Young Bengalureans Dhanush Manjunath and Hemanth Y B recently completed a 24,000 km cycling odyssey in 245 days. They were riding to spread awareness about global warming and the importance of education for all.
They started their ride on July 11, 2021, veering across 24 states and four union territories. They returned to Bengaluru on March 12, 2022. The duo is currently applying for the Guinness World Record for the longest cycle tour as a team in a single country. “When we learned that the current record for a team was around 19,400 km, we decided to beat it,” says Dhanush.
Over the span of 245 days, the duo faced extreme rains in Siliguri, snowfall in Himachal Pradesh and brazen heat in Rajasthan. “But we got to see some of the most spectacular views. We experienced our first snowfall and even tried cuisines we had never heard of before,” he adds. Dhanush, 23, quit his job in the government health sector to make this trip a reality.
“Initially, we were just a bunch of youngsters who wanted to go on cycling trips across India. But realised we could use this as an opportunity to shed light on important topics,” he tells Metrolife.
On their tour, they visited over 20 government schools and colleges, and held discussions with local people about the growing concern around global warming, climate change and the need for equal education for all. “This was a life-altering experience, at least for me. When we told people we would be going on this journey, no one had faith in us. No one wanted to fund our ride. Why would they? We were two youngsters who didn’t even have our own bikes. But that didn’t deter us,” says Hemanth.
A farmer by profession and a native of Yadagondanahalli in Bengaluru rural, Hemanth stresses on the need to lead an active life.
“City folks are dependent on cars and bikes. With our journey, we wanted to show them that it is possible to travel just as easily on a cycle. Not only is it better for the environment, but also better for us,” adds Hemanth. The duo plan to go on a cross-country journey soon.