Demonstrating remarkable endurance and perseverance, 22-year-old Ajay Kumar Vishwakarma from Phulwariya village, located in the Domchanch block of Jharkhand's Koderma district, has accomplished an extraordinary national expedition on roller skates. Over a gruelling period of 404 days, he traversed 20 states across India, clocking approximately 21,000 kilometres entirely on skates. After spending more than 13 months continuously on the road, he has successfully returned home to Koderma.
His extensive itinerary encompassed prominent spiritual centres nationwide, including visits to the four dhams, 12 jyotirlingas, and 16 shaktipeeths. In addition to these sacred destinations, he tackled the high-altitude, difficult terrain of Ladakh on his skates. Coming from a modest household, his father Sanjay Vishwakarma works as a welding technician, while his mother Urmila Devi manages their home as a homemaker. Despite facing constrained resources and financial challenges, Ajay relied on sheer grit and passion to execute this immense overland journey.
Advocating Against Alcohol Abuse Along the Route
The cross-country journey commenced from Koderma on 23 August 2025. While spiritual exploration served as a primary anchor, an equally crucial dimension was promoting a nationwide social message against substance abuse. Ajay dedicated his travel to raising public awareness against alcohol consumption, highlighting that alcohol dependence does not merely damage the individual consuming it, but plunges the entire household into psychological distress and severe financial strain.
Having witnessed firsthand in his own community how alcohol tears families apart and destroys livelihoods, he decided to channel his sporting endeavour into a social crusade. Throughout his route across different states and towns, he stopped to interact with local residents, directly warning them about the catastrophic impacts of alcohol and urging them to adopt healthy, sober lifestyles.
Drawing Confidence from Past Long-Distance Expeditions
This grand 20-state circuit was built on Ajay's track record of long-distance skating journeys. In previous years, he had skated from Koderma to major pilgrimage destinations including Ayodhya, Vaishno Devi, and Khatu Shyam Ji in Rajasthan. Furthermore, he had undertaken a traditional Kanwar pilgrimage on skates, fetching holy water from Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and transporting it to Baba Baidyanath Dham. The physical stamina, logistical experience, and mental resilience developed during those earlier expeditions provided the foundation for attempting this nationwide venture.
Braving Hunger, Incessant Rain, and Regional Language Barriers
Navigating the country over 404 continuous days presented immense hardship and physical strain. There were multiple instances where food was unavailable, forcing him to continue skating for one to two consecutive days without a single meal. Tight schedules and remote locations occasionally compelled him to continue travelling through the dead of night. Unfavourable weather offered no reprieve, as he chose to skate onward even through torrential downpours rather than abandoning his schedule.
As he passed through the southern states of India, unfamiliar local tongues created substantial communication hurdles, making routine logistics challenging. Nevertheless, refusing to be deterred by exhaustion, linguistic obstacles, or harsh weather conditions, Ajay stayed committed to his twin goals of pilgrimage and social reform until his homecoming in Koderma.
