Hello Friends,
Thanks to your continued love and support, Season 2 of the Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up series launched with an amazing response and enthusiastic participation and we are now into Episode 2!
Let’s take a moment to revisit the highlights of September 27, 2025, through this recap of your favourite meet-up series, Ghumakkad Gossip – Celebrate: Pride With Local Guides.
I was truly thrilled to witness the overwhelming responses and active participation during the GG V2 launch meet-up. A total of 39 participants joined us from around the world, including the Meet-up Moderator (MM), our Guest Speaker, and Connect Moderators.
Following the kick-off meet-up of GG V2, I am excited to share that a total of 34 participants from around the world joined us for the second episode, including the Meet-up Moderator (MM), our Guest Speaker, and Connect Moderators.
I have captured the essence of the session under different sections—take a look, relive the moments, and feel free to share your thoughts!
Quick Introduction of the Attendees 
Participants introduced themselves by sharing their Name, City, Local Guide level, and Connect ID, which they were asked to enter in the chat box.
They were also kindly requested to join the virtual meet-up on time, as a gesture of respect towards the Guest Speaker and fellow participants who arrived punctually.
Improvements brought in 
Two key enhancements introduced in the GG V2 series:
1. Pre-Session Input Form
A newly designed form has been implemented to make the sessions more interactive and meaningful. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, questions, or reflections in advance, allowing for a well-structured and focused discussion during the meet-up, with the goal of achieving tangible outcomes.
2. Real-Time Feedback System
A new feedback mechanism has been introduced to support continuous improvement. Unlike a complaint redressal system, this is designed to gather constructive feedback in real time, enabling timely adjustments and learning during or immediately after the session. To facilitate this, a dedicated feedback form has been launched, which remains open for 48 hours after the meet-up concludes.
You may still find this feature enabled, but please note that the feedback cycle for the mentioned meet-up has officially closed. It remains accessible solely for demonstration purposes at this time.
The same applies to the Pre-Session Input Form.
Overview of the Meet-up 
The Meet-up Moderator (MM) shared the inspiration and purpose behind launching the Ghumakkad Gossip Meet-up series, explaining how the idea was first conceptualized.
Ghumakkad Gossip is a community-driven initiative, created by us, for us, and with us, aimed at building a more collaborative and cohesive platform for everyone to share and learn together.
The MM also outlined a few basic ground rules to ensure the meet-up remains productive and engaging for all participants.
The MM also shared the story behind the name:
‘Ghumakkad’, a Hindi word meaning wanderer, and ‘Ghumakkad Gossip’ translates to Talk with Wanderer. The emphasis here is on the traveller spirit, not just being a tourist, reflecting the true essence of exploration and meaningful journeys.
Introduction of Guest Speaker 
To shed light on our Celebrate: Pride With Local Guides theme, we had the honour of welcoming Accessibility Champion Rahul (@Rahul001) as our esteemed Guest Speaker.
Gossip with Guest Speakers on the topic 
The conversation with the Guest Speaker began by congratulating 
him on reaching a remarkable milestone, completing 100 posts of the Celebrate With Me Series.
This series has made a meaningful impact within the community by raising awareness across a diverse range of topics, including but not limited to Food & Drinks, Travel, and Inclusivity.
Rahul shared an engaging story about how the series began, driven by a simple yet powerful idea: Why not celebrate every day? He believes that each day offers something worth appreciating, and that there’s always a reason to find joy and stay in a celebratory spirit. Rahul consistently brings this positive outlook to meet-up, uplifting the participants with his energy and perspective.
He also expressed openness to collaborate with fellow Local Guides on this series and is willing to support others in any way he can.
When discussing inclusivity, Rahul offered a broad and impactful perspective emphasizing that inclusivity is not just a feature on an app or a day to observe, but a fundamental human right and a mindset that should shape how we live and interact in society. His powerful message left a strong impression on all participants.
Local Guides were encouraged to promote inclusivity in their everyday lives. By making it a habit and cultural norm, we can collectively build a more inclusive environment. The more awareness we create, the stronger and more united our community becomes.
Participants walked away with valuable insights from Rahul’s thoughtful contributions, many of which are also reflected in his inspiring posts on Connect.
