How A Homegrown Photographer Turned A Regular Van Into A Travelling Home

I’ve always had this childhood dream of having my own horse-driven wagon and living the life of a vagabond. It’s probably a silly dream for you but I’m sure that there are many like me who have had a similar dream. The idea is to leave behind the woes of the fast-paced urban life and embark on a globetrotting adventure, exploring the vast unknown world. It might seem like a far-fetched vision but there is already someone we know who is living this dream.

His name is Nishchay Bharati Jain, a well-known travel photographer and influencer who has carved a niche for himself in the ever-evolving influencer industry. He is a self-taught photographer who captures the intricate moments that ooze rustic Indian charm. He has used his skills and knowledge to weave magical visual stories that are a treat not just for the eyes but for the soul too. As a traveler and photographer, he enjoys exploring the local culture, music, and cuisines of the places he visits.

He made his dream a reality with his partner-in-crime, his very own caravan ‘Barty - The Van’, With Barty, he has fulfilled his childhood dream and now travels across the country in it, capturing the beauty of hidden villages and towns, that are not too famous or previously unexplored. The origin of the name ‘Barty’ has a heartfelt story behind it. The van’s name is extra special to him as it’s named after his mother Bharati, who passed away in November 2021. Even when she was on her deathbed, she was worried about her son’s dream project. Hence, he decided to name his van home Barty as a tribute to his mother, who he considered to be his home.

While building his personalized home on wheels, Nishchay faced many challenges, which made the journey of making his dream come alive even more eventful. It took him around five months to get his van built in Chennai. The major hurdle was communication as all the workers except for the carpenter didn’t understand Hindi. But gradually, they overcame the hurdle, and his dream van came into existence.

Barty has interesting, customized features that make his humble abode quite utilitarian. For a photographer, charging his gear while traveling is a major concern and so there is a system in place for generating enough power through solar energy. His cozy camper also has a queen size bed that makes him feel right at home. Further, it has a fully functional kitchen so that he can have home-cooked food on a daily basis and two working desks, one inside and the other outside, to help him get his job done without any interruptions.

As a traveling and photography enthusiast with a vagabond spirit, Nishchay is living the dream. Exploring a place requires a lot of time but with Barty, he can stay at any place as long as he wishes and can call any place home. I hope for my sake and for all the happy-go-lucky dreamers out there that like Nishchay, may all of our outlandish dreams become a reality one day.

Find out more about Nishchay Bharati Jain here.

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