Hazaribag: A 21-year-old man from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur, who has trekked over 15,000 km across the country since July 17, 2024, as part of his ongoing padyatra to visit all 12 ‘jyotirlingas’, Char Dham shrines, shaktipeeths and other famous temples across India and Nepal, reached Hazaribag on Wednesday.Deepak Gupta told TOI On Wednesday he started his journey from the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. “Now I am going to Deoghar to visit the 12th jyotirlinga (Baba Baidyanath Dham). Then I will visit the Pashupatinath temple in Kathmandu. From Kathmandu, I will again return to Varanasi, from where I will go to Mathura and Vrindavan before heading to Maa Vaishno Devi and Amarnath shrines, to conclude the tour,” he said.With just Rs 224 in his pocket, Gupta said his journey is aimed at promoting ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and spreading awareness about cow protection.“I have spent only Rs 24 so far — Rs 20 on water and Rs 4 as donation. The remaining Rs 200 is still with me,” he said, adding that support from people along the way has ensured he never faced financial hardship.Walking an average of 30-40 km a day, he has traversed several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Telangana, Goa, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal, before entering Jharkhand via Chaibasa and Ranchi. He has already visited all four Char Dham shrines, 11 jyotirlingas and several prominent and ancient temples en route.In 2022, he completed a journey on foot to Kedarnath in 78 days, and in 2023 undertook a Kanwar Yatra from his home to Deoghar carrying 45 liters of water, completing it in 63 days.Gupta has two brothers and three sisters, all of whom are married. He lost his father, Arun Saw, at a young age — a phase he said strengthened his resolve and sense of responsibility. Despite financial constraints, his family has been supportive of his spiritual pursuits.
