Arjun enjoys the rush of adrenaline because he is also an outdoor sportsperson. With months of meticulous planning on the best route, and rigorous fitness training required for such a journey, he started on his Trek 520 bicycle in December 2023, to travel 3600 km. 

He rode through a medley of scenic places, exotic locations, dangerous forest zones, fatal roads, in browbeating heat coupled with the constant humdrum of traffic. In the ghat roads, he was at Cloud Nine and had a breezy ride. As he travelled South the heat and noise wormed its way and challenged his mental faculties. He took his breaks wisely, once when he was bitten by the stomach bug, probably instigated by the street food; and the other when he rode 97 km without a stop till 2 am, just to test his endurance; he chided himself for being a mad guy.

While on a morning walk, his encounter with a tiger within 30 km distance, with nothing to defend himself, is spine-chilling, but Arjun makes the moment  seem light by commenting, “ I could have been his breakfast.”  Finally, on nearing Salem he hitchhiked rather than be a roadkill. He wanted to reach Kanyakumari and not Hell! Arjun was overcome with mental fatigue and decided he was satiated with the adventure. His joy on reaching the tail end of India and his journey is almost palpable. We too breathe a sigh of relief on reading that the trial is OVER.

He had his pilot vehicle within 20 minutes of proximity throughout the journey, to address any emergencies en route.

Arjun Mark has chronicled the whole journey in a blog. The travelogue is an interesting read and a good guide to aspirants who wish to embark on a similar trip. Stunning pictures captured at interesting and mind-blowing scenic spots is a special treat in itself. Excerpts from the Blog are given below for our readers:

On leaving Kashmir, there was an excellent road for 100 km with a thrilling view of military convoys seen all along. The next 100 km was a scenic ride across the ghats with a lot of downhill and uphill turns. The ride to Phagwara was misty, but enjoyable because it was December. The loud Jhatt Punjabi music in hundreds of tractors all along the way resonates the hills making the ride memorable. I then shifted to a service lane which was very foggy and riding alone became a bit monotonous.

I started early from Panipat, as I loved riding in the fog. Play some music on your headphones to replace the traffic sounds and you’ll reach in a jiffy! Once you enter Delhi, the traffic and the pollution on the road hits you badly. 

Between Agra and Gwalior one had to look out for stupid dumb bikes and cars randomly trying to kill you from all directions. It’s like you are playing Carageddon on your Xbox. (Drive carefully Arjun). It is here that we enter Rajasthan from UP, for a little bit and enter MP. So you cover three states on the same day. A common sight across all three states was the cow dung drying all along the roadside. In Rajasthan, it was vertically placed, and in other states, it was placed flat.

It is now Day 10 and I am driving between Gwalior and Jhansi. The entire shoulder I could see people spitting on the road. I had to carefully dodge them to enter the warm Jhansi. A boring nasty drive. 

There was a light drizzle with a lot of fog; Riding on a bridge, with a massive wide river and a scenic reservoir beneath. A sickening scene along the highway was dead cows everywhere hit by speeding vehicles. Riding from Lalitpur to Sagar I could sense a little pain. Probably with no motivation and no sighting of the sun either, since I left Kashmir. At Sagar I decided to take a couple of days break, only to rejuvenate my mind. Riding solo with the consistent noise of the traffic gives you mental fatigue. Physically, I was fit as a fiddle.

From Sagar to Mungwani (150 km), traffic was low, and the roads were good. For some weird reason, most people on this road are fascinated by your blinking headlights and keep gesturing that your lights are on and that you need to turn them off! Some entertainment!!

Now, on the way to Rukhad. The road becomes scenic and enjoyable with forests on either side.  The sun becomes harder hereon. Strangely, I found broken glass all over the shoulder throughout the stretch. Never seen so much glass on any other road ever! This road had the least traffic but the most number of car and truck accidents. Also, I had bad stomach flu, hence I bonked and had to hitchhike from halfway through. Shit happens!! But I recuperated fast with the invigorating ambience of my stay, well tucked inside the tiger reserve overlooking a lake.

At daybreak, I walked up to the lake beside my cottage to spend some time. As I walked back, I spotted a tiger just 50 m away. Encountering a tiger in the wild when on foot was a spine-chilling experience. It had obviously been watching me all along. 

I realised then, I could’ve been its breakfast! On Day 15, that was a close encounter, and the most memorable moment.

Today was also my fastest 100 km. If you love wildlife and wilderness, this elevated road which cuts across the Pench forest reserve, to facilitate the wildlife to walk across, is a monumental ride.

