The Living Road: A Motorcycle Journey to Bhutan
At 57, Ajit Harisinghani swapped his speech therapy practice in Pune for something far riskier: a solitary motorcycle expedition across India and into Bhutan. What began as a physical challenge evolved into something altogether different—a searching exploration of joy itself, inspired by Bhutan's philosophy of gross national happiness. The journey unfolds across wildly shifting terrain. One moment he's navigating parched earth; the next, lush meadows stretch endlessly ahead. Jungles harbour unexpected glimpses of elephants and tigers. Tea plantations blur past. The road keeps surprising him. Strange and wonderful encounters punctuate the voyage. He crosses paths with a yogi and his peculiar singing companion (a goat). Ancient caves yield their mysteries. A wildlife sanctuary tests his nerve in ways he didn't anticipate. He even stumbles upon a bicycle unlike any other—quirky, disorienting, oddly unforgettable. Along the way, his therapeutic skills prove unexpectedly useful when he helps a police inspector conquer a long-standing stammer. Then comes Thimpu. A Buddhist monk appears, offering something Harisinghani had been chasing all along: genuine insights into happiness itself. Witty, raw, and deeply human, this account transforms a motorcycle ride into something far more profound—a testament to restlessness, curiosity, and the strange paths that sometimes lead us home.
- Author: Mr Ajit Harisinghani
- Publisher: Vintage Books
- Genre: Cooking & Culinary Arts
- ISBN: 978-0143458555
- Pages: 176 pages