“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page:” Saint Augustine

          The inquisitive man always wishes to read every page of the great book-the world itself. This is the reason why the term ‘Sancharam’ (Travel) has attained such a wide popularity.

who doesn’t like to visit the different countries in the world and have a direct glimpse of the various civilizations... the remarkable features of Nature, the relics of history, the lifestyles and so on?

All of us are eager to get a direct experience of these spectacular sights that we have only heard of. But most of the people are not able to visit each country and see these things  close for themselves. It is such a situation wherein ‘Sancharam’, the visual travelogue, serves a historical and significant purpose.

Idea 

Present the world to the common people on the TV- this was the urge that arose in my mind when I was a visual media journalist. People are used to reading travelogues. But then, the reader merely gets an imaginary view of the things described.

However, the visual travelogue ‘Sancharam’ provides the viewer with a direct experience of each place.

Through ‘Sancharam,’ I aim at enabling the viewer to have an experience similar to witnessing things on the spot. Now I claim to have achieved certain success in realising this aim. Today, ‘Sancharam’ has become one of the most popular television programme that has a viewership of over millions of people. Sancharam has lived up to their expectation. This is the simple reason behind the grand success of the programme ‘Sancharam’.

The Beginning

It was in the year 1997 that I had started my globe-trotting. The first country I visited was Nepal. I travelled through Kathmandu, the capital city and other main cities as well as villages with a heavy camera. The ‘Sancharam’ (Travel) through this Himalayan country was really enjoyable and encouraging. The next journey was to the Maldives, another neghbouring country. I copied the images of the capital city of that Island nation and its enchanting natural beauty and also its surrounding Islands.

Then it was to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand that I conducted tours. I went on visiting countries one after the other. I had by the covered about fifty countries in Asia, Europe and Africa within a span of nine years.

Amazing Sights

I had already presented innumerable amazing sights from different countries of the world through ‘Sancharam’. The Great Wall of China, the Forbidden city in Beijing, the Nazi Concentration Camps of Germany, the Kremlin Palace and the Red Square of Moscow, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum of Rome, the Buckingham Palace of London, the historic city of Petra in Jordan, the Ice palace on the top of Mount Jung Frau, in Switzerland, the Elephant Orphanage in Pinnawala, Sri Lanka, the Wildlife Sanctuaries of Kenya, the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa are a few of them.

The lifestyles of different nations, the dietary habits, dress codes and art forms of the people there, the panorama, the transportation system, Education, Agriculture and tourist spots, of those places are all depicted beautifully and genuinely in ‘Sancharam’.

I opted to choose a variety of conveyances like cycle rikshaws, motor cycle, taxis, horse carts, vans, cars, buses, trams, trains, airplanes, boats and ships for travel through different countries.

I voyaged through the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean sea, the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Baltic Sea. I also sailed through the historic rivers such as the Thames in London, the Rewa in Fiji, The Nile in Egypt, the Volga in Russia, the Danube in Hungary and the Mekong in Vietnam. He continues his ‘Sancharam’ through those lands yet undiscovered by him.

Creates History

I have been doing this globe-trotting all alone. I neither carry a wide range of equipment nor keep company of technicians to assist me. I carryout all the shooting single-handed. My earlier experience with cinematography was an added advantage in endeavours. I had always been alone in my journeys in pursuit of rediscovering the world and presenting them before the viewers of ‘Sancharam’.

On Television

The Asianet News channel has been telecasting ‘Sancharam’ from 2001 onwards. It is being telecast at 10.30 am on every Sunday.

Hi-Tech Studio

The post-shooting work is carried out in a High-Tech Video Editing and Recording studio, which I own in my place. The state of the art technology for editing and other advanced software and devices ensure the quality of the product. The mass production of Sancharam CDs is also undertaken in this studio.