Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru

Mangaluru, May 3: To raise awareness among the public about animal protection, 22-year-old Sumanth Ashwin, an engineering graduate from Bengaluru, has embarked on a nationwide padayatra (foot pilgrimage), which has now reached Karnataka via Talapady after passing through seven major states. Remarkably, he is walking with a dog in a wheelchair.

As he arrived in Thokkottu, he was felicitated by the Sai Parivaar Trust. Sumanth actively shares daily updates and videos of his journey through his social media accounts under the name ‘I Am Infinity – Sumanth Ashwin’ on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

A third-year engineering student from Karnataka, Sumanth decided to pause his studies to focus on spreading awareness about animal welfare, conservation of natural resources, and water scarcity. The dog accompanying him, named ‘Bhairava’, was found during his journey and has since become his companion.

He began his journey a year ago from Mantralayam and has so far covered 900 kilometres through Kerala, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. On average, he walks 25 to 30 kilometres a day, spreading awareness about animal welfare, preservation of nature, and water conservation.

Concerned about the intense heat affecting the dog, Sumanth carries Bhairava in a wheelchair. His mission is clear: loving and protecting animals is a shared responsibility. He also advocates for protective policies for stray dogs.

To cope with the heat, he walks mostly during the early morning and evening hours. He seeks rest near petrol pumps and temples. Though he faced some resistance from locals and police in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, he managed to resolve the issues and continued his journey.

He funds his journey with money earned through social media and, in the early stages, even resorted to begging. “I am determined to continue this walk for the next two years, committed to the cause of animal protection,” says Sumanth.

Fans along his route have been supportive, and one such admirer gifted him the wheelchair for the dog after seeing him carry it. As he reached Talapady, around 200 supporters gathered to welcome him, resulting in police intervention to manage the crowd. Despite the challenges, his enthusiasm remained high.

He does not feed all the biscuits given to him by admirers to Bhairava alone but shares them with other stray dogs he encounters along the way. He hopes that through his videos, more people will join the cause of animal and street dog protection.

Looking ahead, Sumanth aspires to move away from city life in Bengaluru and establish a large space dedicated to caring for stray dogs.

During his stop in Talapady, Kishore Kumpala, Santosh Shetty Kallapu, Praveen Kolya, Harish Kottari, and Purushottam Kallapu were present.