What’s Amazing
One spoonful of wanderlust and a bucketful of happiness are the ingredients of a backpack trip. In one such unique excursion, you don’t just visit a place. You experience it. In one such journey, spotted wandering with backpacks in unexplored cities of the country are students of Punjab Engineering College (PEC). They have set their foot out to explore diverse corners of the country with minimal requirements.
Project ‘Voyager’
The brainchild of PEC Director Dheeraj Sanghi, project ‘Voyager’ allows 18 B.Tech. students (first and second year) from the college to experience varying living conditions, cultures, values, traditions, beliefs, climate and geographical conditions. From sleeping on railway station platforms to overcoming language barriers in the southern India, these students are exploring the unknown territories in six teams. They are travelling via non-AC sleeper class trains or government buses and staying in budget accommodation. Each group has a different name. You can check their activities on social media regularly. Students have to send pictures to the faculty from time to time and give updates about their well being.
The Programme
- It teahes importance of experience over materialistic things.
- Introduction to circumstances where students converse with people from different walks of life.
- Enter and explore unknown territories in a specified per-day budget.
Surviving High Temperature
The members of the ‘Anvekshan’ group, who are staying in non-AC rooms of the Indian Railways, fell ill on their journey from Bengaluru to Jaipur, but resumed the voyage soon. They experienced temperature up to 50 degree Celsius inside the train.
Mudit Aggarwal, a group member, says the main problem is the delay of trains. “We explored the possibility of organic farming and problems bring faced by farmers trying to implement it. Poverty is a major concern across the country,” he said.
Budget And Duration
The students have been given a budget of Rs 1,000 per head per day. The teams, with three students each, have been asked to cover at least six states (other than Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir) of the country over a period of 40 days.
Exploring Marvels
The ‘Dhai Kadam’ group has travelled from Ladakh to Jaisalmer and then Bhuj to marvel at the local handicraft. Another student Pashul Monga said, “Everyday is a learning experience here. The handloom industry lacks pace as the power loom industry. Betting in Kolkata fish market for truck loading is huge.”
The Voyager is creating backpack travelling with unique and unforgettable experiences. More often, they are hidden from guide books. This makes your memories your most treasured souvenirs.
