Gujarat Woman Lost A Leg In A Tragic Bus Accident; Now Is A Solo Traveller - Recently Trekked 22 KM To Kedarnath With Her Prosthetic Leg

This is by far the most difficult article that I have written. I have paused several times to reflect on the way we live life – taking apart every problem, dissecting it, sharing it, ranting about it, cribbing about it, and finally making peace with it.

Or not.

Most of us never make peace with issues that only the universe (and our core) can solve. And that’s why we remain bitter.

About an unfair relationship. About a parent who never asked for forgiveness. About a sibling who doesn’t call as much. About a crush that didn’t manifest into something meaningful. About a tweet that didn’t get views.

For Neha Bhatt, a Gujarat woman, dissecting and ranting was no option. 

In 2021, she lost one of her legs in a tragic bus accident. And that was it.

The finality of it… we probably cannot imagine. 

But she didn’t let it be the end of her. She didn’t become a recluse. She didn’t stop. 

She did something incredible – with a prosthetic leg and relentless courage – she became a solo traveller. Recently, she trekked 22 kilometers to Kedarnath.

“I always tell people to view life as a gift. There will always be problems. Always something to worry about. But that does not reduce the magic that life is. For me, travelling has opened so many doors. I have received the love I couldn’t even imagine was in store for me,” Neha Bhatt tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

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THE BACKGROUND: A SMALL VILLAGE AND FINANCIAL HARDSHIP

Hailing from a small village called Mahua in Gujarat, Neha Bhatt completed her schooling at a government school.

Her father worked as an electrician and a daily-wage labourer, barely earning enough for the entire family. The family often faced extreme financial hardship, including periods when there was not enough money for daily meals.

“After finishing 12th grade, I pursued a primary teaching course focused on small children. Immediately after, I started working,” Neha shares.

Her first job paid her Rs 3,000 per month as a pre-primary teacher working in Mahua.

Over the years, her salary increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 10,000, then to Rs 15,000, and ultimately to Rs 33,000.

“My family had always dreamed of having their own house. We had been living in a rented house for decades. When my income stabilized, I decided to obtain a home loan and buy our own house,” Neha Bhatt explains.

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THE LIFE-CHANGING, TRAGIC ACCIDENT

On 17 July 2021, Neha was travelling via bus to process the papers for the home loan she had been pursuing.

Around 6 AM, roughly 250 kilometres away from her home, the bus hit a truck and was split in two. Neha, sitting in the front seat, absorbed a severe impact.

Due to the extent of her injuries, she was taken to four doctors and multiple hospitals. The decisions taken during her treatment ultimately resulted in the amputation of one of her legs, permanently altering her physical abilities.

In a matter of hours, everything came crashing down – Neha’s stable career, plans for owning a house, and fulfilling her family’s wants.

This threw her into depression for the next few months. Long hours spent in bed. Days when she didn’t see the sun. And an overwhelming sense of anxiety over all that had been lost.

But here is the thing about Neha: a small, resilient spark had always been inside her.

This spark had made her a teacher, despite financial hurdles. This spark had made her look after her family. This spark had made her take the bold decision to secure a home loan and get a house for her family.

After the accident, this same spark didn’t fail her. She looked up people who had become amputees and were living full lives with prosthetic legs.

“My friends told me about Sudha Chandran, a celebrated Bharatanatyam dancer and actress who lost her leg in a tragic accident at 16 years of age. She continued dancing with her prosthetic foot, becoming a national icon for grit,” Neha Bhatt shares with Startup Pedia.

The idea for a prosthetic leg gave her hope, but her financial condition didn’t allow the expense.

So her friends showed up for her, set up a crowdfunding portal, and collected the required funds.

“I finally got my prosthetic leg. But I didn’t let it confine me. I used it to reclaim movement, confidence, and control over my life. I did look for work-from-home opportunities, but staying huddled up in my room wasn’t working for me,” Neha tells Startup Pedia.

Being someone who always loved tea, Neha opened a small tea stall at the Ahmedabad Riverfront. 

Selling tea for just Rs 10 per cup, the stall became extremely popular online and offline. People came to hug Neha first, and get tea later.

“The tea stall went widely viral on social media and before I knew it, I became Ampu Tea Neha,” Neha smiles.

Her story even reached a national platform, including Josh Talks. However, the tea stall was closed soon after.

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TRAVEL, TREKKING, AND SELF-DISCOVERY

Before the accident, Neha Bhatt had hardly seen life outside her hometown. Now, she decided to become a solo traveller and see everything that she had missed out on.

In 2024, she began travelling and visited Dwarka. She even climbed Girnar, which is Gujarat’s highest peak. 

Eventually, her travel vlogs went viral on social media, including Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Her travel expenses began to be covered through YouTube and Facebook income, Instagram paid promotions, and brand collaborations, as well as community support in the form of sponsored stays, food, and clothing.

In 2025, Neha embraced solo travel fully. She decided to visit the sacred Jyotirlingas.

In January, she went to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga in Ujjain, in February, she went to Prayagraj (Mahakumbh), where she safely bathed and performed the rituals, and in March, she visited the Omkareshwar and Mamleshwar Jyotirlingas in Madhya Pradesh.

Later, she visited the Somnath and Nageshwar Jyotirlingas in Gujarat. She also trekked all the way up to Kedarnath, which is a 22-kilometre trek, filled with steep pathways.

“I have had the best of experiences during my travels. People are especially supportive when they see a woman trekking with a prosthetic leg. I have met some of the kindest souls during my journeys,” Neha tells Startup Pedia.

Apart from travelling, Neha has also gone viral on social media for her garbha dance performances during events.

RESILIENCE - DESPITE, INSPITE, NEVERTHLESS

Neha Bhatt acknowledges how the accident changed her life overnight. But travel has become her way of reclaiming everything she thought she had lost.

Currently, she has plans to visit three more locations in Maharashtra and eventually go on more journeys across India. 

“Please celebrate life. That’s my only message. Do not let any loss define you or cripple you completely. Do not give failure the power to hold you back. Rise, and then rise again,” Neha Bhatt signs off.

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