Three Indian grandmothers have broken all the stereotypes and shot into the spotlight on Indian social media.
60-year-old Neeru Gandhi, 51-year-old Monicka Chanana and 61-year-old Pratibha Sabharwal set out on a 4000 km road trip across Rajasthan and Gujarat from Delhi in March this year.
They call themselves ‘Naanis on the highway’ and their photos and videos of their road trip, which they shared on their Facebook page ‘Age No Bar’ have been widely shared and inspired people across age groups.
Source: Facebook / Age No Bar
The trio set out from Delhi on March 7th for 25 days with a plan to travel to interiors of Rajasthan and Gujarat.
The group says the secret to their successful road trip is meticulous planning.
“We would start driving early morning around 6:30-7 AM each day. Monicka would drive one day and I would drive another. We would carry snacks, poha, some hot water for chai or soup, etc, to have on our way. We'd usually reach our next destination by 11:30-12 and then rest up.
"We would then grab lunch and then head out for local sightseeing, return to our hotel by 9 and sleep on time. So it was quite comfortable, enough for us to plan the Rajasthan-Gujarat trip," Neeru said.
While one is a retired banker, another retired statistician and third a former owner of a boutique, the ladies divided the workload of planning and documenting the trip among themselves. Right from keeping the tools handy incase of flat tyres to having snacks while driving and sight seeing.
They surprised many on their way. Right from traffic cops to relatives to hotel staff, they encountered stereotypical questions.
“Like if we walk into a hotel, they say leave the keys with the driver, he'll park. We have to tell them that we are the drivers. They found that strange,” Neeru said.
These experiences made for interesting Facebook Posts on their page.
The trio have become a sensation in India with appearances on radio shows and being interviewed for newspapers and websites.
And their message for those women who did like to do something like this is clear, “If you want to do something for yourself, then you need to take some time out for yourself."
“On the road, we're not mothers, wives, naanis, we exist for our own selves."
“So if you feel like doing something of the sort, just try it once. I always remind myself that when I'm gone tomorrow, the household would function. I am tied to the family, the family isn't tied to me,” Neeru says signing off.
