Here is some mid-week motivation for you guys. Meet Laxman Rao, the over 60 year old chaiwala in Delhi who has written 25 books so far.
Originally belonging to Maharashtra, Laxman Rao moved to Delhi in 1975 to pursue his dream of writing. Initially for the first five years he worked odd jobs to make a living. He finally settled on to being a chaiwala in 1980. He serves tea near ITO till 9:00 pm and writes till 1:00 am.
For almost 20 years, he did not make any money from his books. No publisher agreed to publish his books, which finally led him to self-publishing his first book in 1979.
Today he is a well known name across the city. He has written 25 books in the Hindi language ranging from novels plays and analysis of Indian society and politics, out of which 12 have been published and 6 republished. These books are available on Amazon, Flipkart, and Kindle.
In 2003, his book ‘Ramdas’ won the Sahitya Bharti Award. The book was based on a true story and was about a yound wayward student from Laxman Rao’s village. The book is now in it’s 3rd edition and has sold over 4000 copies so far.
Laman Rao proved that there is nothing that cannot be achieved through dedication and hard work. He presently holds a bachelors degree in Hindi literature and even sat for a masters exam via IGNOU college’s distance education program.
He has been awarded by various trusts and organisations, and keeps conducting motivational speeches for students. His work has even been noticed and appreciated by former Prime Minister Mrs Indira Gandhi, and former President Smt. Pratibha Patil. In 2009 he was even invited to the President’s house to meet the former president.
His story has inspired many and continues to do so. Every day, people working near ITO visit his chai stall to get their hands on a cup of steaming chai and engage in a healthy discussion about the happening in the country. And trust us they never go back disappointed.