Avid traveller Deepa Kumar has taken up The 12 States Project

I just hate the routine of everyday life I would much rather wake up in a random unknown place hunting for a cafeacute where I can get a few hours of work donerdquo says Deepa Kumar echoing the aspirations of many a travel enthusiast But 22yearold Kumar who has set herself the task of visiting every one of the countryrsquos 28 states and seven union territories is no runofthemill holidaymaker Deepa Kumar an aspiring politician has undertaken The 12 State Project to familiarise herself with the people of India and their cultureu00a0 Curious enthusiastic and more than prepared to rough it out the political science graduate from St Xavierrsquos College aims to learn as much about the country and its people as she can over The 12 States Projectrsquos 35 monthrun ldquoMy plan for the 12 States Project is to visit one state or union territory UT every monthrdquo reveals Kumar who lives in Sion Mumbai ldquoMore than anything I want to see as much of the country as I can and promote tourism through my blog and Facebook While youngsters are so enthusiastic about seeing the world I want to tell them therersquos a lot to see in this country alonerdquo she adds When work meets play But this isnrsquot the only reason why Kumar wants to cover the country After she graduated the aspiring politician took up a job in the office of a Member of Parliament in New Delhi She realised that if she was to take her aspirations of standing for elections seriously it would be essential for her to familiarise herself to the people of India their culture and their land Kumar who started her initiative this January has travelled to many places including Kashmir Himachal Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh and Delhiu00a0 In January 2013 she kick started her initiative with a trip to Rajasthan a state she had visited earlier ldquoI have always been a keen traveller and have already been to 21 states and four UTs and so in some cases I will be revisiting the staterdquo says Kumar whose talent for handball took her to several parts of the country Kumar is now nine months seven states and two UTs down While most of her trips are planned on an impulse sometimes her desire to study the regionrsquos politics influences her decision Matters of state ldquoIn March I went to Kolkata to talk to the people about their government I knew little about Leftist politics and believed that the best way to learn about it was through the people I indulged in conversations at Fluryrsquos with the upper class but also with a contrasting hard core leftleaning group of people at Indian Coffee House on College Street But the most interesting and eyeopening for me was the drive we took to the outskirts of the city About 100 kms away we spoke to people living in shanties While the city folk seemed content with life these people were truly strugglingrdquo says Kumar The class divide she found wasnrsquot groundbreakingly different from what we might witness in a suburb of Mumbai but what was interesting was the peoplersquos attitude to the government ldquoHere we might find people blaming and trashing the government But thanks to their deepset Marxism the people in Kolkata wondered why we needed a government at allrdquo reveals Kumar who set up organisation GrassRoute India on her return to Mumbai a couple of months ago This March Deepa Kumar went to Kolkata to talk to the people about their government u00a0 Travelling solo Kumar who helps politicians reach the people through her organisation has visited Kashmir Himachal Pradesh Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Pondicherry and Delhi ldquoI visited several of these places alone People tend to worry about safety but I think Irsquove been incredibly lucky I use all kinds of public transport travel unreserved and yet I havenrsquot faced any bad behaviour Itrsquos been almost fairytalishrdquo says Kumar with a laugh ldquoBut in all seriousness thatrsquos another myth Irsquod like to break While I donrsquot believe that it is okay for people to take advantage you if yoursquore inappropriately dressed I think itrsquos essential that you respect the culture of the people while you travel So if I visit a temple in Madhya Pradesh I make sure I stick to ethnic wear and keep a dupatta handy I leave the shorts for Goardquo she adds Off the beaten track Deepa Kumar recommends four of her favourite offbeat locations Ram Raja Temple in Orchha Madhya Pradesh This is the only place in India where Ram is worshipped as a king I love the atmosphere inside the temple mdash the dhol manjira and devotees dancing Kumartouli in Kolkata WB The Pottersrsquo Street in Kolkata is where all the murtis are made Itrsquos a brilliant walk for photography Gurez Kashmir This side of the Valley is absolutely untouched There are hardly any tourists only locals and breathtaking views Itrsquos an amazing place to cut away from the world BirBilling HP The paragliding camp here is the second best in the world It is 4045 minutes of breathtaking beauty and fun over the valley u00a0 Never again In Pushkar Rajasthan Kumar decided to do as the locals do Visiting a bunch of friends she decided to try one of their lsquospecial lassisrsquo ldquoThis I found wasnrsquot really lassi it was bhang and I was so badly hit that I was sick in bed for two days The worst of it was that my friends didnrsquot get so much as a rashrdquo reveals Kumar The experience left such a bad taste in her mouth that she swears she will never returnu00a0