“Where a chaiwala is running the country at this time, Meet another chai wala from the streets of delhi who sells chai for his livelihood and has managed to author a total 24 books.”

While people still believe that if there is no money, then nothing is possible, while another common man Laxman Rao believes that if there is any work done with determination and courage in mind, then money doesn’t hinder your ways.      

From a common man to one of the most famous chaiwala of Delhi, the journey wasn’t easy for Laxman Rao as it seems to be.                                  Laxman Rao  used to read the famous novelist Gulshan Nanda in his teenage , from where he developed his desire in reading novels.

In 1975, Rao came to Delhi with just Rs 40 in his pocket & started doing odd jobs like a waiter in a restaurant and working as a sweeper and a dishwasher .

In 1977 Rao decided to put a pan & cigarette stall under the shade of a tree in ITO.

 Rao who is keenly interested in writing says-

I wrote my first book ‘Ramdas’ in the first quarter of 1978 but had no money to publish. So I   went to the publishers in Darya ganj to publish my book but everyone rejected me giving one or the other reason and one of those publishers told me “गेट आउट  और कहाँ तुम अभी बौहत छोटे हो , तुम नहीं जानते ये क्या हैं, जाओ और पढ़ो”

From here he got is an inspiration to publish the book and started collecting money and got his book ‘नई दुनिया की नई कहानी’ published in 1979. Rao was highly praised and appreciated for this book, which inspired him to write more.

Rao started coming into the discussion when Usha Rai, a reporter for the Times of India wrote an article on Rao for the first time.

But even then the road ahead for Rao was not easy, he broked down emotionally and economically when his father died in 1984, but the spirit of the show must go on kept him running to achieve his dreams.

While talking to Mr. Rao he said –

“1990 was a time in my life where I thought for a year that I would leave all this and go back to my home town, because at that time the pan, bidi, cigarette was banned and the source of money wasn't left much, but when my book Ramdas was published in 1992, after that, I started getting a lot of appreciation, my book was started being taught in schools.”

This changed Rao's thought of going back to his village and from then Rao never looked back.

Rao has been felicitated with many awards including –INDRAPRASTHA SAHITYA BHARTI AWARD for his book ‘ RAMDAS’.

He has been called on by the Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi which encouraged her to write a book on her ‘ PRADHAN MANTRI’

Former President Pratibha Patel has also called him and appreciated his work in Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Rao who has completed his 12^th at the age of 37,  Bachelors from Delhi University at the age of 50 and MA from IGNOU at the age of 63 is a pure example of that the age does not come in the way of studies.

Mr. Rao who has authored 25 books till now, has been covered by various mediums of media including national and international, print, digital, radio.

Rao is an example for those people who extinguish their hopes and dreams with no money.

 -HEMANG BARUA