Though I covered the 100 km between Nagpur and Adilabad at a good speed, the traffic, heat and zero scenery made it a punishing ride for me. The 235 km that followed, I had covered in 19 hours; what with the loaded bags and a heavy bicycle this is a strict NO for anyone to try. ( You must be mad, Arjun!)

After a painful, yet personally satisfying 19 hrs of testing my endurance level, it was 2 am and no place to halt. I thought I would faint, so I took a free ride to Hyderabad city. I really deserved this to conserve the little energy I had.

On Day 19, riding to Sankalamaddi, I felt the first signs of desperation. I’m wondering why I am putting myself through this extreme pain. My brain is totally fried. Pushing beyond 100 km to get to Kurnool gets too boring and painful mentally. I need to just hang on and carry on. ( Bravo Arjun!) If the way to Anantapur was the ultimate mental fatigue test, the ride to Hoskote was the last straw and I was mentally giving up due to the heat. Nothing was working my way in my favour today, what with the heavy headwind and the uphill climb. Today was my encounter with the first k2k cyclist. I also saw a huge python alongside the road. Someone had killed it for no apparent reason.

Day 23 from Hosur to Salem was mostly downhill and should have been a breeze. But ironically this was one of the most painful days;  by now my body and mind have almost shut down due to extreme fatigue as I’ve not taken a break over the last 600km. Every pedal is a hell of a task. Trucks are just two feet away speeding. Scary road post 80 km from Hosur. 

The road to Madurai via Karur was very scenic with palm trees and hills; One of the most enjoyable days of the entire trip. The road to Tirunelveli is full of windmills, paddy, palm trees and partridges. 

I started very early, today being Day 27 and I am at the tail end of my venture. Had a good tailwind. I reached Kanyakumari even before I knew it! 

Finally…DONE!

Arjun Mark is a resident of Sastri Nagar. Visit his blog for detailed breakdown of the trip https://arjun724.wixsite.com/bicycle.

As a part of the Madras Day celebrations, Nizhal along with Green TN Mission and Rotary District 3232, organised a Heritage Tree Walk on Aug.20. The walk started at the beautiful Indira Nagar park which is visited by hundreds of people but what they do not know is, Indira Nagar park houses some amazing heritage trees that are more than a hundred years old.

• At the entrance of the Indira Nagar park is a tall majestic tree, which is often mistaken as a mango tree from a distance. It is the Illapai Maram, also known as the Indian Butter Tree. Many temples have this tree as a Sthala Vriksham. This tree has a cluster of leaves which looks like a flower, while its flowers actually are pale white that bloom at night and have a sweet scent. The flowers, when dried, can be a replacement for sugar. Its fruit is fleshy and edible. The bark is pale brown. The tree can grow up to 20 feet and is a semi deciduous tree. Bats love its fruit and its seeds are dispersed by bats, highlighting the intricate dance of nature’s interconnectedness.

• Our next destination was the Andhra Mahila Sabha, home to a magnificent Baobab tree. This exotic wonder exhibits a truly captivating form and colouration. When viewed from a distance, its silhouette conjures the image of a steadfast elephant. Its robust trunk contains 79% water. The hollow trunk serves as a reservoir, adeptly storing water to brave arid times for African tribes in Africa. The contours and configuration of this tree deviate intriguingly from the norm, setting it apart in the botanical tapestry. The blooms that grace this tree are a pristine white, lending an air of elegance to its stature. But it’s the maturation of its fruit that truly captures attention – resembling dark rats with distinctive tails. Remarkably, these fruits have earned the affection of bats, their inherent sweetness forming an irresistible allure for these nocturnal creatures.

• The third destination was the beautiful Government Museum which houses a lot of history, culture as well as many historic trees. If the trees and bricks could talk, they would probably give a detailed version of Chennai’s history. Our journey began with the venerable Thaandri, which is also known as Vibeethaki – the tree renowned for dispelling fear. Adorning its branches are clusters of leaves, each one contributing to the canopy’s lush embrace. Come April, these trees undergo a remarkable transformation by shedding their leaves completely. The new and fresh foliage with vibrant shade of red can be mistaken for flowers. The delicate pale white blossoms they bear resembles Indian badam’s flowers. Their fruits hold within them a treasure trove of medicinal properties, particularly valued in Ayurvedic practices where they play a crucial role in crafting triphala. These trees hold a revered place in ‘Sithar Padal’, as they are believed to possess a superiority even greater than that of a mother – their presence thought to bolster a child’s immunity and safeguard their well-being.

