Thread by @iAmbii

In 3 days I cycled 🚴‍♂️ 250+kms across villages in Kumbakonam.

Why? There is a discourse in the media about #India but I wanted to seek the truth about India.

What started as a self-indulgent hobby helped me embark on a self-discovery journey.

🧵on my return-to-your-roots trip,

Place: Most of the time I cycled through the scenic routes that go from one village to another, never-ending lush green paddy fields on either side of the road, my gratitude to #farmers 🙏

I bathed on the #water bodies on my route, it helped me beat the heat during the day

I'm in 💕 with these people

The most striking factor was how close-knit the communities are.

During the course of my ride, I answered 100+ locals asking me what a stranger like me was doing in their #village

Kids waving at you as you cycle by is almost unconditional love.

I visited #temples and churches for the #spiritual vibe and admired their stunning architecture in silence.

They have stood the test of time across centuries and have set very high standards for choosing what to pour our hearts into that would define our life's work.

Micro #entrepreneurship: Throughout my ride, I kept running into people who simply refuse to give in to poverty.

Be it the man who sells 'soan papdi', the women selling locally made detergent powder or sweets 🙏

I bowed to their spirited and full-of-hope outlook to life.

An integrated approach of closeness to nature, livestock, and a low energy consumption lifestyle = sustainable living.
Small #innovations like using papaya stem to replace plastic straws should get a mainstream mention.

The most endearing picture of the trip👇

My heart melted at his rendition of the 'Thiruvasagam'

Irrespective of validation or applause, he sang for an audience of one and an almost empty temple.

Unknowingly he taught me one of the deepest lessons in life.

#music

In most village houses, they have retained their old #architecture.

I would cycle, rest or read under the inviting shade of the tree or the 'Thinai' in most houses they offer water, snacks and allowed you to use their restroom.

High trust is still prevalent in these societies.

The year is 2020 and the folks here don't have FOMO 😇

They get their #news about local body / panchayath announcements or mourning someone's death from announcements made on retro speakers mounted on an auto-rickshaw and not from hate-spewing Whatsapp groups.

I had a chance to participate in a flag-hoisting ceremony and celebrate #RepublicDayIndia

Yes, yes, I did get the orange mittai, sweet #90skidsmemories

I had a sense of extreme calmness at the end of the trip. Routes that I cycled👇

I recommend folks working in every #SaaS company to escape modernity at least briefly

Try out a cycle trip like this to develop mindfulness about society and reflect on life and work in isolation

Our western upbringing promotes individualism, over time family and community take a backseat, this should change.

We can embrace modernity but stay true to our roots.

This should reflect in our socio-political, economic and entrepreneurial initiatives.

#FridayThoughts

Friends, thanks for all the ❤️

One of the reasons I wrote this 🧵 was to bring in a positive narrative about an India 🇮🇳 that was missing in mainstream media.

Glad that the villages, the people and their stories have inspired us 🙏🏽

Adding few more pictures...

I need to mention my Amma here, a Tamil teacher and a history buff.

She urged me to go on this trip and continues to inspire me on a daily basis through her thoughts and work ethics 🙂🙏🏽