For 54-year-old Babu Giri from Jaala village in Uttar Pradesh's Auraiya district, neither age nor a gruelling road has ever been an obstacle to faith. For the past 13 years, he has set out every year on a bicycle for the Amarnath Yatra, and this time he pedalled more than 1500 kilometres to complete his 14th consecutive pilgrimage to the shrine of Baba Barfani.
24 days of pedalling to reach Jammu and Kashmir
Babu Giri began this year's journey from his home on June 21. Riding through several states entirely by bicycle, he reached Jammu and Kashmir after 24 days on the road and had darshan of Baba Barfani there. He says this is his 14th Amarnath Yatra in a row, and every single year he covers the entire distance the same way, on a cycle.
Strangers along the way become his support
Despite the length and difficulty of the journey, Babu Giri says he has never faced any major hardship. Wherever night falls, someone or the other steps forward to help him. Sometimes he gets food at a roadside community kitchen, and sometimes a hotel owner or a fellow devotee offers him a place to spend the night. He credits it all to the grace of Bhole Baba, saying he has never had trouble with food or shelter, and that people simply come forward on their own to help him.
He prays for others, not for himself
Asked what he asks Baba Barfani for after such an exhausting journey, his answer was simple but striking. Babu Giri says he does not ask for anything for himself. His only prayer is that everyone's wishes are fulfilled.
Next stop, not home but Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri
Completing the Amarnath Yatra does not mean the end of the road for Babu Giri. Instead of heading straight home, he will now cycle onward to Uttarakhand to visit the shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath and Gangotri. His entire journey, from start to his eventual return home, will stretch to about three months.
How the yatra has changed in 13 years
Babu Giri recalls that when he began this cycle pilgrimage for the first time, the roads were not in good condition and facilities for pilgrims were limited. Over the years, though, roads have improved significantly, cleanliness along the route has increased, and arrangements for devotees are now far better than before. Having completed this year's darshan, Babu Giri says he plans to return again next year on the same bicycle to have darshan of Baba Barfani.
Over two lakh pilgrims have had darshan so far
This year's Amarnath Yatra began on July 3 and has been continuing without a break since then. More than two lakh pilgrims have already had darshan of Baba Barfani, with large numbers of devotees reaching the valley every single day. It is the devotion of pilgrims like Babu Giri that makes this annual pilgrimage stand out.