• Our second spot at the Museum was the highly medicinal plant – Veppalai, known in English as Snowflakes tree, which grows in drought prone areas. It gives out a milky white liquid when the leaf is plucked. The leaves are the cure for skin diseases, mainly Psoriasis. The flowers are small and white and attract a lot of bees and butterflies. Their seeds are being eaten as rice ‘veppalai rice’.

• We also saw the majestically tall huge Timber tree, known in Tamil as Nunnera, Button tree in English. It is an indigenous tree and it has dense hard roots. It also has lots of medicinal uses. It is a hardwood tree and is used for making furniture. It requires very little maintenance and a potential species for afforestation in arid lands.

• The historical May Day Park in Chintadripet too houses many heritage trees. The Putranjeeva tree thrives here. It is known as the Child life tree. This species has male and female trees separately (sexual dimorphism) as seen in our palmyra palm. They cannot be distinguished unless they flower and bear fruits or unless the farmers have traditional knowledge. This tree came into limelight because this tree was on debate in the parliament in 2015, as the product from this tree was being prescribed as assuring male children to the females. Later it was clarified that the product name was misinterpreted and it only treats female infertility. The leaves hang gracefully from the tree and the fruits have high medicinal value. 

• Taking centre stage in the May Day Park is the revered Neer Kadambai, a captivating freshwater mangrove species. Distinguished by its unique life cycle, the tree’s fruits delicately dangle from its branches. The seeds themselves embark on an extraordinary journey, initiating their growth while still nestled in the embrace of the tree. Once fully matured, they gracefully descend into a watery expanse, typically a coastal wetland. There, they fulfil their destiny by germinating into new, vibrant plants, perpetuating the cycle of life. These plants have beautiful red flowers which add to the beauty of this tree.

• The majestic Banyan tree is a popular landmark in the Government Hospital, Omandurar Estate. It is the national tree of India. Its name was derived from Gujrathi traders or Baniyas who used to conduct their business under the Banyan tree. The tree has a wide girth and has unique prop roots. The interesting part of a banyan tree are the pollinators- the tiny wasp which are so small that it can go through the eye of the needle. The fig wasp enters the tree and lays its eggs. The male eggs hatch first and fertilise the female egg. It makes the exit hole bigger and die. The female eggs hatch and within a span of hours find another banyan tree to repeat the process. There is no specific fruiting or flowering season.

• We even met the first cousin of the Taandri tree, popularly known as Arjuna Maram or Neer Maradhu, deriving its name from Arjuna of Mahabharata who was famous for his white clothes. The bark of this tree is white. The trees are very tall and have green leaves which will turn yellow around January and then bright brilliant red. Then the flowers and fruits will emerge around April. The bark of the tree is good for heart ailments. It is a tree which needs a lot of space to grow but unfortunately this tree is enclosed in a concrete enclosure.

• The last destination was the Queen Mary’s College. It houses the exotic Lignum Vitae also known as Tree of Life-National flower of Jamaica. It has the densest wood and the bark looks like a leopard’s skin. It has a beautiful foliage; flowers are blue in colour and filled with blue tiger butterflies during the flowering season. The fruits are orange in colour. It is used as a shaft in the ship’s propeller, as it does not rot in the water.

I thoroughly enjoyed my participation in the Heritage Tree Tour, a wonderful event co-organized by Nizhal and Green TamilNadu Mission. This immersive experience provided valuable insights into the historical significance of trees, their native environments, and diverse attributes such as flowers, fruits, leaves, propagation methods, and even medicinal properties. The guided tour, skilfully led by Ms.Sowdamini, Ms.Chitra and Dr.T.D.Babu proved to be both enlightening and engaging.

Partnering with Chennai Snake Park on ACCEPT (Advanced Centre on Conservation Education, Planning and Training), and led by former forest officer, Dr. S. Paulraj, the Snake Park got the Tamilnadu Forest Department to initiate a path breaking workshop on ‘Biodiversity Conservation Through Sustainable Ecotourism’, on June 8. The workshop was hosted by V.G.P.Ravidas, MD of VGP Group, at its aquarium, the Marine Kingdom.

The workshop, which was the 1st state-level workshop of such a kind, was conducted on World Oceans Day. The event was more of a south zonal meet, with delegates attending from as far as Visakhapatnam and Calicut. Even IITTM (Indian Institute of Travel & Tourism Management), Gwalior, the nodal agency for Sustainable Tourism of the Ministry of Tourism was represented by a 4-member team. S.Mohapatra, IFS, Head of Tamilnadu Forest Dept, was the chief guest of the event and the guest of honour included S.R.Reddy, Chief Wildlife Warden, Dr.N.Krishnakumar, Retd. Head of Forest Force, and Dr.Giri Rengaswamy, Dean of Aarupadai Veedu Institute of Technology.

