Sadhu on 'padayatra' for World Peace

Madurai, Feb 7: A 37-year-old Sadhu, who has undertaken a 'padayatra' of South India from Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh by pulling a decorated 'Lord Hanuman Cart', emphasising World Peace and Communal Harmony, has reached the temple town of Madurai.

Braving the hot sun and humidity, Jai Sitaram Ramesh pulled the 600-kg decorated cart, on which the idol of Lord Hanuman was placed.

Hailing from an orthodox family in Tirumala in Andhra Pradesh, the Diploma Holder in Mechanical Engineering quit his job after working in several Gulf countries and in Mumbai and changed his path towards spiritualism, after he met some Sadhus at Japali forest in Tirumala.

Talking to the sources here, the seer said this was his first 'padayatra', which he had begun on October 21, 2007, from Tirumala. He had traversed through Chennai, Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Vadalur, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirapalli and Srirangam and would travel to Rameswaram, where he would organise special poojas and reach Andhra Pradesh through Tuticorin, Tirunelveli, Tiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam and Guruvayur.

He said that after completing this 'padayatra', he would undertake a similar yatra to North India. Earlier, he had travelled to Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and some important Kshetras (important places of worship) in North India, carrying the idol of Lord Hanuman.

Enroute, he preached from the scriptures and stressed the need for promoting world peace and communal harmony. He also offered his blessings and 'Kalkandu' (sugar crystals) as 'prasadam' to devotees.

UNI