When I told my mother I was going to Rishikesh alone, her first question was — 'Alone? Why? Won't anyone come with you?' There was concern in her voice, and a little judgment too. My friends asked — 'Is it safe?' Part of society still doesn't accept that an Indian woman can travel alone — and should. But I decided to go.
Why I Had to Go — and Why Alone
At 29 my life was in a comfortable rut. Office, home, weekends — the same cycle. There was something I wanted to know about myself. Can I make decisions alone? Can I navigate an unknown place? Am I comfortable with myself — without anyone's company?
I chose Rishikesh because it makes sense both spiritually and practically. It is considered safe. There is a backpacker community. And that flow of the Ganga — it always pulls me.
The First Night on the Train — and That Fear
I got a lower berth on the Dehradun train. Everyone around me was a stranger. There was a family — mother, father, two children. An uncle reading a book. At 10 PM when the lights dimmed I suddenly felt — I am genuinely alone. No familiar face. This was exciting — and terrifying.
But something interesting happened. The mother of that family asked — 'Beta, where are you going alone?' I told her. There was admiration in her eyes — 'Very good that you did this.' Her 14-year-old daughter looked at me — with curiosity and a little envy. In that moment I understood — this trip is not just for me.
That mother on the train, remembered still"Be an inspiration for my daughter. We parents, out of fear, don't let them go alone. But when girls like you go — you make the path."
In Rishikesh — The Moments That Were Not Planned
In 5 days in Rishikesh everything happened that was not planned. On the first day I met a German backpacker — she had been travelling alone for 3 months. We talked — travel, life, loneliness, joy — a 4-hour conversation. She became my temporary travel friend.
On the third day I went river rafting — with a group of strangers. In that one hour we were all a team — encouraging each other, being scared together, shouting together. When rafting ended — everyone hugged each other. These connections — quick and real — happen only in solo travel.
What I Found — That I Did Not Expect
On the fifth day coming back, there was a specific feeling that was hard to define. Confidence? Yes. Independence? Yes. But more than that — clarity. About myself. That I can be alone — and enjoy it. That I don't have to wait for anyone's decision. That my own company — is enough.
When I reached home my mother's first question was — 'Was everything okay?' I said — 'Yes Maa. Everything was very okay.' And for the first time her eyes held not concern but pride. Female solo travel in India is still a fight. Every time a woman goes alone — she makes that fight a little easier. For the next generation.
