R.I.P. Ronnie, Legendary Biker and Hostel Owner

R.I.P. to our brother Ronnie Mukherjee who passed on last year. Ronnie was a legendary motorcycle road captain, owner of the ‘Basecamp Nirvana’ hostel in Manali, India and tour-guide of the mountainous Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir regions.

Ronnie was also owner and best friend to Loki, the Himalayan Mountain Dog he adopted as a puppy, and whom notoriously rode on the handlebars of his Royal Enfield Machismo 500cc. Ronnie had no children, but Loki fathered many, much to the chagrin of the Manali villagers.

Originally from Delhi, Ronnie was a legendary biker who once broke his back in a crash and kept on riding. He suffered from chronic back pain but rarely complained. Following the COVID-19 lockdown in Manali, Ronnie put up many stranded international travelers in his hostel for free, always quick to offer a joint and some travel advice, followed by a plate of Chicken Biryani with his classic rock blaring.

Ronnie taught me how to ride a Royal Enfield on the steep, cracked-up roads of Manali, chuckling when I crashed in front of a bunch of construction workers. ‘You ride, you fall, you dust yourself off,’ he said.

I will forever be in Ronnie’s debt, because he refused to allow me leave India without first arranging a motorcycle club trip through the Zanskar and Nubra regions of Ladakh, which was among the greatest and most intense experiences of my life. We share a tattoo of the retro Royal Enfield logo, which he got first and I later copied after a bad moto crash.

Thank you Ronnie, one of the original, founding members of the Manali Renegades crew, along with Chris, Danny, Sonam, Alex, Eva, Lauren, Ashish and of course, Loki. Many of Ronnie’s adventures and photos remain chronicled on his Instagram: @TwoWheelsofNirvana.

‘Ride on, Ronnie.‘