Six years ago, it was a casual conversation between friends. On 10 October, it became a road trip.
Four childhood friends from Mangaluru left the city in an auto-rickshaw, bound for Manali and Kashmir and back again, a round trip of more than 7,000 km. They are Afreed, Hasan, Sadik and Azeem, and until a few years ago they all drove autos at the same stand in Deralakatte.
Six years of postponing, one auto-rickshaw, and a route that ends in Kashmir.
The four friends
| Name | Age | Link to the trip |
|---|---|---|
| Afreed | 27 | Former auto driver at the Deralakatte stand |
| Hasan | 27 | Former auto driver at the Deralakatte stand |
| Sadik | 26 | Former auto driver at the Deralakatte stand |
| Azeem | 30 | Former auto driver at the Deralakatte stand |
Over the years the four moved into different occupations. Work commitments, money and family responsibilities kept pushing the plan back. When all four could take time off together, they stopped waiting. Within a couple of days they had an auto-rickshaw ready.
Why an auto-rickshaw
For these friends, the vehicle was part of the point. They did not consider a car or any other vehicle. The whole journey was meant to be done in the three-wheeler they know best.
That experience shows up on the road, too. Having worked with auto-rickshaws for years, they say they are confident handling minor repairs themselves.
The route
| Leg | Place | Status in the 26 October report |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Mangaluru, 10 October | Departed |
| Early stretch | Aurangabad towards Indore | Travelled; the friends were on the way to Indore |
| Next | Agra and Delhi | Planned |
| Himalaya | Manali and Kashmir | Planned |
| Return | Back to Mangaluru | Planned |
On the road
The friends crossed state borders, and police checks along the way did not hold them up: they were allowed to continue once their documents were verified. The auto-rickshaw was serviced before departure and had not run into any major mechanical problems at the time of the report.
People along the route have responded warmly. But the road leaves little time to post updates, so the friends have not been able to share their progress regularly.
A Tulu Nadu flag on the front
A Tulu Nadu flag is displayed on the auto-rickshaw for the whole journey. The friends plan to hoist it once they reach Kashmir. For them, it is a way of carrying their coastal Karnataka roots to the other end of the country.
A Tulu Nadu flag rides on the front all the way to Kashmir.
More than kilometres
For Afreed and his friends, the trip is about more than the distance. They wanted to keep a shared promise before careers and family duties made it harder to travel together. Manali and Kashmir had been on their wish list for a long time, and they did not want to keep postponing it.
The adventure may not end in Mangaluru. The friends have already put Kanyakumari on the list for their next expedition.
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