PATNA: He dons a leather jacket, settles himself on his 410cc adventure bike and takes to the road every day. Meet sexagenarian
Sharat Sharma, who set out on a 28,000-kilometre solo trip from Haryana on March 18 to raise awareness about rash driving and traffic rules.
Riding on bumpy roads with a camera, a laptop and a diary, Sharma has already covered major states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. During the course of his six-month journey, he will travel to the remaining states and Union territories, except Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar as “they are difficult to be covered on a bike”.
Sharma reached
Patna on Saturday evening, put up at a hotel, visited the Patna Sahib Gurdwara and ate Bihar’s famous ‘litti chokha’ on Sunday. He left the city on Monday morning for his next destination — Sikkim.
The motorcycle enthusiast does not believe in dining at “expensive” restaurants or meeting “tourists” because he has had “enough of these”. When he reaches his destination, he eats the “local” food, interacts with the people and encourages them to follow their passions.
“I make sure I sleep at 9 every night and wake up at 4am. I follow a 45-minute strict exercise regimen before hitting the road at 8am. I ride throughout the day and immediately consult a local when I am lost. That’s how we connect instantly... Wahi mere GPS hain,” Sharma, who does not use his cellphone or earphones while travelling, told TOI.
At the end of each day, Sharma uploads pictures to his Facebook page and jots down the “interesting” events in a well-maintained logbook.
“It was a 2016 report on road accidents that triggered me to fulfil my Bharat bhraman dream. According to the data, approximately 51,000 accidental deaths every year are of two-wheeler riders, most of whom are in the age group of 18 to 35 years,” he recalled and thanked his wife and two sons for their continuous support.
What keeps him “alive and kicking” is Sharma’s positive attitude towards life. His goal is clear: Spread awareness about being a safe rider, stay fit and enjoy life’s journey.
The sexagenarian also urged youngsters to
ride responsibly. “With retirement, I began my third innings and set out on an arduous journey, using my pension fund. It’s high time we realized that people, regardless of their age or gender, can fulfil their dreams and lead a healthy life — no ifs and buts about it,” he said.
Representative image