KOCHI: Aravind Santhosh had set out to see India. And the kindness of strangers kept him going.
The 27-year-old solo traveller from Pathanamthitta has journeyed across all 28 states, not in pursuit of records or social media milestones, but to understand the country’s people, cultures and everyday lives.
His travels began in 2017, soon after he got his driving licence. Weekend motorcycle rides across Kerala gradually turned into longer expeditions to Karnataka and Goa while he was in college pursuing BTech. In 2021, he completed a 75-day motorcycle ride to Ladakh, covering 17 states.
“I realised I was passionate not about riding, but about travelling,” said Aravind, now an MTech graduate. “A motorcycle lets you cover distance, but limits your experience. I wanted to slow down and connect with people.”
So, he abandoned the idea of measuring journeys in kilometres. To complete the remaining 11 states, he hitchhiked, took buses and shared taxis, and relied on local transport. Hotels hardly featured in his plans. Instead, he slept in a tent, in places as varied as BSF camps, temples, churches, mosques, gurudwaras, petrol pumps, shopfronts or stayed at homes of complete strangers he met during his 91-day journey that began in February and ended in May.
According to Aravind, in parts of Meghalaya and Mizoram, neither Hindi nor English helped much. Yet, conversations somehow continued.
One of the most memorable experiences unfolded on the road from Itanagar to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. Travelling on a Sunday, he realised that almost every shop was closed.
Having eaten only a Rs 10 packet of biscuits since morning, he asked a couple who had offered him lift if any restaurants were open. Instead of directions, they invited him home for lunch. Later that evening, he took a another lift — with a senior police officer who dropped him at his driver’s house, where he spent the night. “People in the Northeast welcomed me like family.”
The journey also brought unexpected companions. A backpacker from Bihar travelled with him for nearly a month, while another from Gujarat joined him for almost two weeks before parting ways.
Beyond the landscapes, festivals became windows into local life. He stumbled upon a harvest celebration in Tato near Mechuka in Arunachal Pradesh, witnessed the annual festivities at the Chaurasi Temple in Himachal Pradesh and experienced the Kumbh Mela.
Unlike most travellers, Aravind rarely follows rigid itineraries. Meghalaya, meant to be a five-day stop, became a 15-day stay. Mizoram, a destination he knew little about before arriving, ended up becoming one of his favourites, with Aizawl leaving an impression.
Years of backpacking have also reshaped his outlook on life. “Travel teaches you to adjust. You stop expecting comfort and start appreciating people. I used to be stubborn, travelling changed that.”