Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (MS)

Bantwal, Jul 15: Two youths from Bantwal covered 4200 km in an auto-rickshaw over 11 days, visiting five Jyotirlingas across four states.

Catering entrepreneur Vijeth Nayak from Melkar and software engineer Vishwas Prabhu from Kalladka began their journey on June 29 and returned on July 9.

Childhood friends Vijeth and Vishwas, who have previously travelled to Anantpur and Charmadi, undertook this extensive tour for the first time. Both are fond of travel and trekking and have visited pilgrimage sites in North India by train.

Vijeth purchased a private auto-rickshaw a year-and-a-half ago for his catering business, which does not require a tourist permit to travel to any state in India.

Starting their journey from Bantwal, the youths travelled to Maharashtra via Goa and visited the Grishneshwara, Bheemashankara, and Trambakeshwara Jyotirlinga Kshetras. They then proceeded to Gujarat to visit the Nageshwara and Somanatha Jyotirlinga Kshetras, also stopping at Ellora, Dwarka, and Ekata Vigraha.

Each person spent around Rs 14,000 for the trip. They cooked their own meals during the tour, carrying grocery items and a gas stove with them. They took turns driving the auto-rickshaw, each driving for three hours at a time.

Vijeth Nayak said, “This is the first time we have taken such a long journey by auto-rickshaw. As we planned the route and distance well in advance, we did not face any issues. The vehicle was in top condition, so we did not encounter any vehicle-related problems either.”