagar is a district of Maharashtra. Historically Ahmed Nagar is place where the Mughal Samrat Aurangzeb died. I was to stay at Ahmed Nagar for one night. Next morning when I loaded the luggage on bike, once again there was a problem with the rear tire of bike. I could not find any tire mechanic near to the hotel. With the help of my air pump, I covered some distance and came out of the city. Actually, I saw a shop of tire mechanic. I approached him, but he guided me to some other shop on the opposite side of the road. It was Shri Dutt tire workers. I approached that person. He asked me to guide him how to remove the tire. With our common efforts the tire was removed. The puncture was repaired. The nail in the tire was removed. The tire was fitted and after making the due payment I started my further journey towards Nashik. By late evening, I reached Nashik.

The distance from Ahmadnagar to Nashik is not much. It is about 150 kilometers. In fact, this short ride from Ahmed Nagar to Nashik was planned just for taking rest by reaching Nashik early, but because of tire problem, my time was wasted in Ahmed Nagar. From Nashik I left at about 7.30 in the morning for Ahmedabad the capital of Gujarat. It is about 500 kilometers. Now I was riding from South direction to North direction. On the way to Ahmedabad, I stopped at few places. By 10 PM I reached Ahmedabad. There I stayed for two nights. Shri Arshpreet Singh, nephew of my friend Sh. Surinder Mallhi, flying officer of Air Force, met me.

After spending two nights here, I continued my journey for Mount Abu, a hill station in Rajasthan. Stayed there for two nights and went to Jodhpur. Here also, I stayed for two nights. From Jodhpur to Bikaner for one night. Before reaching Bikaner, I visited Shree Karni Mata Temple. Bikaner to Sri Ganga Nagar for one night and from Shree Ganga Nagar to Chandigarh.

On the Way, from Sri Ganganagar to Chandigarh on the outer edges of Abohar, my friends, Shri Jagvir Dogra, Pankaj Lona and Puneet Kukkar came to meet me all the way from Fazilka. They arranged a cup of tea in a restaurant for me. The owner of the restaurant was known to Shri Jagvir Dogra. I was surprised with the devotion of that person. When he came to know that I was coming from the Tirupati Bala JI Temple, he actually touched my feet, by saying that for him these feet are as pious as the temple is. At this point of time, I got emotional. After an hour I left for Chandigarh.

During this part of journey, I meet my old friend Shri Namdev Singh Sidhu, he gifted me few kilograms of Jaggery. The Sun was on the way to set when I left from Lehra Mohabbat. This was the last part of my 30 days long trip.

The darkness prevailed and I started feeling cold. When I was crossing Rajpura I called Vijay Prashar, my son, to bring a jacket for me and meet me at Banur. In fact, when I was travelling from Nashik to Ahmedabad, I had lost my one of the bags containing some important tools, warm clothes and a pair of shoes. I reached Banur and had a glass of juice as refreshment by then Vijay had reached and he delivered me the jacket. Now I was feeling comfortable. From Banur It took me just 40 minutes to reach my home, House No. 2523 Sector 27-C, Chandigarh.