Gandhi's Salt Walk - Now Open for Travelers

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi took the British regime to task in 1930 with a path breaking and non-violent protest against the unjust Salt Tax.

Photo: Dandi Memorial - Gandhi Picking Salt

He walked a little under 400 kilometers over the span of just 25 days through small towns and villages of Gujarat spreading the message of non-violent protest.
Gandhiji had already championed the concept of 'Swadeshi' (Made in home country) and had propagated the  idea through his Charkha (Spinning Wheel) and producing Khadi ( Coarse cotton cloth). Making Salt within India without paying any taxes to the British was another big impact initiative in India's freedom struggle.

Photo: The Dandi March route map at Sabarmati Ashram- Ahmedabad

1930 was the time when the British were trying to get over with the economic losses of the first world war and needed more and more money from all of their colonies. India being the prime supplier of finances became the apt target.
More than 70% of Indian population was then involved in agriculture and could not have afforded to buy a micro yet important ingredient at such high prices. The Salt March on 1930 from Sabarmati Ashram Ahmedabad to Dandi a coastal village near Navsari covering 387 kilometers walked on foot by Gandhiji and his followers changed the status-quo of the Indian freedom struggle.

Photo: Some unfinished initiatives of the bureaucracy

Today, there is just a list of places that were visited during the epic Dandi March. A couple of memorials each at Ahmedabad and Dandi are the only standing testimony of the episode. En-route there is no sign reminding us of the glorious past. However, what still stays is the phrase "Gandhi Bapu ni Dandi yatra ahiyaan thayi ne gayi ti". In the local Gujarati language it means - Gandhi's (Bapu's) Dandi March went through here. After 85 years there is still a feeling of pride for the people that Gandhi walked on the same land for their forefather's rights and their rights too.

Today two of our lovely guests are doing this walk and have already reached half way through the route. Very soon they will reach the town of Bharuch and take a longish halt in Ankleshwar.

Photo: Candid moment of Masha and Torre

Right from 27th November till today the 8th of December these ladies - Masha and Torre have seen, understood and absorbed a lot about India. There is a lot that is happening inside them as humans and there is a lot more that they will take back with them.

Emotional experiences will keep adding as and when they will write and discuss about this journey. They have seen India so closely that they are able to find the meaning of such a complex country. Understanding Gandhi and his philosophy in the contemporary times is an experience in itself.

Vedic Walks was approached by Masha with this challenge of organizing the Dandi March for her and we took it with a smile. An opportunity that comes once in a lifetime for doing something that nobody could have ever thought of.

Photo: The things one comes across

We as a team were having two parallel discussions about different things. One was with the Gujarat Tourism where we were thinking of promoting Gujarat in our programs and the second about female friendly travel programs. We knew it that this is the signature activity that we must undertake to set an example of what a young team with innovative thinking can deliver.

Photo: Kick-Start at Sabarmati Ashram

This initiative will surely set an example of a travel route and travel style not so popular in India. Besides that it will be a great example for Safety for Women Travelers in India, which is a primary mission of Vedic Walks and its team.

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Walks in India

Walking tours have a special place in the travel activities anyone indulges into.

In most cities of the world they are easily available and are very pocket friendly. But affordability is not the only reason for travellers to pick Walking Tours as their choice.

As a kid one explores surroundings on foot and thus knows the area so perfectly that he remembers every single mark, pothole, turn and color of the area. As one grows up and the curiosity to explore goes further and thus the avenues to explore unfold.

Walking tours became popular a couple of decades ago in Europe and thus became a popular culture in travel. In India walking tours came in in the last decade but haven't made a strong mark. There are a bundle of travel companies who operate walking tours in popular tourist destinations.

What they miss out in their delivery is - A walking tour is very different from sight seeing.

People who were previously engaged in sight seeing activities went with the fashion and started walking tours, but could not come out of the groove of pin-pointing famous buildings.

TeamActive has taken the initiative to break this stereotype.

We have our own definition of a walk. We call it - Walk the Talk.

Let's first take you through the elements we stress upon during our walking tours:

1. Story telling- We are talkative and love telling stories. Truth or fable, these stories keep the walkers engaged. The stories have been collected from the people we meet in the street. The stories are theirs. Their version of the past and of the culture.

2. Get into anyone's house- Having a rapport with the locals, we know them just like a family. During our walks we are allowed to peep into their houses, provided we don't trouble them.

3. Ask us questions- We will probably have all answers for you, so ask us as many questions as you like. If we don't have the answer the people around will come up with their theories.

4. Chai & Naashta - In English this means 'Tea and Refreshment'. All our walks have a special element of tea and refreshments with a local family, in their living rooms, with them and all made in their kitchens.

5. Photos- While walking in the streets there will be so many opportunities of clicking pictures which you might have not, if just walked past the famous buildings.

6. No Shopping - We don't push our walkers and nag them to shop. They are free and are allowed to shop from wherever they please. No specific shops, no specific vendors.

7. Suits all - Are you a school kid, a photographer, a journalist, a writer, a professional, an artist, a lawyer, an army-man or anything in this big world our walks adjust to every taste and mood. Just let us know what we need to fine-tune and we will be with you.

So what are your plans this time when you visit INDIA??

reach us at: www.vedicwalks.com