If we ask you to travel without money, you would think that we are crazy, and have forgotten how the world functions. But there’s a man called Rajat Shukla who traveled all around the country without money. Yes, this man did what most of us think of as impossible.
Born in a humble family in Ayodhya, Rajat had always tried to be at the apex. When he moved to the fast-paced city of Mumbai, he gave his best efforts to become the best version of himself be it at school or work.
He had been leading a normal life until something happened that changed his life completely. When the lockdown happened, this 24-year-old journalist was tired of doing the same things every day and was looking for lifelong experiences. He was overworking himself and was waiting to break out of his monotonous life. When he finally broke out, he traveled the country without money.
He started his journey when he was standing at Badlapur station after trekking, while his home was 60km far from that place, his next trekking destination was 90km far. Instead of going home, he decided to hop onto the second trek and started walking in that direction. At Kalyan highway when he asked a truck driver whether he would give him a lift for 90 km, he smiled and said in a fun way, ‘Come on, I’ll take you to Calcutta’. Rajat’s visit to Calcutta was followed by every city in India, and the truck drivers played an important role in his traveling anecdotes.
It is almost impossible to imagine how someone can cover a large country like India on foot, and without a single penny in their pocket but Rajat Shukla found the secret sauce to this. He believes that one doesn’t need money to travel, you should know how to seek help, and in exchange for value, people will happily offer you food and a place to stay. There have been several incidents when Rajat had helped the truck drivers or local people, and they had offered him to stay at their homes and enjoy meals with their families.
People like us in this day and age of social media find it so hard to be away from our phones but when he was in Bihar his phone got stolen, and he traveled without a phone for a long time. Rajat believes it was the best time of his life as he was able to create the most meaningful relationships.
There have also been times when he had no food to eat, and no place to stay. He slept on an empty stomach and slept on the floor on a mat. But he never gave up on his dreams, and people’s kindness. People are also curious when they see Rajat as he always has his backpack on, and several people have asked him ‘Kya Bech Rahe Ho?’/ ‘What are you selling?’ Once he tells them how he is traveling with no money, people take him home and offer him food. It is the ability to let go of your ego, and ask for help that can get you anything in life.
The Comfort zone is the biggest hindrance to one’s personal development. When Rajat moves from one city to another, he is a total stranger to the place which allows him to be friends with new people, and once he starts finding the place familiar, he leaves for the next destination in the search of satisfaction.
Rajat was already a hero in his life: a well-paid journalist, meeting VIPs every day, but he gave up everything to start from scratch and became zero. He became the unknown face in an unfamiliar city trying to navigate his way through it, and head onto the next one.
After traveling all over India, Rajat is now teaching personality development, philosophy, communication, and value development to kids at Bhavdhara Academy. He is now planning his trip abroad to share his experiences, and knowledge and learn from people from all over the world. In the age of consumerism, Rajat’s story teaches us how beautiful life can be when one follows the path of minimalism, and it is not necessary to own a lot of things to travel and live a life full of experiences.
Now you may think that after traveling all over the country, Rajat’s journey is complete, but as Rajat says ‘It’s to be continued.’
Interview collated by our Communication Editor – Alifia Olia
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