November 16 could be a lovely morning, a lazy morning but no it had to be a much better- a refreshing morning. Oo-Haa-Lo friends, a very good morning! This is Shikha Singh aka Chikki, sharing my experience of November 16 live from my bed. ROBL (Rolling On the Bed Laughing)
Be it a long trip or a short excursion or a casual hangout, travelling, anywhere, is always more than a journey for me. Exploring new places, meeting people and walking through the woods, my wanderlust is gradually awarding me with such profound lifetime experiences. A true blessing in camouflage indeed! And yet again, on November 16, the Almighty tossed me in a peculiar situation, adding to my list of mixed experiences.
Well November 16 was a very normal Sunday. I, completely lost in my dreamland, was enjoying the warmth of my blanket very much like others. Zzzzz Zzzzz.. Sharp 5, my phone started ringing with excited friends calling me for some affair called “Raahgiri Day” in Connaught Place. I hardly knew anything about “Raahgiri Day” and after my inquest, all I got to know was that it’s some fitness or exercise do. However, what I understood, was exactly different from what it really was. Understanding anything appropriately at 5 in the morning tends to be a tough task for anyone.
Anyhow considering it an early morning hangout, I dragged myself out of the bed. Let me be clear that I was forlorn with this sacrifice of my beloved sleep. Huh!! In no time, I got ready and left home for supposedly, the next big thing. Ok! Finally my friends and I got together at Connaught Place. And what I witnessed there was a huge mob coming especially to attend this event. My eyes were wide and open. I couldn’t believe that people could be this interested in “Raahgiri Day”. Gosh!! Amidst all the atrocious crimes occurring in our capital, the fact remains that life goes on. Despite the fact that news channels are inundated with such horrendous incidents, people hardly let these episodes to play a spoiler. Bitter but true!
Now sans breaking the surge of my blog, let me elucidate what was next and what was “Raahgiri Day” all about. While walking through the streets, I could see people connecting with their community, reclaiming their streets and celebrating the joys of their city. Streets were being used for recreational activities to encourage health, fitness, togetherness and happiness. People were too excited participating in activities like cycling, walking, running, skating, playing etc. Stages were setup in order to instruct for zumba, aerobics and yoga and more. Some people were happily singing songs on the streets and some were happily trying to match their steps on the tunes of loud music. Yeahh yay!! Here how could I overlook kids. They too were so enthusiastic, enjoying sports, playing games, doing activities like painting, skating, running, jogging, wall climbing, cycling and what not! One thing I would like to mention here is that nothing can beat the spirit of Delhi people. They are always up for anything to everything even if they really are not physically comfortable in that. Salute to We Delhi People’s Spirit!
Whether it was cycling or wall painting, I too tried my hands on many things. In this arena of joy and festivity, how could I not observe the less privileged people. For them, any occasion is a good source to make some money. In this hustle-bustle, I also met the real "Swachata Abhiyan" hero named Rajkumar who was least interested in this bird called "Raahgiri" and was dedicatedly busy in his road cleaning task. When others were taking oath to clean their Delhi by being a part of "Swachata Abhiyan", Rajkumar was preoccupied in his daily jobs. Actions speak louder than words. Indeed…
On the one hand, people were trying their hard to get fit into their skimpier clothes preparing for exercise and on the other hand, there were people who were enjoying delicacies in the nearby open food joints. From festival to any occasion, we Indians celebrate it with food and that really shows our enduring love affair with food. I too had butterscotch shake and spring rolls from Keventers. Psshh..
From the "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" episode to sitting on the road in groups, from wall painting with hands to holding “Raahgiri Day” balloons and inspiring quotes, from dancing on the tunes of aerobics’ jazzy music to cycling on traffic-less roads, I liked and enjoyed it all. I found the slogan “Apni Raahen Apni Azaadi” superb. Ohh I also overheard that Actor Hrithik Roshan came for a few minutes for some shoot here. Though I was unable to verify anything like this. Finally, I was feeling happy, gay and alive. Literally I thanked myself for providing my soul this refreshing experience. After all I deliberately ignored my friends and though a hard choice between a cozy winter morning sleep and a fitness event, i did sacrifice my sweet slumber to finally know "Raahgiri" was worth it and way more fun!
After coming back to home, I googled about Times of India’s “Raahgiri Day”. And I got to know these things about it.
Started in Gurgaon on November 17, 2013, “Raahgiri Day” is India’s first sustained car-free citizen program. It is a weekly street event with an objective to offer its people an opportunity to connect with their society, reclaim their streets and as a result reclaim their lives and happiness. Streets are being used for a wide range of recreational activities to promote healthy living by encouraging an active lifestyle. The event takes place on all Sundays.
From the word “Raahgiri”, it gets obvious that the event is about taking charge of your own way, journey and life. Allegedly this concept is inspired by “Ciclovia” held weekly in Bagota, Columbia and now popular all over the world known by many different names. By whatever name or term we describe this event; one thing is sure that its mystic appeal has an amazing sense of curiosity and an ability to connect with people, children and youth. So guys come out from your comfort zone, push your limits a little more and be a part of this event. :)
