Mithun Govindasamy’s parents thought that he was away at Leh attending a meditation camp. He was, but after the course, the 21-year-old from Pollachi decided to cycle back from the Valley all the way to Kanyakumari. “I had always wanted to go to Kashmir. When my yoga instructor asked me to join a Vipassana course, I chose Leh as my centre.” He had initially planned to cycle from Srinagar to Leh after his course, but “once I started, I didn’t stop.”
Words gush out in a torrent as he talks about his trip through Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala to reach Kanyakumari. “I chose to cycle as I thought it would be more adventurous. Cycling also helped me to get a glimpse of the lives of the local communities and I was not polluting the environment either.”
Cycling high
Govindasamy flew with his bicycle to Srinagar, where he met Col Kulawant Singh at a repair shop. “I told him about my plans and he offered me accommodation in army camps from Srinagar to Leh. He also wished me luck and asked me to pray for peace in our country. I decided to dedicate my trip to peace and harmony.”
