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Tiruvannamalai Beckons: A 1000 Km solo drive from Pune to Tiru
A 20-year-old desire finally came true in 2018 in the form of a 1000 Km solo road trip from Pune to Ramana Maharishi's ashram in Tiruvannamalai.
The quest was for adventure, solitude, and spiritual truth. The universe dished up plenty of the first, a decent amount of the second, and the third — well not much — but it was more than compensated by the human kindness and help I received as I struggled to find my way through various adventures and misadventures.
If you enjoy solo travel, road travel, long drives, and trouble on the road, then you'll find plenty of material to keep you riveted to the story in this 40-page travelogue.
The quest was for adventure, solitude, and spiritual truth. The universe dished up plenty of the first, a decent amount of the second, and the third — well not much — but it was more than compensated by the human kindness and help I received as I struggled to find my way through various adventures and misadventures.
If you enjoy solo travel, road travel, long drives, and trouble on the road, then you'll find plenty of material to keep you riveted to the story in this 40-page travelogue.
38 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 17, 2021
2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 13, 2022
At ~40 pages, this is an easy and breezy read. It starts with Parag's idea of going on a long solo road-trip right since the time he was doing his Masters in the US. Paul Brunton's book A Search In Secret India: The classic work on seeking a guru interested him in visiting Tiruvannamalai where other than the historic importance, Sage Ramana Maharishi stayed most of his life. I loved Paul Brunton's book as well, and find Ramana Maharishi's teachings to be profound myself - among the most influential mindfulness teachers who emphasized the importance of real experience.
As one would expect on a long road trip there are interesting interactions and challenges. Parag takes the route via Belgavi and Bangalore.
The writing is very good and characterized by simplicity - very honest with no pretentions. A very good short read.
As one would expect on a long road trip there are interesting interactions and challenges. Parag takes the route via Belgavi and Bangalore.
The writing is very good and characterized by simplicity - very honest with no pretentions. A very good short read.
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February 21, 2024I am not much on travelogues; in fact this is the first I have ever read. But this was joyous, thrilling with even a hint of surprising mystery. Having personally spent time with Parag, it was nice to finally see the real, internal side of him that anthropomorphised inanimate objects like the Google GPS system (lovingly calling her the “map lady”) his own car, the vessel of his solicitudes, and a string of annoying toll booths.
Parag breathes life into mundane objects and situations, mirroring his observations that speak volumes of his beautiful outlook towards life. The many symbolic speed bumps that he faces, though mundane, become thrilling and entertaining as you take a back seat in his car, trying to cheer him up and hoping he reaches where he aims to reach.
There is a lot of potential in his imaginations but I was left slightly disappointed. The ending felt too rushed. Parag focused too much on the impediments he faced while trying to reach his destination rather than the actual stay once he reached. I would have loved detailed descriptions of the spots like the Ashrama where he found his coveted solitude and maybe, get more of the same internalised monologues that creatively described his journey.
Nevertheless, this is just the beginning. I feel Parag, with more practise and polish, can craft a Koh-I-Noor from the diamond in the rough we currently possess, maybe in his future travelogues. I say this as objectively as possible. But my subjective heart is convinced we will get that 100 carat gem someday. I can’t wait to journey with him again through his future travelogues.
Keep polishing man, you have a creative spirit.
Parag breathes life into mundane objects and situations, mirroring his observations that speak volumes of his beautiful outlook towards life. The many symbolic speed bumps that he faces, though mundane, become thrilling and entertaining as you take a back seat in his car, trying to cheer him up and hoping he reaches where he aims to reach.
There is a lot of potential in his imaginations but I was left slightly disappointed. The ending felt too rushed. Parag focused too much on the impediments he faced while trying to reach his destination rather than the actual stay once he reached. I would have loved detailed descriptions of the spots like the Ashrama where he found his coveted solitude and maybe, get more of the same internalised monologues that creatively described his journey.
Nevertheless, this is just the beginning. I feel Parag, with more practise and polish, can craft a Koh-I-Noor from the diamond in the rough we currently possess, maybe in his future travelogues. I say this as objectively as possible. But my subjective heart is convinced we will get that 100 carat gem someday. I can’t wait to journey with him again through his future travelogues.
Keep polishing man, you have a creative spirit.
February 10, 2023
An Excellent Piece Of Travel Writing !
*Genre: Travelogue
*Target audience: This book is best suited to those who love both good travel writing but also have some spiritual aspirations.
Right off the bat I must say that the author possesses quite a wry sense of humour. Some of the witty writing either had me smiling faintly, chuckling along in agreement or just outright laughing aloud!
The author mentions cherishing a strong desire to someday go on a solo travel trip and seek out thrill and adventure. This book most certainly has its fair share of that and with it’s wild (& mild) ups and downs ,there’s no doubt that a reader is in for a most entertaining read.This is undoubtably an excellent example of travelogue /travel writing & I’m eager to re-read it soon!
Final Rating : 5/5 Stars
This was merely a cursory/ ‘micro review ‘ . If you’re interested in a more exhaustive and in-depth review then please take a look below
https://childofdevi.wordpress.com/202...
*Genre: Travelogue
*Target audience: This book is best suited to those who love both good travel writing but also have some spiritual aspirations.
Right off the bat I must say that the author possesses quite a wry sense of humour. Some of the witty writing either had me smiling faintly, chuckling along in agreement or just outright laughing aloud!
The author mentions cherishing a strong desire to someday go on a solo travel trip and seek out thrill and adventure. This book most certainly has its fair share of that and with it’s wild (& mild) ups and downs ,there’s no doubt that a reader is in for a most entertaining read.This is undoubtably an excellent example of travelogue /travel writing & I’m eager to re-read it soon!
Final Rating : 5/5 Stars
This was merely a cursory/ ‘micro review ‘ . If you’re interested in a more exhaustive and in-depth review then please take a look below
https://childofdevi.wordpress.com/202...
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews