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A Benguluru-based techie, Manigandan Manjunathan, entered Guinness book of World Records for making longest journey of 38, 239-km on a motorcycle in a single country.

The 73 day-journey covered India’s north eastern States, hilly lands, and the coastal Gujarat. Manjunathan who made his ride on 2011-model Royal Enfield Classic 500 surpassed the earlier record of China’s Zhang Yang Fa that was set for 35,511 km in 2013. Manigandan’s journey began on 9 November 2014 to end on 15 February 2015.

Most nervous moment during Manjunathan’s journey

Manigandan missed his route and landed in interior Manipur in last December during his trip. To his horror, his hosts were Bodo militants, not villagers of Churachandpur, who invited him as a guest. The area in which he landed by mistake was the place where militants were said to have their camps.

Militants have initially suspected him as an army person in disguise. After they made a detailed scan and found no surveillance equipment, they offered him tea and even went on his bike for a spin. Manigandan describes this as the most nervous moment of the journey to enter a Guiness record. Manigandan Manjunathan will receive the certificate from the Guinness World Records this Saturday.

Manigandan was quoted by The Hindu as saying that, “The journey was physically tiring but I was excited as I rode to places to which I had never been before, especially some of the northern and north-eastern States. The journey was a great experience in understanding various cultures of our country.”

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-Sumana