Braving all odds, a Telegu man conqueres world on bike

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Mumbai, Oct 21 (UNI) Sporting a saffron T-shirt and denim jeans, this bespectacled 37-year-old from port city of Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh is a living example of the oft-repeated dictum, ''where there is a will, there is a way.'' Braving all odds, this die-hard optimist, Bharadawaj Dayala has achieved the distinction, which none of his compatriots have dared to think so far, of criss-crossing the globe on a 223 cc motorbike in just one-and-a-half year.

''It was not simply biking or touring the world, but it was about nurturing a dream and achieving it, which I did,'' Dayala told reporters with a sense of pride at a media meet held here yesterday.

Interestingly, when he expressed his intention to embark on this unique journey to his family and friends alike, the common reaction, as in his own words was, ''Arrey pagal ho Gaye ho, mar jaogey.'' (You have gone crazy dude, you will die).

But discounting all such notions, this fragile-bodied, 5 feet and 4 inches in height, the now-Telugu Bidda (Telugu Pride) not only successfully achieved his goal, but is now raring to repeat the feat once again, and this time plans to travel even those swathes of the globe which he could not wheel through during his maiden tour.

Dayala, whose biking journey was flagged off by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhar Reddy from Hyderabad on April 2 last year, entered into the country on October 2 via Benapol-Petrapol, the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, after spending 543 days and nights on the international high-ways, roads, lanes and by-lanes of numerous countries.

During this period, he travelled 42,000 km in addition to 8,000 km in his own country and whizzed past five continents -- Asia, Africa, Europe, America and Australia -- braving hostile winds and rough terrains as well as red-tapism.

''Much of my time was spent in dealing with the complicated official procedures, which are prevalent not only in India but abroad as well. It started from home itself, when I approached some companies and told them that I wish to undertake a world tour, they turned it down, saying that it was too ambitious,'' Dayala said.

''If they had 100 reasons, I had 101 reasons for undertaking the tour,'' he added in a matter-of-fact tone.

UNI

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