Bengaluru, India, Dec 15 : Ravi Naidu’s life began with heartbreak. Abandoned as a newborn at the Government Hospital on Magadi Road in 1967, he was left behind because his parents, who were returning to their home in Myanmar, could not arrange a passport for him. A compassionate couple from Rajajinagar, Ethy Raju Naidu and his wife, took the infant home and raised him as their own.
But childhood was far from easy for Ravi. As a young boy, Ravi grew up battling ridicule, questions about his birth and the circumstances of his abandonment. Worn down by constant taunts, he dropped out of school after completing Class 10. Yet beneath the pain lay an unbreakable spirit.
Inspired by national icons Subhas Chandra Bose and Bhagat Singh, whom he admired since childhood, Ravi made a life-changing decision in 2000: he would cycle across India’s borders to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. Spotting a broken bicycle in a heap of trash, he repaired it himself and prepared to set off on a mission few would dare to attempt.
When he approached the Commissioner’s office, Mr. Sangam Singh initially refused permission, insisting he could travel only if officially invited. Determined, Ravi wrote an undertaking on a ₹20 bond paper, declaring that no authority would be held responsible for anything that might happen to him.
A Lone Cyclist on India’s Borders
Beginning his journey at Mekhri Circle and joining NH7, he pedalled across some of the most challenging terrains in the country including Nagaland, Manipur, Shillong, Mizoram, reaching India’s farthest frontiers. Along the way, he adopted a new name, Ram Bahaddur, symbolizing resolve and courage.
Ram spent a day or two in each location, interacting with communities, raising awareness, and moving onward. Resources were scarce, but his grit carried him forward. Across India, he travelled across 33 states, covering nearly 118,687 kilometres in 3 years. Along the way, he was gifted a bicycle, and with it, he began cycling beyond India into other countries. His relentless expeditions and tireless efforts eventually earned him recognition from the Indian Government and a Guinness World Record. But that was then.
Recently, a video of Ram working as a garbage picker surfaced online and quickly went viral. When people discovered he was the same man who had cycled across India’s borders, his story moved thousands. Invitations for interviews followed, shedding light on his remarkable journey.
A New Home of Hope
Today, Ram has found a home at AiR Humanitarian Homes, a haven where many residents share similar stories of abandonment, rescue and healing. For Ram, it is also a return to the same kindness that had shaped his earliest years.
More than 50 years ago, one act of compassion had changed the course of his life. Now, in another moment of struggle, he has found kindness once again, this time at AiR Humanitarian Homes, where care, dignity and love await every individual in need.
Founded in 1998 by AiR-Atman in Ravi, an Enlightened Soul, Happpiness Ambassador, philanthropist, author, singer and poet, AiR Humanitarian Homes have transformed over 50,000 lives till date and care for more than 600 people every single day. Guided by the belief that Service to Humanity is Prayer, the Homes continue to uplift the destitute, the homeless, the forgotten— those whom society often overlooks.