Bimal Dey – “the traveller” – “mystic on wheels” – covered more than two hundred and thirty thousand kilometres on an ordinary bicycle.
His magnificent “around the world” journey started with the grand sum of two dollars in his pocket. No fanfare, no sponsorship, no flag to show around but just his message of Peace, Friendship, Truth and Harmony.
Known as a born traveller, Bimal commenced his voyage in 1956 with a visit to Tibet, on foot. His recently published and acclaimed book “ Mahateerther Shesh Jatry” brings out the highlights of this trip to that great mystic land of the lamas. Seeker of divine knowledge, lover of natural beauty, Bimal is a self-taught philosopher, said BBC.
Born 24 December 1940 in Kolkata. Not a believer of dogmas and degrees. “This world and its people are my teachers”, he said. Began his long wandering on two wheels in 1967. Everywhere he went, he only saw and experienced the wonderful divinity in man which indeed sustained him through many hardships until his journey’s end in 1972. He never once lost his faith in man during his wanderings. All the wonderful people he met, the varied experiences he had to go through in search of his existence, are simply and sincerely narrated in his book “the Traveller” which is a shortened English version of his original Bengali travelogue. “Sudurer Piyasi”.
Love and Tolerance, which he was to see and experience so often in his tours, has only confirmed his belief that they do indeed exist.
Bimal’s one consuming passion is social welfare, towards which he spends all his spare time.
His concern, especially for children, aged people and rural welfare, has brought him the good fortune to be connected with many projects in Africa and India. Many are the orphanages which have benefitted from his energetic work.
Closer to home, Bimal, who hails from and admires the great Vedic traditions of his native place, teaches yoga to eager enthusiasts who have been enchanted by the stories he relates of the Indian Seers.
“We must be active and energetic. When our thoughts, speech and action work together in harmony, it brings success automatically. That is the art of action”. In this mundane world, where the noise of politics, isms and religious dogmas drown out the music in man, fresh indeed is the story of one common man’s tale of mystic wandering.