Engaging session with contributors who submitted their responses beforehand and during the meet-up 
While responding to @Shalz’s question about identifying LGBTQ+ friendly places in the absence of explicit signage, Rahul suggested observing the ambience and the nature of the crowd. Additionally, speaking directly with the owner can provide further clarity. Based on the insights gathered, such places can then be appropriately marked as LGBTQ+ friendly on Google Maps. Following that, the Meeting Moderator himself and @AjitThite also emphasized the importance of speaking with the owner to understand the nature of the crowd and the level of inclusivity. A similar question was raised by @PrasadVR and was addressed appropriately.
In response to @PritishB’s question about how Rahul gathers information for his “What Is Today / Celebrate the Day With Me” initiative, Rahul explained that there are various sources available. These include daily notifications on mobile phones and updates from FM radio stations, among others.
Attendees Insights 
@Gurukrishnapriya shared her insight that many people are still unaware of LGBTQ+ topics, and others may hesitate to speak up. That’s why discussions and meet-ups like this are so valuable.
@AdrianLunsong, emphasized the existence of ‘One toilet for everyone’. Such concept in modern way is called Gender Neutral Toilet. He further appreciated the way Rahul is taking this concept to the light and working towards its betterment.
Special Thanks 
I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to dear Pritish Biswas for sharing his thoughts, questions, or reflections in advance. Your contributions played a key role in shaping a constructive conversation with the Guest Speaker and ensured the smooth flow of the meet-up.
Thank you once again for your valuable input!
I’d also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to dear PrasadVR, @_aviralagrawal and @Shrut19 for their valuable support in sharing important data related to the meet-up, even after it concluded.
Debriefing & wrap up 
The Meet-up Moderator wrapped up the session by summarizing the key points discussed and expressing gratitude to all participants for their presence and contribution in making the meet-up a success.
A heartfelt THANK YOU to our Guest Speaker, Rahul, for generously sharing his time and invaluable insights with the community.
The next episode of Ghumakkad Gossip V2 will be announced soon—stay tuned and stay connected!
Interested in being a Guest Speaker in an upcoming session?
Fill out this form to express your interest!
A sincere thank you to everyone who joined and actively participated—it was your enthusiasm that made the session so engaging!
Ajit Thite, AdrianLunsong, Amit Nerkar, Aviral Agrawal, @deepakjhic, @SharmaKK, @EshaHarish, Guru Krishna Priya, @Gouri.PS, @Kuldip_Patil, @KunwarHemrajSingh, @palmad1, @NareshDarji, @nish_25, @Praniketmore, @Pranavjl,Prasad VR, @PrinceKumar, @Ruchee2, @Rushikesh_joshi, Shalz, @Sagarkanherkar, @SarathUpendran, @SayliWalve, @ShubhamWaman, ShrutiN M, @SonamW, @TravellerG, @TusharSuradkar, @Vandana_shines, @varunkrishnan10, @VikramSingh_Valera
Please do let me know if I’ve missed mentioning anyone.
This photo beautifully captures the spirit of togetherness and the shared purpose that brought us all together for this meet-up.
Key Takeaways 
- Inclusivity is a basic right that every individual deserves in society.
- Acceptance is the cornerstone of inclusivity.
- Increased dialogue and awareness help foster a culture of inclusivity.
- Inclusivity isn’t just a day to commemorate; it’s a culture to embrace.
- Make sure to incorporate inclusivity in your contributions on Google Maps and Connect whenever relevant.
Key Success Factor 
- Effective promotion of the meet-up through multiple networking channels.
- Punctuality of participants — with 80% joining on or before the scheduled time, the Meet-up Moderator (MM) was able to start and conclude the session as planned. Thank you all! Timely attendance also minimized delays in admitting participants.
- Pre meet-up mock sessions between the MM and the Guest Speaker ensured smooth coordination and preparedness for the final meet-up.
Expressions of Emotion 
A glimpse of the feeling words shared by participants in the meet-up chat box.
Inclusivity For All Role of LG and Maps 
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How to discover and find your local Businesses is LGBTQ+
Friendly - Pride with Local Guides! -
How to edit LGBTQ+ friendly
attribute for a place on Google Maps -
How to edit Accessibility attribute for a place on Google Maps
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Accessibility: WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (Part -1) for You & Me
It’s difficult to always pour so much time and effort into creating posts regularly and engaging with the community so, well done!!
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