[adityaNview]

Statement by Me: "I have a Twin Flames Retreat in Rishikesh"

Reply : "Oh Wonderful"

"I feel like driving down to Rishikesh from Raipur"

"How many of you will be travelling?"

"I will be travelling alone"

"I hope that you are taking a driver with you!"

"Nope! I plan to take this trip alone with Krishna {God} as my companion"

"ARE YOU MAD?"

I had this one conversation with almost every family member and most friends. Some asked me to consider alternate means of travel like flights, however, being a diesel-head, all I could feel is "the heart wants what the heart wants".

I had skipped introducing myself to this beautiful forum earlier and therefore I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I am Aditya Agrawal, M, 34 Years, resident of Raipur, Chhattisgarh. I have studied law and pursued business, but am now a full time professional tarot read. I am also pursuing my Twin Flame Journey. I am not sure if many members here are aware of it, but if they are curious, I would love to talk to you about it. Just for reference, it is a journey we take to undergo transformation whereby we follow our heart by feeling into things, instead of applying logic or mind. No, we do not give up or relinquish money, assets, and family, instead we explore more and more things about ourselves with a heart full of love and compassion. Lastly we pursue our eternal romantic interest who shares the same core values as us, making them the only person sharing our exact soul blue print.

The retreat was taking place at a resort near Rishikesh, Shaantam Resort and Spa, between 15th and 17th September, 2024, whereby, a group of around 40-45 people were getting together to learn more things and share their life stories.

I was ready with my trusted life ride, a Sept 2023 purchased, Black Toyota Fortuner 4X4 AT with only 35000 Kms under its belt. It was also suppose to celebrate my cars 1st Birthday.

Just for reference, this is my 3rd Fortuner in a row and trust me, I have tried a lot of vehicles in between but could not buy another car because of my love affair with Fortuner.

I have been always under the watchful eyes of my parents. And this decision to drive alone was constantly met with fearing question of uncertainty. What if you meet with an accident? What if you get stopped by strangers and robbed? What of your vehicle breaks down on the way? What if you encounter a puncture on a lonely road? What if you face road rage by locals? And many more.

To be very honest, I was beginning to doubt myself. These "concerns" were scaring me. However, when I looked within me, I was an optimist. All fear and doubt vanished when I realised that I, as a tarot reader, was suppose to help people face their fears, and if were to let this fear cripple me, I wouldn't be able to meet my eyes and compromising on that self respect was not an option.

I also had this desire in me to achieve my goals, once I have set them, in real time instead of postponing them into the future.

I have read a lot of travelogues on TeamBhp over the years and somehow, it had planted a seed in me too to drive and explore the country.

The plan was set in place. I started riding on 13th September, in the afternoon, to reach Jabalpur and stay there for the night. Total drive time 6 hours, 349 Kms, with one short tea break at Hotel Nataraj in Chilphi Ghati.

I started around 8 in the morning towards Rishikesh. I had hoped to reach Rishikesh by late night. I was under the assumption that I will be able to drive for 1100 Kms at a stretch and if not I will stay put in Delhi. Due to some error, I found myself on the Old Delhi Road from Agra instead of the Yamuna Expressway which I had intended on using. Jabalpur to Jhanki was slow and through lots of small villages. Gwalior to Agra and ahead was a hectic patch with thousands of truck and high traffic reducing my speed drastically.

I saw Vrindavan on the way and instinctively turned towards the directed path to visit and pay my respects to Krishna ji. I stayed there that night and it was a wonderful experience.

I had the opportunity to visit The Banke Bihari Temple. I attended the Aarti as well by gods grace, because I reached at the opportune time. Being a weekend, the whole place was jam packed with thousands of devotees. There was a lot of rush and no place to get in. A didi, who visited daily, held my hand and took me inside the temple. I feel blessed to have felt the surreal vibrations that the place holds. After a very quick visit to Nidhi Van, on insistence of my mother, I started my journey towards Rishikesh.

Starting from Vrindavan, I quickly encountered good roads leading eastern Peripheral Expressway leading directly to Delhi - Meerut expressway. It was my second time on such large expressways and therefore I was a little overwhelmed. I was astounded with the speed with which we were covering long distances.

