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A UK based NRI woman Bharulata Kamble, has covered approximately 32,000 km in 75 Days, travelling across 32 countries transcontinental from UK to India, to spread the message of ‘BetiBachao, BetiPadhao’ an initiative run by Indian Government for the betterment of girl child.  She also wants to support the cause of ‘saving the girl child’, and ‘women empowerment and education’ in India through her drive.

She has even covered around 2,800 km in just 4 days to drive solo in the Arctic Circle. This makes her the first woman to cover such large distance in the Arctic Circle. She moved in to Arctic Circle region at Rovaneimi in Finland on September 23rd, she managed to drive approximately 700 km per day for the next 4 days and established the record drive of 2,792 km in the region facing cold and barren land. She also got special approval to travel up to the 307-metre cliff of Nordkapp where she unfurled the Indian flag alongside the Union Jack. She began her expedition from Luton in UK at the end of August, 2016.

She has now resumed her drive to India, where she is expected to reach in early November, scheduled to end her journey in her husband’s hometown Mahad, about 140 km (road distance) from Pune. She will enter India from the Imphal border, and will drive towards Delhi and other states, reaching Maharashtra via Gujarat and Rajasthan. If successful, she will become the first woman driver in the world to complete a transcontinental car journey alone, covering 32 countries and 32,000 km. This will include 5,500 km of mountains reaching the altitude of 3,700 metres above sea level, and driving 2,500 km through desert areas.

The expedition is entirely sponsored by her surgeon husband and the donations she collects along the drive, which would be distributed to two UK-based charities and two in India, respectively. Her passion for driving has fuelled her latest project. According to Ms. Kamble, “I have always loved driving but to undertake such a long journey is also a big responsibility. Moreover, as we began planning the journey, I came to realize that if I do set the record, I would be representing two nations the UK where I am a citizen, and India, my native country”.

Bharulata, mother of two sons aged 8 and 11 years, holds dual citizenship of England and Australia. Her journey is observed by the authorities at Guinness World Records as well.

 

by Ashwani Srivastava

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