The month-long football matches that are almost similar to a festival for football fans around the world arrived on the 20th of November this month. FIFA World Cup 2022 commenced in Qatar with fans coming from every corner of the world with fervour and enthusiasm to support their teams.
Although India has never participated in FIFA World Cup, but fans in our country are extremely excited about it. With the same enthusiasm came the news of a woman from Kerela who went on a trip along with her kids in her SUV to watch the FIFA World Cup.
Najira Noushad is a 33-year-old homemaker belonging to a small village Kannur, in the southern state of Kerela. An ardent traveller, she is also a Youtuber and Vlogger.
Her journey to the middle-eastern country to watch the world cup began from Kerela, from where she drove all the way to Mumbai from Coimbatore and had her Mahindra Thar shipped to Oman.
Najira then passed through several middle-eastern countries to reach Qatar, including UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. She is travelling along with her five kids.
Najira had lived in Oman with her family and had shifted to Kerela only last year. An ardent traveller, Najira undertook this journey to spread the message that there is “safety for women to travel anywhere around the world.”
“I live in Oman with my husband and children, but I wanted to start this drive from my hometown of Thalaserry in Kannur. So I came down to India,” Najira told The Hindu.
Her wish is to inspire other women to go on solo trips. Breaking the barriers of stereotypical thoughts that surround a homemaker, Najira urges the women around her to break the shells that limit their freedom and come out to see the world.
She claims that this is the first time in history that any female from India is embarking on a solo road trip to one of the GCC countries.
“If a woman like me — a homemaker, a wife and a mother of five — can realise my dreams, any woman can chase her dreams confidently,” Najira says, “Sometimes kids only think of their fathers as role models. I want my kids to say, ‘My mama is my role model.’”
She has named her customized Mahindra Thar “Oolu” which is Malayam for “she”, referring to it as a girl. Her SUV is the first right-hand Indian registered vehicle to be transported to Oman. Her Mahindra Thar is a second home for the traveller as it has the space to store groceries, utensils, a stove and even a bed. Interestingly, Najira did not even have to pay for the hotels during her 49- days journey and she stayed in her car which had all the supplies she required.
She has been documenting her journey on Instagram. She also makes various travel blogs. Being a zealous fan of Argentina and Lionel Messi, she drove her car for nearly 3000 miles to reach the world cup.
This is not the first time that Najira undertook a journey by her car. In February, she recorded her journey to Nepal in her SUV when she reached the base camp of Mount Everest in only five days. Before this, she also travelled 13,000 km when she covered 17 states and 5 union territories to reach the Himalayan region.
Najira told Global India that her husband has been her support system. “He is my biggest support system, along with my mother,” she said. “He has always pushed me to do what makes me feel happier, and travel tops the list. Even with my five kids in tow, I have never hesitated to take the road.”
Also Read: The best solo travel destinations for women in 2022
