Young musician to travel across 11 states to spread peace love and awareness

Sunil Kumar Gurjar aka Rahgir

"I wanted my real name to be Rahgir, which means traveller in Hindi," says 24-year-old Sunil Kumar Gurjar a day before he commences his second solo musical trip across India, where he will recite poetry, ghazals, and use music to bridge the barriers of language and culture. He moves seamlessly from performing on the streets to plush cafés, and from orphanages to hospitals. His first stop is Mumbai, where he is collaborating with Helm of Eight.

Rahgir with kids from a special school in Kolkata

Born in a village near Jaipur, Rahgir started his journey at an old age home after he quit his well-paying IT job. "I loved to write, so I picked up a guitar, taught myself," he says, as he talks about the inspiration behind his art, which explores themes like love, social issues and peace. Last year, he completed a 4,000-km-long journey as he hitchhiked across seven states. He aims to cover 11 states this time. "People were welcoming; I never needed to set up a camp. Someone always offered me an accommodation, and hence I have some amazing stories to share," recalls the musician about his previous trip.

Apart from having composed over 400 original poems that focus on diverse social issues like women's safety and child marriage among others, Gurjar is also writing his first novel. Sharing his travel stories and popular compositions like Baapu Ne Bataya Tha, the young musician-poet will begin his three-month long journey this evening.

On: Today, 7.30 pm
At: Helmof8 Incubation Private Limited, Andheri West.
Call: 40110459
Log on to: instamojo.com

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, current affairs from Mumbai, local news, crime news and breaking headlines here

Download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go