Raghu Raahi's Free-Spirited Travels: Journeying Without Money
Emphasising that travelling to different places is his way of life and not a mere expedition, Raghu Raahi seeks spiritual meaning in his travels. These journeys help him look at life beyond the material world. The realisation happened five years ago when he began to lose interest in his job. The work-life imbalance phase and his constant quest for money left him feeling empty from within. It compelled him to flip the page and write a new chapter about people, places and experiences.
With an Instagram bio that reads, "I travel in exchange for work," Raahi promotes barter travel. As an ardent proponent of travelling smart, his vlogs are all about exploring without paying money. He now travels the world for free and works in exchange for food and accommodation. The experiential part of his journeys has also helped him learn new skills like making earthbag domes. Currently on a 3,500-km-long Narmada Parikrama, the 32-year-old traveller took some time from his experiential walk to speak with Outlook Traveller.
Excerpts from the interview here.
What draws you to travel?
It's been five years since I started travelling; now it's my lifestyle. I travel not just to see places but to learn and develop new skills. It allows me to be a new person each day and gives me opportunities to learn more about myself.
From being an intrepid traveller to seeking meaningful experiences, your travel trajectory is intriguing. What changed you?
My job changed me. Right from childhood, everyone in my family told me I must prepare and work hard to get a good job. And I got one. But only when I started to work did I realise I was working day and night for something I did not enjoy doing. To be more specific, it seemed purposeless. I felt empty inside working in front of a laptop day in and day out. There came a point when things stopped making sense, prompting me to start afresh. The realisation marked the beginning of this new chapter in my life.
What is the Narmada Parikrama expedition that you have recently undertaken?
It's a 3500-km-long walk around river Narmada. It starts from Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh; we walk along the river Narmada to the ocean confluence in Gujarat, going to the other side of the river, and then walking back to the Amarkantak, completing a full circle. This pilgrimage is one of the most ancient pilgrimages in India. Lakhs of people do it, a lot by vehicles and a few on foot.
Please explain to us what made you choose this 3500-km-long expedition.
I connect the most with walking when travelling. It helps me know more about the people and places around me. Like how the antenna grabs the signal from the air and shows the channel, I connect with the divine by walking for days without any goal and holding these thoughts about life, which I use to write songs.
Your travel tales reflect a sense of detachment from the material world, especially when you began the Narmada voyage. What led to this transition?
My travels in India and South Asian countries like Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia were all in exchange for work, more of a barter deal with no money. These experiences made me realise that a sense of satisfaction came from within when I worked with locals purely based on human relationships and trust. In these experiences, where material gains and money were out of the equation, what I received was much more gratifying than I had ever experienced.
What is your vision behind this voyage, and how many days is it expected to last?
Before I began, I had estimated my voyage to wrap up in 4 months. Now that I am walking, I realise it will take approximately 6-7 months to complete. There is no vision per se; it is an experiential voyage for me. For example, I look forward to conversations with locals and seers on the way. The warmth of these stranger-turn-now friends is profusing. Their love for "Narmada Mai" (river) and "Parikrama Wasi" (people on the Narmada expedition) is incredible. This journey has introduced me to India's deep-rooted culture, which I hadn't witnessed on my previous voyages.
Why are you undertaking this expedition barefoot? What all are you carrying along?
During the initial days, I travelled wearing my shoes. Eventually, I exchanged them with a sadhu for his shawl, leaving me with a simple pair of slippers. During the journey, whenever I encountered grass and soil, I'd remove my footwear, walking barefoot, feeling the warmth of the earth and connecting with nature. Then, one day after our pooja, observing my companions leave their shoes behind, I joined them, opting to walk barefoot. It's been 25 days now, and traversing without shoes rejuvenates me.
You come across as a spiritual person. Do your travels also have a divine influence?
Oh yes, most of my travels are such. I am a seeker. I am always seeking a deeper connection with the divine through my travels. I discovered my love for bhajans and meditation during these travels.
What next after the Narmada expedition?
I don't know. I want to write a book on my "Narmada Parikrama" experiences. The plan is to find a quiet hut in the Himalayan mountains and pen it down.
