Report by Faye Claridge, web producer



Raj Malhotra has an extraordinary story to tell.



Born in India to a poor family, he thought world travel was beyond his wildest dreams. But that was before his persuasive friend, Anup Bhalla, came up with the idea of touring the globe on bicycles.

Touring the globe on bicycles Raj and Anup welcomed everywhere on the journey Sounds crazy? That’s what Raj thought – at first. But he made the trip and it changed his life.



During the travels he fell in love with a very special city: Coventry. And he’s been here ever since.



Hear Raj telling his story by clicking on the audio links on the left and see the photographs and press coverage of the journey by clicking the images button below.





Around the world Press coverage from an Austrian paper In early 1974 Raj and Anup (aged 25 and 20) left Ludhiana in the Punjab with just £3 each and very light luggage.



From India their route took them to Afghanistan, Iran, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, France, Belgium, England and Canada.



It took them 7,500 miles to get to the Midlands and even more to cycle across Canada. All this took around 9 months, which Raj said could have been quicker had everyone on route not been so welcoming!



A well-earned rest along the route They stayed anything up to a few months in some countries, touring various towns and cities and being shown around by welcoming residents.



During the last stretch Raj realised he had really fallen for England and had decided to marry a girl he met in London.



Although their initial plan had been to continue from Canada, cycling East to return to India, they both halted at this point.



Raj left Anup in Canada and returned to Britain to get married, while his companion continued to America, where he still lives today.

Press coverage Making newspaper headlines along the way One of the most unexpected parts of the journey for the two lads was the amount of attention they received.



As they reached a new town or city news soon spread of their extraordinary trip and they were often invited to receptions, asked to visit schools and were favourites of the local press everywhere they went.



There were many hundreds of newspaper articles and radio interviews, but the lads had usually moved on before the papers were printed.



Raj just managed to get hold of a few cuttings, that he still keeps, and that we have now put into a gallery online. Click the images button above to see the press coverage and photographs from the trip.



The best city of them all I never ever thought to move from here anywhere else… I found Coventry to be the best place and I think I’ll never move from here. Raj Malhotra You might be surprised that after seeing so many villages, towns and cities across the world, Raj decided Coventry was the best of them all.



He explained: “We had a good reception everywhere but In Coventry it was a bit extraordinary… we made many friends in Coventry.



"When we finished out trip and I came back to visit them they managed to persuade me to say in Coventry.



“I also thought about the location of the city on the map in the centre of the country and at the same time it’s not too bit a city and not too small either.



Raj today, happily settled in Coventry "After a couple of miles going outside you get to nice lovely countryside, so I thought that Coventry was the best place to live in.”



He has lived here ever since and says he still loves it as much today as he did when he fist cycled through all those years ago.



He said: “I never ever thought to move from here anywhere else… I found Coventry to be the best place and I think I’ll never move from here.”



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If so, get it touch with us at coventry@bbc.co.uk.







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