The objective of the program was to link with the Tourism stakeholders, and together look into the prism of tourism from the forestry conservation angle and bridge the opposite poles of commerce with conservation. 

Presiding over the function, Ravidas took the 125 delegates on a curated tour of the aquarium, highlighting its subtle contribution in awareness generation and public participation in biodiversity conservation. A publication on sustainable eco-tourism, authored by Dr. Paulraj was brought out by the Forest Department and released on the occasion.

Afternoon workshop session was chaired by Dr.N.Krishnakumar and co-chaired by Dr.N.Ramjee on topics like ‘Influence of education and interpretation in sustainable ecotourism’, ‘Biodiversity conservation through sustainable ecotourism’ and ‘Influence of NGOs on sustainable ecotourism’. What surprised most was the active participation of the Head of Forest Force and Chief Wildlife Warden with the conservationists, academicians and tourism professionals until the end. The event concluded at dusk on the beach with a profound exercise on the health of the ocean, its currents and safety in the water.

Notable amongst those who facilitated the program were the former member secretary of TN Planning Commission Dr.Sugato Dutt, Dr.M.Kirupasankar of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Dr.T.D.Babu of SPARK, Diver Aravind of Temple Adventures, Showkath Jamal of Bay of Life, K.S.Gopinath of India Tourism, Rtns. Raja and Sona Prakash, and scientists led by Dr.S.Arivazhahan of Chennai Snake Park.

For more details contact 73959 17040.

“Your flight starts with a briefing from your pilot. You are then strapped onto the trike in front of your pilot. The paramotor is activated, and the ground begins to slide away from your toes in a quick burst. It’s almost like riding a motorbike in the sky, very high. The height depends primarily on the weather conditions. On the plain ground, we fly the paraglider up to a height of 1000 feet. If necessary, the flight can be terminated at any time and reach the designated landing area within minutes,” Mani Kannan, founder of Adventure Aero Sports Association, explains.

They currently offer two packages – silver and gold. The silver package can be opted for by a single person or a group within 5, and is priced at Rs.3200. Gold is available for more than 6 people and is priced at Rs. 2700. People can also rent a Go Pro camera or Insta 360 camera to record their flying experience.

Adventure Aero Sports Association also offers pilot training in Paramotoring and has trained various pilots who have gone on to win various competitions. They are also associated with the Tamilnadu Police Department in training the police officials in paramotoring and have assisted police in various rescue operations.

The flying spot is at Illanthope, Pattipulam, ECR. For more details call 94880 11194 and 82489 85030. For more details and to book a ride visit fly2day.in.

We started from Chennai on May 6th, 2023 to Delhi and then from Delhi to Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, we drove four hours to Ramechhap. From there, we took a flight to Lukla which seems to be the world’s most dangerous airport because of its small runway. We got into a plane which could seat only 10 people and there were only 8 people in our group, so we had the whole plane to ourselves.

Though many people find the Lukla flight take-off dangerous, I found the flight exciting. From Lukla we started our Trek to Phakding which was a four hour walk. This was probably the easiest day of the trek. The next day we went to Namche Bazar which was filled with shops and hotels.

It was easy to forget we were on a trek. We stayed in cosy tea houses and went to a German café where we drank some of the best hot chocolate that we had never tasted before. The next day was an acclimatisation day and we went to the Everest peak view point where we first saw Mt. Everest. But it wasn’t very clear as it was surrounded by clouds and there were many other mountains that were closer and seemed taller.

The next two days were much easier as we travelled from Namche to Tengboche and from Tengboche to Dingboche. We took a day off from the trek to get acclimated at Dingboche. On the following day we found the trek really hard as it got colder due to high altitude. It was raining and snowing by the time we reached Lobuche.

The last day we got ready to see EBC. It was the most difficult part of our Trek as it took forever to reach EBC. We dropped off our luggage in Gorak Shep before we headed to EBC. It was dark by the time we made it back to Gorak Shep.

We were supposed to trek to Kaalapathar but it was too cold and we stayed back. It was a surprise for us when the helicopter we boarded took us to Kaalapathar and we had the best view of Mount Everest from Kaalapathar.

Our helicopter took us back to Lukla Airport. We travelled back to Kathmandu through Ramechhap and we returned back home (Chennai) through Mumbai.

In this Trek, I enjoyed the best mountain views of Nepal Taboche, Everest, Lhotse and Ama Dablam.

Tusita Magesh can be contacted at tusita.magesh@gmail.com.