Rewa: On a ‘soul calling’ to India, he left his home and hearth in Spain way back in 2015. By his own admission, Javier, 65, who originally belong to far-off Spain, has a soul mission in India.
Now, on a bare-foot pilgrimage across the length of breadth of India, the sexagenarian says he is on a quest to explore spirituality through ‘dharmik padayatra.’
“The essence of vibrant and vivid India lies in spirituality, which I want to explore to the fullest,” says the sexagenarian tourist, who wears a red tilak on his forehead which symbolises devotion in Hinduism.
Initially, Javier was struck by wanderlust as he loved to count himself among foreigners for whom the lure of Indian culture was what drew him to the multi-lingual Asian country about a decade ago.
What set the 65-year-old Spaniard apart was that he never seemed in a hurry to return to his roots but chose to stay in India since 2015 as a citizen. Now, he is travelling to India on foot. Soon after reaching Rewa, a town in Madhya Pradesh, which is known as the “Land of White Tigers” because the first white tiger was discovered there in 1951, said, “I’m travelling my country India on foot. I’ve already completed a journey of 65,000 kilometres barefoot.”
The sexagenarian said he came to India 10 years ago for business purposes. According to him, his love for Sanatan Dharma awakened his soul to such an extent that he took the Indian name, Deepak, and then started his journey of travelling across India on foot.
Travelling on foot in India without money
He said,”I’ve come from Spain. I started my journey on foot from Leh Ladakh without any money and went up to Kanyakumari. I have travelled on foot to 12 Jyotirlingas along with all the seven pilgrimages.” He reached Rewa after taking a bath in Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. He said, “Before the year 2015, I had come to India for business and while living here, I got attracted towards Sanatan Dharma,” he added.
Barefoot pilgrimage from Leh-Ladakh in 2015
He continued, “To know Sanatan Dharma in depth, I started my religious journey on foot alone from Leh Ladakh in 2015.” During this time, he gathered a lot of information about religions including Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism. At the same time, while sharing his views about the Maha Kumbh, he said it was a wonderful spiritual experience in Maha Kumbh. “Everyone should go to the Maha Kumbh and take a bath there. People should go there with seeking spirit, not to treat the visit for picnic purposes,” he added.
‘It is a journey to discover myself’
Javier travelled from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. During this time, he has visited all the Char Dhams, including Sapt Puri and 12 Jyotirlingas, on foot. Thereafter, he reached Prayagraj to attend Maha Kumbh on foot. After taking a bath in Maha Kumbh, while going to the next pilgrimage site, he reached Rewa. On being asked about the timeframe to complete his ‘dharmik padyatra'(pilgrimage), Javier said, “Such a journey can neither be started nor ended on one’s own will. I don’t know how long this journey will last. It’s a trip to discover my inner self, ” he signed off before heading for the next leg of his bare-foot journey to Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh.