Nalasopara biker rides 11,000 kms to trace 12 jyotirlingas

Devotion manifests itself differently in everyone's lives. For Sujit Rahate, 35, a resident of Nalasopara, his passion for motorbikes brought him closer to Lord Shiva. Rahate, who is employed as an executive with a firm in Andheri, is back in Mumbai after a 22-day solo trip.

He had embarked on an 11,000 km-solo journey on his Royal Enfield motorbike -- all so that he could visit the 12 jyotirlingas located across the country.

Sujit Rahate on the Rishikesh to Kedarnath route

Rahate, who completed the trip in 22 days, decided to go on the trip after upgrading hisEnfieldto a 500 CC model from its earlier 350 CC version. "When we speak of long rides on the bike, the first destination that comes to our mind is some place like Ladakh. But, as I am Shiva worshipper, I wanted to combine my passion with faith," Rahate said.

"I have been wanting to visit the 12 jyotirlingas for over three years now, but the plan did not work out. This time, mystically, my boss gave me a month-long leave after hearing about my plan," he said.

Going solo
Rahate calls the bike his Nandi, which in Hindu scriptures is the name of Lord Shiva's bull. He started out on October 8, covering the length and breadth of the country, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. "The most important mantra while riding solo is to take care of your motorbike," he said. "Going riding with friends is safe as there's always someone to help out in case of a flat tyre or an engine problem. But, to experience the real thrill and spirit of riding, you need to take off on a solo journey," said Rahate.

Toughest journey
Of all the 12 jyotirlingas Rahate visited, it was the trip to the temple at Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, which is closest to his heart. "I felt a special connection there," he said. "I have never seen snow before in my life, but when I reached the Kedarnath temple after braving a 17 km-long trek through snow, it gave me some peace of mind. The temperature was nearly zero degrees and the temple is located approximately 17,000-feet above sea level, making the climb even tougher. Yet, after completing it and praying there, I felt like I had accomplished something."

The motorbike enthusiast has sent in his feat to the Indian Book of Records, and is waiting to hear from them. Next, he plans to ride his 'beast' to either Nepal or Bhutan.