(Image source from: Kolkata rickshaw-puller pedals up to Ladakh})
Where there is a will, there is definitely a way. A cycle rickshaw-puller from Kolkata in India proved it. He pedalled for two months to cover an arduous journey of 3,000 km to reach the Ladakh valley in Northern India.
Satyen Das become the first man to achieve this feat. He started his journey on June 11 and after 68 days he reached Ladakh on August 17. Das pedalled his rickshaw through Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Srinagar, Kargil, and crossed the famous Khardung La in Ladakh during his long journey.
The 44-year-old rickshaw-puller says when he said he crossed Pathankot in Jammu and Kashmir, the local people told him they they were seeing a rickshaw in their village for the first time.
Naktala Agrani Club in south Kolkata financed his trip. Patho Dey, club secretary says they had estimated the trip will cost around Rs.80,000. The amount was raised from among club members. They were impressed by Satyen's passion and determination to go for the adventure, added Patho Dey.
For the trip Satyen refurbished his rickshaw with an enhanced braking system. He installed new tyres and upgraded his rickshaw's body with that of light steel for his adventure. Das pedalled between 40-50 km every day and during nights he halted at a religious place for safty and free lodging. At times he also had to sleep under the open sky.
Satyen says the most challenging part of his journey, which was also the best, was passing through the Khardung La. The pass is at an elevation of 17,582 feet and offers stunning views of the mighty Himalayas. While covering the stretch he had to get down from the rickshaw and pull it with hands as the road sloped upward. It was a tough job pulling the rickshaw up through the rough mountainous terrain. However, the picturesque scene he got to see made it worth the effort, said Das. The rickshaw-puller also recounted a scary moment when he met a snow leopard in Leh.
Among the memorable and proud moments of the journey, Das recalls locals and tourists stopped to click rickshaw selfies with him.
Satyen Das undertook the journey to promote rickshaws as an eco-friendly means of transport and also to spread the message of peace in the world. He was accompanied by a documentary filmmaker from Kolkata to record his feat.
(AW: Pratima Tigga)
