Man is a traveler by nature. He does not like to keep static at a place for a long time. So, people like to visit new places whenever they find time and opportunity. The practice of traveling is as old as man himself. In the earliest times, people used to go on pilgrimages for religious purposes. Such pilgrimages were multifaceted in nature. On the one hand, the pilgrims got peace of mind and satisfaction of heart. On the other hand, they got a great opportunity for recreation and sight-seeing through devotional means. There was sometimes a spirit of adventure also involved in these pilgrimages as the people had to go on foot or on horseback or in carts. By traveling to new places we can know new people and learn many new things. Travelling opens new vistas of experience and understanding for us. In the modern age, people travel for many reasons. Some travel to gain more knowledge about other countries and the people who live there. Some go there for educational, employment or business purposes. The idea of pilgrimages is still there. But now travel having become easier and less hazardous, the real spirit of devotion has got somewhat diluted. There are now several cultural and business exchanges between different countries. Indeed, political, economic and social and cultural aims have got blended in the modern world at different levels. Tourism is a flourishing business these days and has got closely linked with traveling.
Travelling is, without any doubt, very important for acquiring knowledge and experience. The reality is that howsoever one may study in books, one cannot gain that real knowledge as one can get by being face to face with other people and by seeing the things with one’s own eyes. In fact, the visual effect of firsthand experience is always greater and more lasting than any of gathering and learning second-hand experience. So, we should try to travel more and more.
