On the road to Leh

Jasmine Singh 

While Bollywood actor Hrithik Roshan in an advertisement announces to the world that after taking a sip of a refreshing drink, one can conquer the world, Delhi-based professional photographer, Tarun Jha went on to authenticate it in his own style and for a cause!

Tarun has been cycling for a while to raise awareness about pollution, and it is the same reason that made him pack his bags and jump on a regular bike costing Rs 15,000 to a journey from Delhi to Leh to tell people that they shouldn’t push nature to the wall. 

 “Last year when my wife was pregnant she suffered a chronic attack, which gave us a real scare. The doctor blamed it on pollution. That was when I thought I had to do something to get people’s attention,” shares Tarun who left for Leh on June 13 and reached back to Delhi on July 2.

Riders in groups and even solo riders have attempted this route before, and so did Tarun this time, but on his ‘regular’ bicycle. “Why I stress on the word ‘regular’ is because had I used a hi-end bike for the same, people would have given the entire credit to the machine and not the cause.”

Though Tarun doesn’t recommend people to hit the road without any preparation, he himself didn’t sit down to make notes, prepare a route map or anything of that sort. He smiles softly, “Sometimes too much planning and thinking about risks doesn’t allow one to take a step forward. I did go for 3-4 rides prior to going to Leh but that was it. I relied mostly on Google for the trip,” adds Tarun. 

With no prior planning at Tarun’s end, many a times he had to spend a night at gurdwaras or in night shelters. The young man was okay as long as his cause was being noticed. “I met so many tourists in Leh from Delhi, Chandigarh and Punjab who pledged to ride to work at least once a week.” 

Plan ahead

If you plan to do what Tarun did, well, then here is how you and your bicycle should prepare.

• Get a rear view mirror on bicycle. 
• Also, front and back headlights for night journey.
• Avoid trying this feat in peak summer.
• Carry around Rs 40,000 tucked safely away. 
• Avoid riding late in the night.