Udupi student rides 5.5k km to Nepal on 26-year-old bike

Udupi: In a remarkable feat of endurance and nostalgia, Prajwal Shenoy, a 24-year-old hotel management and tourism student from Shirva in Udupi, completed a 5,500km cross-border solo expedition to Nepal.What makes this journey extraordinary is his choice of vehicle — a 26-year-old Hero Honda Splendor. Commencing the journey from Shirva on March 10, Shenoy navigated a route through Ayodhya and crossed into Nepal via the Sanauli border. He spent 20 days on the road, reaching Kathmandu and exploring 1,100km of Nepal's most iconic tourist destinations before returning home on March 30.Shenoy told TOI he travelled through Hubballi, Nanded, Nagpur and Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, before visiting the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. "In Nepal, I visited various historic sites, including Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, and Muktinath Vishnu Temple in Mustang. I carried a Kannada flag to spread the message of love among people in Nepal. The journey involved a series of unique experiences, from the 40C temperature in Madhya Pradesh to the -7C cold weather in the Mustang region of Nepal. Throughout my 5,500km solo journey, my machine stood by me without showing any mechanical trouble. Meanwhile, locals in Nepal, who previously worked in Bengaluru, also offered help after seeing the Kannada flag," he said.This is not Shenoy's first such solo expedition with his 26-year-old bike. He has ridden across 17 states in India, covering about 50,000km on his vintage bike. Last year, Shenoy, along with his father Rajendra Shenoy, travelled to Prayagraj on the same two-wheeler to participate in the Maha Kumbh Mela, which takes place once every 144 years. Recognising his passion for adventures on the bike, Hero MotorCorp gifted Prajwal the Centennial collectors' edition bike then.