Unusual Means of Travelling
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 15 Jul 2024
Dr. Ravi P. Bhatia – TRANSCEND Media Service
We are aware of different types of travel around us. Here I am going to talk of different type of vehicles — bikes or cars or carts that are common place in today’s conditions in India.
The most common vehicles in cities are the diesel or petrol driven bikes that young people drive — fastest for youngest drivers. There are also smaller scooters — scotties for travel. Of course, there are also the common, well known bicycles which different types of people ride for going short distances. Sometimes youngsters may also travel long distances on their bicycles on special occasions.
Three or four wheeled carts are also quite common in India. These are often used for carrying various domestic items. Some of these have products for eating that people cherish — Indian style foods — golgappas, local style burgers that are saltish, or sweet kulfis— local ice creams etc. Southern type idlis or dosas are also popular with people who want to eat a light evening meal on the roads or in small restaurants nearby their residences.
We also have four or six wheeled buses or trucks used for carrying heavy loads — when people are changing their homes or when heavy machinery has to be moved for starting a new business, mainly in towns.
In cities many people keep dogs as pets . They are of different breeds and of different sizes. It is interesting to see how people walk their pets . Often the dogs are huge and powerful and it appears that it is not people who take out their pets for walks but the dogs pull the people and make them walk on particular paths.
Of course, there are some very rich and influential people, who own horses as their pets. These animals are paraded on special occasions and people enjoy seeing these horses dressed in colourful attire. They are not often used in horse driven carriages called — tongas today in large cities in India. They are therefore a source of attraction for onlookers.
Earlier, on special occasions like Independence Day or Republic Day of India, dignitaries such as President or Prime Minister would usually come to the special venues by horse driven carriages. Today for different reasons including for security purposes, these important dignitaries use their special cars accompanied by security vehicles to come to the designated venues and enjoy the Festival activities and parades of soldiers and special motorised vehicles etc. Usually, people arrive at the designated spots by different means — including special vehicles and enjoy the festival activities and parades taking place.
Horses are indispensable at traditional Hindu marriages . The bridegrooms often go to their brides’ homes for marriage, seated on their horses accompanied by close family relations who walk alongside. Of course, today rich men often use cars also for going to the brides’ homes for marriage purposes.
In India, we also sometimes see people seated on camels travelling from one point to another on special days. Some owners of these animals give rides to youngsters by charging a small amount of money — twenty or fifteen rupees for a distance of half or a quarter km and so on. Many years ago when I was a young man I would sometimes ride a camel with its owner accompanying us on foot. I still remember how I would feel — up and down, down and up, while seated on the slow moving camel.
As indicated above, there are various types of vehicles that people drive . There are also horses or camels used for travel, that can be seen on roads. In South India, there are some special festivals where elephants with men seated on them are made to travel on special paths. People demonstrate their special skills to travel on different animals — horses, camels and elephants . Today, there is a lot of technology and diversity visible while traveling — animals, motorcycles, motor cars etc.
We also have special trains that move on different tracks in India — hilly tracks that often are semi circular in shape. There is no end to technology and peoples’ desire to travel on difficult tracks — people are not bothered by possibility of accidents while travelling. Some accidents — fortunately small, do take place but most people are not bothered by them. For them, travel is a source of adventure and thrills. Air travel has also become common and comfortable and adds to the thrills in various regions of today’s India.
Let people enjoy their thrills but they must ensure that these are not too dangerous.
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Dr Ravi P Bhatia is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace Development Environment, an educationist, Gandhian scholar and peace researcher. Retired professor, Delhi University. His new book, A Garland of Ideas—Gandhian, Religious, Educational, Environmental was published recently in Delhi. ravipbhatia@gmail.com
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 15 Jul 2024.
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