UK-based Bengali couple Prabir and Sanjukta Mitra, on a 100-day, 27,000 km overlanding journey to raise diabetes awareness, feared a major setback when they realised they had taken a wrong turn in Uzbekistan, The Times of India reported.
But going 430 km off course due to a navigational error turned out to be a serendipitous twist in their expedition from King’s Lynn in England to their native Kolkata. The Mitras, retracing the ancient Silk Route across 20 countries in their Toyota Hilux pickup, “Chetak,” ended up in the remote village of Kyzyl Kala, far from the 1st-century Qizil Qala fortress in Karakalpakstan they had planned to visit.
Instead of disappointment, they were met with an extraordinary welcome. Locals recognised them as guests from “the land of Babur,” the 15th-century founder of the Mughal empire and a national hero in modern-day Uzbekistan. A village elder embraced the couple, lunch invitations followed, and suddenly, two lost travellers became honoured guests in a place seemingly forgotten by time.
“The kind of reception we received was unbelievable,” Sanjukta told ToI. “From strangers, we became representatives of a land they have immense respect for. It was a humbling experience.”
Although historical connections were everywhere, the Mitras’ main mission was clear: combine overlanding with raising awareness about tackling diabetes, particularly in South Asia, where type 2 diabetes is prevalent.
“Our aim was to engage with local communities, share health information and promote lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of diabetes,” Prabir told ToI, a diabetologist.
Later, their journey was cut short by a landslide at Kodari, a village 144 km from Kathmandu near the Tibet border. Unsure when the road would reopen, they left their car and hiked to Kathmandu before flying back to Kolkata via Delhi.
“It was a difficult decision to leave Chetak behind. We will get our travel companion home once the road reopens,” said Prabir, who had spent five years planning the expedition with Sanjukta, a mathematics teacher and mentor at King Edward VII Academy in King’s Lynn.
With inputs from ToI
But going 430 km off course due to a navigational error turned out to be a serendipitous twist in their expedition from King’s Lynn in England to their native Kolkata. The Mitras, retracing the ancient Silk Route across 20 countries in their Toyota Hilux pickup, “Chetak,” ended up in the remote village of Kyzyl Kala, far from the 1st-century Qizil Qala fortress in Karakalpakstan they had planned to visit.
Instead of disappointment, they were met with an extraordinary welcome. Locals recognised them as guests from “the land of Babur,” the 15th-century founder of the Mughal empire and a national hero in modern-day Uzbekistan. A village elder embraced the couple, lunch invitations followed, and suddenly, two lost travellers became honoured guests in a place seemingly forgotten by time.
“The kind of reception we received was unbelievable,” Sanjukta told ToI. “From strangers, we became representatives of a land they have immense respect for. It was a humbling experience.”
Although historical connections were everywhere, the Mitras’ main mission was clear: combine overlanding with raising awareness about tackling diabetes, particularly in South Asia, where type 2 diabetes is prevalent.
“Our aim was to engage with local communities, share health information and promote lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of diabetes,” Prabir told ToI, a diabetologist.
Later, their journey was cut short by a landslide at Kodari, a village 144 km from Kathmandu near the Tibet border. Unsure when the road would reopen, they left their car and hiked to Kathmandu before flying back to Kolkata via Delhi.
“It was a difficult decision to leave Chetak behind. We will get our travel companion home once the road reopens,” said Prabir, who had spent five years planning the expedition with Sanjukta, a mathematics teacher and mentor at King Edward VII Academy in King’s Lynn.
With inputs from ToI
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