The Great Indian Trail: A leisurely way to travel India on a motorcycle

I'm talking about the Great Indian Trail. It's a community project managed by volunteers and motorcycle enthusiasts

BHPian Ketan recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

I'm sure many would have already been aware of the initiative and this community project. However, I thought of creating a space where we can continue to discuss it, improve it and most importantly ride the trails it affords.

What is Great Indian Trail?

I'm talking about the Great Indian Trail. It's a community project managed by volunteers and motorcycle enthusiasts. They have contributed immensely with routes, local information and such. It has collected very useful information about lesser known and very beautiful routes that our country has to offer. This may remind us of folks riding backcountry discovery routes in west.

I like the vision or tagline so much. 'GREAT INDIAN TRAIL IS THE SLOWEST, MOST LEISURELY AND PERHAPS MOST IMMERSIVE WAY TO TRAVEL ACROSS INDIA BY MOTORCYCLE'. To top that, the community also emphasizes a lot on sustainable travel, reducing and owning up the trash one creates. GRIT follows 'I Don't Trash my Travel' ethics and principle. I'd request you to go check that out in more details on the website.

Our country is totally different and very beautiful, I don’t like comparison. Our backcountry discovery routes are unique in their own and offers a lot to learn and enjoy the nature, countryside, cultural microcosm, a distilled and intoxicating concoction of our countryside's heritage, architecture and gastronomy; and sometimes, a life lesson or more!

I see the travelling, has overall grown to a level where some basic elements are left behind, travelling today has merely become conquering hills and high passes, checking box for top destinations, becoming the first traveler/motorcyclist to enter/travel certain places or destinations, social media bragging and what not. In the haste of getting to A place, we killed the beautiful journey it could be. Although by nature I'm a lazy one and like the slow travel mode best, but at times, I have found myself in the middle of such exhaustive travel experiences when travelling with family, friends, other groups who have got some aggressive targets to achieve and played along too.

I strongly feel this slowest, leisurely and most immersive way of travel should allow one to stir up some curiosity, exploring off-the-beaten-path locations and routes, intuitive and unhurried mindset keeps you right there in the present moment, spending time and giving attention at the place, building stronger attachment with, and understanding of the place we're in right now, I'm sure is a better experience than doing a lot of prior research over internet about the places we're visiting, such travel can be more experiential, meaningful and satisfying one's soul!

I'd like to see motorcycle enthusiasts, who resonates with the vision and principles mentioned on GRIT web, come together, ride the routes already collected by volunteers, provide feedback and suggestions, help add more routes and resources.

Happy Rolling!!

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.