Kochi: She is born in Guwahati, raised in Dehradun and studied BCom in Sri Aurobindo College under Delhi University. Now Mahima Nanda is pursuing Bachelor's in Social Work at IGNOU. But what is moot is that she is currently criss-crossing India.
Mahima embarked on a journey travelling the length and breadth of the country with people giving free rides, free home stays and free food.
Thus in three months of her journey, people from Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Gaumukh, Pune, Wai, Dande-g-har, Mahabaleshwar, Mumbai, Nasik, Panchgani, Kanyakumari, Kazhakottam and Kottayam have become part of her life.
“They gave me the feeling of a daughter and sister. I did not feel like a stranger ever. I felt that India was my home,” says Mahima about her journey as she reached Kochi on Saturday.
She travelled in the Railway’s general compartment, took a shower at railway stations, slept in waiting rooms to have a feel of India. “In one of the trains to Nagarcoil, the kind pantry staff took care of my food and tea for two days,” she says.
“In my stays I tell women not to fear anything. I advise them to reject all sorts of abuse. I think it is important that a woman realises her own power. Only then can India grow. Only then can we think of becoming a developed country.”
A huge fan of Swami Vivekananda teachings, she recalls the Swami’s Chicago Speech in 1893 in which he says “we all are powerful only when we decide to be.”
With the help of a Facebook group called NOMADS, she got the opportunity to learn how to travel safely without money. Through the same group she learnt about couch surfing, another website for people all over the world who travel with little or no money.
“I came across people who help each other for the sake of mere kindness. Nadish, my first couch surfing host in Kottayam played an important part in my journey by opening many a door for me. He introduced me to another friend Sherin Varghese who is the Kerala Youth Congress state secretary, who helped me to safely carry out my first Free Hug campaign.
“Now I have got the courage to start my first Free Hug campaign in Kochi to show my support for healthy living. A 20 second hug a day works as an anti-depressant, they say,” she points out.
