Bhakti Chalaka/Pune

Haaequa Awati of Junnar in Pune, Maharashtra, known as Hijabi Trekker for her passion for trekking in a hijab, is on an exploration of all the forts built by the Maratha Warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It’s interesting to note that both were born in Junnar, a historic city of Maharashtra.

Haaequa Awati’s bio on her Instagram account @hijabitrekker includes a quote, "Nature's path is where the mind finds clarity, the body finds strength, and the heart finds freedom" Haika emerging as 'Hijabi Trekker' is creating a different identity through trekking.

Haaequa has been fascinated by forts since childhood. She feels drawn to the stories of Maharaj Chhatrapati Shivaji's bravery. She developed an interest in outdoor sports right in school. Inspired by Shivaji's stories, she picked up adventure sports. 

Haaequa’s wanderlust started because of her passion for sports. She had been practicing taekwondo from the age of nine years. She is the first Muslim woman from Junnar taluk to earn a black belt.

“Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. I don't have a brother, so I felt responsible for the protection of my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.” 

Haaequa Awati practising martial arts

Haaequa spent her childhood in a village. Her father has a small tailoring business and her mother is a school teacher. Haaequa is the eldest of three sisters.

Haaequa came to Pune to pursue higher education. Sports and trekking are popular in her community, but higher education among women is not common. She completed her education while maintaining her passion for sports.  

Haaequa got inspired to play sports, she says, “Being born in Shiv Janmabhoomi, I have had an adventurous spirit since childhood. As I didn't have a brother, I felt responsible for protecting myself and my sisters… In that sense, I learned taekwondo for self-defense out of my love for sports… From that love, I developed the hobby of trekking.”  

She came to Pune and completed her MBA from a reputed college and soon got a job. Soon she started coaching schoolchildren in sports and would use her weekends for trekking.

Haaequa Awati posing for a picture during one of her treks

She started trekking from the Shivjanmasthan Fort Shivneri, a fort build by Shivaji Maharaj. So far, she has collected that information by wandering in many places like Torna, Harishchandragad, Korigad, Kokandiva, Rajmachi, Bhuikot, Sea forts, and Mountain forts. Her travel vlogs have also become popular on YouTube and Instagram.   

She says, “My mother, being a teacher, is always innovative. She knows a lot about social media and technology. So she gave me the idea to start the channel. After that, I started my channel on social media called 'Hizbi Trekker'." 

Along with showing the beauty of Sahyadri through her social media, Haaequa tries to convey the culture of Maharashtra and the history preserved through the forts. She chooses a high-altitude fort or a mountain and climbs it wearing casual clothes that blend in with the forest. Haaequa decided to trek wearing a hijab. The idea behind it was to break the stereotype of a Hijab-wearing Muslim woman.

Haaequa has shown how modernity can be embraced while still maintaining religiosity and modest dressing. On being asked about her Hijab while trekking Haaequa said, “When I performed Umrah and Hajj in 2019, I gained more respect for the hijab. That's when I realized that religion or culture never comes in the way of your ambition. We can fulfill our dreams even by wearing hijab. Because hijab is not compulsory but a matter of choice.”

Haaequa adds, “Many people think that being religious means you can't live life as per your choice. I wanted to break this misconception. So I decided to wear my religious identity on my sleeves while pursuing my passion for trekking. That is how the concept of 'Hijabi Trekker' was born." 

On her logo on her social media pages, she says, “There is a lot of respect for our tricolor. It is also a place of inspiration. Inspired by the three colors of the tricolor, I created my Hizbi Trekker logo.”

Haaequa Awati in tfront of a monument up in the hills

When asked about the difficulties she faced in her early days of trekking as a woman, she says, “While trekking, you have to wear loose but skimpy clothes. But I feel comfortable in full body coverings. So that one thing bothered me, but luckily some companies in Kerala have marketed full-body clothing used during trekking. It solved the problems of many girls like me.”

She further says, “I have met a lot of girls who want to do trekking. However, when it comes to trekking by women, many people wonder about where they would stay. Sometimes, the trekkers may also carry their children. I mostly get such reactions, especially from Muslim families. While searching for answers to such questions, I thought that we should curate trekking groups for women."

Haaequa  feels education is an important component of development and empowerment. Unfortunately, the level of education of Muslims in India especially in higher education is not very satisfactory. Although this society has been somewhat backward due to the lack of education, today it seems to be undergoing many positive changes. 

Women face many problems due to lack of education. Therefore, Haaequa has expressed his strong opinion on the importance of education. "I got married in 2017," Haaequa adds, adding that women should be educated and empowered. Opinion I had to separate from my husband within a year of marriage. After that, I had to face the questions of relatives and society. The couple also started a huge court battle for divorce and that battle is still going on. I realized that this battle could not be fought effectively without knowing the law.”

She adds, “There are many laws for women in our country. But I did not know how to use those laws. So I decided to study law to fight my own battle effectively.” 

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Haaequa is completing her LLB from a reputed college in Pune. After becoming financially strong, she wants to cobble a trekking group of women and start a fitness training center for the elderly women.