By Subhash K. Jha

Mumbai, Jul 16 (IANS): Akshay Kumar likes to seek out places of worship to visit and find solace, wherever he is shooting, particularly in the unexplored interiors. Be it a small gurdwara tucked away in the bylanes of Amristar or a temple on a hill in Manali, the star will climb that extra mile to get there.

So it was in Baramati, Pune, where Akshay shot for several months this year for the new Priyadarshan film "Khatta Meetha". He discovered a small temple in a far-off place that he immediately felt a connect with.

Akshay began to frequent that temple every day.

"Earlier, he wouldn't tell anyone where he'd disappear to early in the morning, or any time of the day. Soon we found where he was off to. What we didn't know was that he had taken a mannat that he'd return to the temple when 'Khatta Meetha' was ready for release," said a source from the unit.

Directed by Priyadarshan, "Khatta Meetha", which also stars southern actress Trisha, is releasing July 23.

So, early one Saturday morning, Akshay took a chartered flight, just before he left for Manali to shoot a song with Aishwarya Rai for Vipul Shah's "Action Replay", to fulfill his mannat in his favourite temple at Baramati.

While Akshay refused to comment saying religion was a very personal matter, a source very close to him said, "Akshay takes matters connected to god very seriously. He wouldn't leave for Manali to shoot until he had fulfilled his mannat in that temple in Baramati."