I just
returned after participating in what I believe were the best 4 hours of
my life….. Rahagiri !! An initiative to reclaim the streets of Gurgaon.
It
was a chilly winter morning, and There were a million reasons why I didn't want
to get out of bed. But apparently there was something that was not going to let
me sleep: My planned visit to Raahgiri::A
new revolution.
When I
reached the spot , the first words that came out were
“'Is this really Gurgaun?” and this sentence summed up all my
emotions. I saw a new gurgaun. A Gurgaun that was free from
honking horns, screeching automobiles , anxious people. Instead of the usual
sights, with cars and autos clogging it up, the area symbolised a amusement
hub. The place was gift wrapped in a warm blanket
of joy and happiness. I smelled happiness. I heard giggles. I saw free spirits. Instead of idiot
pollution boxes, streets were flooded with people; Happy people, who were
dancing, singing, bicycling, running, exercising, skating, playing.
Children played safely while their parents were chatting with old
friends, and even making new ones. The happiness, sense of
belonging, and joy I saw reflected in over 10,000 faces in Gurgaun was
priceless. It was indeed the dawn of a new beginning. I could actually
feel the joy of stepping out of the car and walking on the road. Besides the
fun time people had, it also taught them that the “Raah”; the road also belongs
to pedestrian and not just to screeching machines. Trust me now when I drive I
am more responsible and responsive towards the Raahgiri’s.
)
When I
entered raahgiri area I was attracted to the
genpact kiosk(because it is where I belong). The people were warm and they were
happy to see participation from genpact. A few stretches of
road around 10km was blocked for the Rahagiri’s that comprised of
the cyclists, joggers and skaters. There were open-air gym, combat
training, yoga and aerobic workshops, along with cycling and zumba. Imagine
people doing zumba right in the middle of the road, without caring about automobiles
honking, superfast cars and staring eyes. There were stages
all across the road with music and trained instructors to guide the people
turning up there. This is not just it, there is more to it. For the
finale they had “EUPHORIA“ band playing for all Raahgiri’s. They
were just amazing and the crowd was so excited. Probably, this is the First
rock concert of India that is held when the sun is right up your head.
My day was
full of fun ,excitement and masti. I felt so refreshed and thrived with energy
and so were my friends. We danced, we cycled , we fell, we exercised and
most importantly we laughed. If, you have a photographer DNA
streak inside you then this festive is a
great set for you because here you can capture
real emotions. I felt this was the one of a kind of social
cause which instead of targeting the poor/needy
focussed on aam aadmi paltan ; the so called “Mango people”.
Raahgiri created a never land where the mango people can
have a temporary refuge against the realms of the harsh and
materialistic life. Raahgiri took them back to their childhood days where they
were free birdies again. It redefined happiness
for people. It was more of a festival rather than a
social cause. We all want a world where we can walk safely, our children
can play without any fear and at the same time we can live the life. So let’s begin a new era Raahgiri ,pay a
visit to this place and take our first step towards a change. A change for a
better and a safer world.
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