Entering Uttarakhand was magical. There is a reason why it is called gods own land. The air was fresh, traffic was light, and the feeling was surreal. I quickly made it to Haridwar and moved through Rajaji National Park for my destination. It's a beautiful green corridor with narrow, not so good roads but with beautiful scenery.

I reached the resort around 4 PM. I had covered 1461 Kms in the past 48 hours and I was proud of myself.

The next three nights we stayed in the resort with little to no driving.

When I was suppose to start my return journey, two friends joined in to ride with me to Delhi. What was suppose to be a 7 hours ride, soon turned into 15 hours. We when to Mahakal Temple near Rishikesh, followed by Chaetti ghat. One of my friends, suggested we take the Canal Road towards Haridwar which meant driving approx 40 kms next to a Canal with Ganga water being taken places. This was mesmerising. Since it was pitrapaksh period, we decided to stop at Haridwar for dip in the Ganges and performing Pind Dan for our ancestors. We were again lucky to fetch the last Gondola ride to Mansa Devi Temple in Haridwar, which is located on a hill top. we reached Delhi at 2 AM.

The next day, I started with a heavy heart towards Raipur. I again took the Western Peripheral Road, which was followed by Yamuna Expressway (YAY), then Agra - Lucknow Expressway and finally, Bundelkhand Expressway. I drove for about 8 hours, covering 700 Kms. I stayed at a small town Chitrakoot, on the Madhya Pradesh - Uttar Pradesh border. I wanted to continue driving but was suggested by my brother to rest as it was entirely safe crossing Panna Forest region past midnight.

I couldn't sleep that night and hence was back on the road at 6 in the morning crossing Satna, Kanti, Jabalpur and Chilphi Ghati to reach Raipur by 6 in the evening.

Total Distance covered was 3189 Kms. I was happy that I was not stopped, not even once, at any check post or state border crossings. I found one puncture two days later in Raipur and got it fixed immediately.

Personal Thoughts:
1) In hindsight, I should have taken the car to showroom for a check up or at the very least could have checked the tyres and their pressure. I did not.
2) One thing I realised on this trip is that Google Maps have improved tremendously over time and the time that they show is now more practical and the difference between my travel time and the time they estimated was very minimal. I am not a frequent Google Maps User and therefore I had assumed that the estimated time of arrival will reduce significantly as the travel progressed.
3) I could have taken an alternate route from Raipur Via Nagpur or Seoni too. However, somehow, I just did not feel it.
4) The mental attitude matters a lot. I have seen it and have felt it that a positive mindset can work wonders for you. When you are negative, you are bound to attract ngativity in your life.
5) The people in India are friendly and helpful. At every turn I took, never did I encounter a bad person or foul person. It was a delight to travel. People here amaze me with the help that they provide. I was offered help by a politician, a unknown one, in the middle of nowhere, near Damoh, whereby that person took a detour of 10-15 kms in the opposite direction just to help me reach a particular road to help me. Another incident includes, a hotel manager who stayed awake to serve me dinner and show me my room in Chitrakoot, late at night.
6) It never occurred to me but I realise it now that being a member, on this beautiful forum, I could have received a lot of help if the need had arisen.

Personal Notes on my ride, The Butch Fortuner.
1) The car felt at home always. Be it the expressways, or the village roads, single lane highways, the mountain roads and ghats, and the river bed. There are some areas near Rishikesh where we could take Fortuner down to the River Ganga. It would classify under mild off roading and I had a great time manoeuvring the car.
2) In comparison to the previous generation ( A White 2017 Toyota Fortuner AT 4X2), the current generation of Fortuner, has improved upon the ride significantly. It wasn't as harsh as before. Road cuts and joints did not feel that significant in this one. This one has a softer ride which is way more bearable than the last one. However, as a result of the softer ride, the handling isn't as great as the last generation.
3) I got 11.9 Kmpl as mileage. I paid approx Rs. 25000/- as fuel expenses.
4) Personally, in last 16 years, I have driven upwards of 6 lakhs in Kms, but had never wandered off alone to any remote corners in the country. One of the things assuring me that I could accomplish this task was the fact that I was driving a reliable Toyota. I understand that it all comes down to the driver, but still, it helps when the car is reliable.
5) I never felt any back ache. I did find my right shoulder numbing out a little with all the driving around.
6) I have nothing but high praises for selecting this car as my ride. With so much sentimental value attached, I have never felt this attached to any other car.

