Riding into mysticism

Taking a cue from revolutionary leader Ernesto Guvera, popularly known as Che Guvera, Nilesh Joshi had embarked on a journey to Ladakh.

Taking a cue from revolutionary leader Ernesto Guvera, popularly known as Che Guvera, Nilesh Joshi had embarked on a journey to Ladakh. Later, he recorded observations of his journey in the book Ladakh-Chronicles from the Land of Lamas.

For 30-year-old Joshi, who says he is a traveller, a poet, and a thinker, the journey was born of the need to do something wild, a challenge for a thrill as also to deal with a “loss of love.” “I did not have any reason. It was just that I wanted to feel the rush of the wind and wanted to glimpse the panoramic view,” says Joshi.

The 15 days he spent in travelling from Delhi to Ladakh on his bike had changed his outlook towards life, says Nilesh who straddles a mid managerial level day job with his love for biking and adventure. “Previously, I did not know who I was, I was just living with the notion of living. The journey gave me an opportunity to explore myself and the world round me,” he says. Joshi has dedicated a chapter to the land of the lamas. He describes his journey to the monasteries which occurred during the Ladakh festival and says he was spellbound to see the monks in prayer.

The journey made him realise that life could not be taken for granted. He writes: “So here I was riding down this highway called life, clocking constant 60’s relishing the scenery around me.”