“Solo travelling, particularly for girls, remains to be a taboo in Indian society,” Priti Vishwakarma says in a dialog with The Higher India. She discovered this the arduous approach when she was on the lookout for firm for a solo journey. “As I requested round my pal circle for firm, I used to be met with hesitancy.” 

“Are you certain you need to do a solo journey? Is it protected?” These had been a number of the questions that had stopped Priti’s mates from enterprise solo journeys themselves. Nonetheless, in her case, there was an extra obstruction. 

The 31-year-old from Uttar Pradesh was recognized with epilepsy at a really younger age. The household was already ridiculed sufficient, she says, for not having a son, and so her prognosis gave folks within the neighbourhood extra cause to level a finger and jeer. 

“I bear in mind after I was born, nobody knowledgeable my father about my gender, considering it might be a disappointment. However my father consoled my crying mom and instructed her that my daughters are my pleasure. That’s how he all the time inspired us to attain our goals no matter gender roles,” she says. 

‘Once I was recognized, folks mentioned, ‘Don’t inform anybody’.’

Following commencement after which a filmmaking course, Priti’s schedule was chaotic. It was throughout this time, in 2015, that she had an epileptic assault whereas on her strategy to the airport. 

“I used to be admitted to AIIMS, Delhi. Once I was recognized, folks would say nobody would marry me and issues like that. Owing to my hectic schedule, folks would ask me how I might ever have the ability to take the lengthy hours. However at my lowest, I discovered solace in journey.” 

At 23, Priti needed to get away from the noise of all of it and take a solo journey. When she wasn’t capable of finding firm, she determined she didn’t want any. “I went to Dharamshala for my first trek. That was the begin to my journey. These treks taught me that when you have the desire energy, there may be nothing that may cease you.”

Throughout these journeys, Priti observed one factor — that ladies didn’t really feel very protected. There weren’t many platforms to provide ladies a protected expertise, and so excessive crime charges had been a typical prevalence. So, in 2016, Priti considered constructing a journey initiative that might assist ladies discover their footing and discover the world, and in flip give them confidence to journey by themselves. 

Womaniya on Roadtrips was launched that yr. 

The panorama of journey 

Whereas Priti says her journeys gave her an exhilarating sense of freedom, her epilepsy would typically get in the way in which. However she by no means let it deter her from having a good time and giving others one as nicely. 

“Once I would put up reels and photos of my journeys on my web page, folks would typically be sceptical. They’d say if the tour information can be a feminine, how will she guarantee us of security? The preliminary phases of convincing dad and mom to ship their younger ladies on these journeys was powerful, however nonetheless value it.” 

She provides that of the journeys she has carried out, her most memorable one has been the trek to Spiti Valley, the place a 70-year-old lady was a part of the group. “It was her first solo journey. However amidst the group of 9 younger ladies, she had the time of her life. It was motivational to look at ladies feeling protected on these journeys with me as their chief, figuring out that I’ve epilepsy.” 

On one other journey to the Rann of Kutch, a 60-year-old lady instructed Priti her story. “She was a housewife for greater than half her life and this was the primary time she was doing one thing for herself.” 

Priti provides that even at the present time, ladies are victimised for taking time without work for themselves and taking journeys, even when they’re sponsoring it themselves. “The excuse is all the time, if you wish to make a journey go together with your loved ones. However on household journeys too, ladies are nonetheless caring for the children and the husband. They deserve a break.” 

‘Need these journeys to encourage folks’ 

Priti recounts a visit to Leh Ladakh in 2021, the place she had an epileptic assault en route. 

“It was whereas I used to be taking the group sightseeing. I fainted and was hospitalised. Once I wakened two hours later, I had stitches on my left eye. However I didn’t let that cease me. We had been quickly again on the highway,” she says. 

Trying again on the journey of main journeys to each state throughout the nation, Priti says she feels grateful. “Epileptic sufferers are often pressured to take a seat of their properties as one can by no means predict once they would possibly get an assault. I bear in mind a girl messaging me that she hadn’t left the house in 5 years since she is an epileptic affected person. She stays dwelling and takes care of her children, by no means venturing exterior.”

So, naturally Priti’s household, too, has their considerations about her travelling so extensively. However they’ve additionally been her spine, she emphasises. “Even when I’ve my checkups, he says that I’m doing a commendable job, by not solely exploring my boundaries but in addition motivating different ladies to do the identical.”

Via her story, Priti says she desires to encourage. Womaniya on Roadtrips has traversed throughout India and even made journeys to Bhutan, Nepal and Bali. The teams are restricted to 10 to fifteen folks and the journey is “offbeat and native”. “I would like ladies to work together with one another, expertise the native tradition and really feel assured.” 

With round 15 journeys yearly, she notes that the main focus within the coming yr goes to be North East journey. The journeys value round Rs 25,000 for six days and till now Priti has had greater than 500 ladies as a part of her journeys. 

Priti appears at her journey as a calling. “I really feel God has chosen me to make use of my situation for instance and to do higher for society. I need to encourage folks with epilepsy, and even these battling different situations. I would like these journeys to be inspiring.” 

Edited by Divya Sethu