Teachers’ Day Special: 10 Famous Travellers Who Were Teachers

Sarat Chandra Das (India)Headmaster of a Darjeeling school, Sarat Chandra Das journeyed twice to Tibet in the late 19th century. He brought back invaluable Tibetan texts, maps, and cultural insights that shaped Western knowledge of the region.James Ricalton (USA)An American schoolteacher, Ricalton circumnavigated the globe seven times. He photographed remote cultures, assisted Edison in filament research, and seamlessly combined teaching with exploration.Rahul Sankrityayan (India)Often called the “Father of Indian Travel Writing,” Sankrityayan was a teacher and polyglot who travelled across Asia. He documented cultures, Buddhism, and history, leaving behind over 100 works.Josef Kořenský (Czech Republic)A Czech naturalist and teacher, Kořenský used summer breaks for travel. His journeys across Asia, Oceania, and Europe enriched Czech classrooms with global perspectives.Pandit Nain Singh Rawat (India)Originally a schoolteacher in Milam, Uttarakhand, Nain Singh became one of the most celebrated Indian explorers. He mapped Tibet’s interior and charted trade routes under the British Great Trigonometrical Survey.Radhanath Sikdar (India)A mathematician and teacher at Hindu College, Kolkata, Sikdar was also an explorer. He calculated the height of Peak XV—now Mount Everest—cementing India’s role in geographical discovery.Ann Bancroft (USA)An educator and wilderness instructor, Bancroft became the first woman to cross the ice to both the North and South Poles. She later established educational foundations supporting exploration.Jagadish Chandra Bose (India)A pioneering scientist and educator, Bose taught at Presidency College, Calcutta. His research travels took him worldwide, blending teaching with exploration in plant physiology and early wireless communication studies.John Amos Comenius (Czech Republic)Known as the “Father of Modern Education,” Comenius was a 17th-century teacher whose travels in exile spread his revolutionary teaching methods across Europe.Michael Asher (UK)Beginning as an English teacher in Sudan, Asher transitioned into a desert explorer and author. His life’s work documents nomadic cultures and remote landscapes with scholarly precision.Top 10 Historic Bridges In India You Must VisitRead More