Time for some pictures.














Thank You to all of you for sharing this incredible journey called Life.

[gypsyFreak]

Congratulations brother.

What a nice coincidence.
I am in the midst of my 8000 KMs solo drive, sitting here in a hotel in Tangste waiting for dinner. Just a casual browse and Google dishes out your travelogue. A good read and good luck in your future drives.
I can relate to all questions you faced and much more. I will publish my travelogue once I am back in Bangalore.

[SidTheChamp]

Congratulations on this incredible solo journey. From your travelogue and photos, i sense you have an incredible positive energy and happiness to cross such long journey mostly alone and with a great smile.

And you had the right companion for this. The Fortuner is a great car for long trip

[adityaNview]

Originally Posted by gypsyFreak

Congratulations brother.

What a nice coincidence.
I am in the midst of my 8000 KMs solo drive, sitting here in a hotel in Tangste waiting for dinner. Just a casual browse and Google dishes out your travelogue. A good read and good luck in your future drives.
I can relate to all questions you faced and much more. I will publish my travelogue once I am back in Bangalore.

Hello!! Thank you for your wonderful words!! It is indeed a wonderful coincidence. Always happy to be able to feel good energetically to a fellow traveller. I am looking forward to your travelogue. I made the mistake of not clicking too many pictures. I wanted to see and feel everything with my eyes instead of focussing too much on the camera. However, while I was writing the travelogue, I realised that I should have clicked more pictures of my ride to share here with the family.

[adityaNview]

Originally Posted by SidTheChamp

Congratulations on this incredible solo journey. From your travelogue and photos, i sense you have an incredible positive energy and happiness to cross such long journey mostly alone and with a great smile.

And you had the right companion for this. The Fortuner is a great car for long trip

Thanks a lot Sid!! Indeed I try to keep myself on a positive note. I feel that negative energy just keeps on taking from you whereby the positivity helps support the community at large.
To be honest, I love the Fortuner. The problem is that it is very hard to replace. I have tried my hand at a lot of other SUVs. Even when I want to change, I feel that I need to buy a second car without letting go of the Fortuner. I wont be able to manage a one car garage without a Fortuner. I have finally decided to look forward to buying a wonderful companion to my Fortuner.

[Kkumar]

Congratulations on successfully completing your first solo drive. Lets hope that we can hear more such wonderful stories from you. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

[arnab.i@gmail.c]

Great work with the tenacity and courage. Travelling solo has a completely different kind of homework and determination. I haven't dared to pursue this kind of challenge yet. But you make it look so easy that I am tempted to try it sometime.

[jawalover193]

What an incredible solo journey! Covering 3200 km on your own is no small feat, and it’s inspiring to see how you balanced preparation, optimism, and trust in yourself to make it such a memorable adventure. Hats off to your spirit of exploration and your unwavering confidence in yourself and your trusted Fortuner. Safe travels on your next adventure!

[adityaNview]

Originally Posted by Kkumar

Congratulations on successfully completing your first solo drive. Lets hope that we can hear more such wonderful stories from you. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.

Sorry for the late reply. I am looking forward to creating more such memories. More than anything, these experiences help us learn about ourselves!!

Originally Posted by arnab.i@gmail.c

Great work with the tenacity and courage. Travelling solo has a completely different kind of homework and determination. I haven't dared to pursue this kind of challenge yet. But you make it look so easy that I am tempted to try it sometime.

Hello Arnab, I am really sorry for the late reply. To be honest, it's difficult. But we always have two choices. To be scared or to be brave. I try to find the strength so that I can choose the latter. I hope that you do too. Cheers Mate!!

Originally Posted by jawalover193

What an incredible solo journey! Covering 3200 km on your own is no small feat, and it’s inspiring to see how you balanced preparation, optimism, and trust in yourself to make it such a memorable adventure. Hats off to your spirit of exploration and your unwavering confidence in yourself and your trusted Fortuner. Safe travels on your next adventure!

Thank you so much kind Sir for your wonderful words. I am sorry for the late reply. One thing I have learnt is that we should trust our intuition / feeling. Our feelings are the communication centre with God. So have faith and choose to believe in yourself. Having a Fortuner is always Fortunate. Thank you so much.