: 28 States, 51 Days, 17000 KM: How My Son I Travelled From Kerala to Kashmir #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational Dr Mitra Satheesh (40), an Assistant Professor at the Government Ayurveda College, Thrippunithura

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28 States, 51 Days, 17000 KM: How My Son I Travelled From Kerala to Kashmir #IndiaNEWS #Inspirational
Dr Mitra Satheesh (40), an Assistant Professor at the Government Ayurveda College, Thrippunithura in Kochi, decided to embark on a road trip with her 10-year-old son, Narayan, and the experiences they had were nothing short of exhilarating.
For 51 days, the duo were on the road and covered almost 17,000 km, zipping across 28 states and six union territories. What they returned with were innumerable stories and experiences. The Better India caught up with Dr Mitra to find out more.
In 2021, in an attempt to get to know rural India, Dr Mitra and her son embarked on the trip.
Dr Mitra Satheesh and her son, Narayan.
“I must say with honesty that up until I took this trip I wasn’t very keen on either traveling or long-distance driving. The idea of exploring the unexplored parts of India with my son in tow was what pushed me to take this trip,� she says. This was to be a trip with other friends but with the pandemic hitting us in 2020, most of them backed out.
To test the waters, once the lockdown restrictions were eased, Dr Mitra drove from Kochi to Nilgiris. “The idea of this trip was to meet and interact with the Toda community. I was both surprised and taken aback by how well he adjusted. Even when I went around the village meeting locals, he kept himself engaged,� she says. So, she decided to take another trip. This time covering Coorg, Belur, Belawadi and Melukote.
‘The more I drove, the more I enjoyed it. ’
Are you ready for the ride?
“Travelling is not just about getting into a car and setting out,� she says. “I spent a good portion of early 2021 planning this trip – the route, what all I would need, understating the terrain and climate in each region and speaking to as many people as I could to get information. Through this I realised that the devil truly lies in the details and since I was taking this trip with my son, I wanted to make sure I had all bases covered,� she adds.
The objective that Dr Mitra charted out for herself was very clear — visit at least one village per state and discover its glorious arts, crafts and culture. In doing this she wanted to promote tourism to the unexplored parts of rural India. To be 100 per cent ready for the trip, Dr Mitra also enrolled in classes to learn about the basics of car maintenance, changing tyres, checking for air pressure, etc. Even the packing for the trip had to have many considerations and since she was traveling with her son, she also had to pack food and medicines.
She says, “The kind of experience that this has given my son is unparalleled. From seeing how a 400-year-old Muslim community weaves rare mats on a floor loom using locally-grown grass to discovering Roman ruins in a village 7 km from Pondicherry, there were learnings at every stop.

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