Kamal Ghorui
LUCKNOW: At a time when divorce parties are emerging as a new hot invite, a 25-year-old man from Basti celebrated the personal milestone with a unique thanksgiving for the local deity.Making the most of the auspicious occasion of Navratri, the newly-divorced man undertook a 9-km ‘dandawat yatra’ to a local temple to mark the end of a troubled marriage.A dandawat yatra involves a devotee lying fully prostrate on the ground, marking each stretch before moving forward and repeating the act over the entire route.The incident took place in the Sonha police station area of Ramnagar and came into public view on Sunday after videos of the ritual circulated on social media.The man, identified as Jogesh of Narkhoria village, undertook the demanding journey to the Baida Samay Mata temple while fasting through the day.Jogesh began early in the morning and reached the temple by evening, taking nearly 12 hours to complete the 9-km distance.Throughout the journey, he was heard chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and “Jai Bajrangbali.” Jogesh said he had made a vow during a period of severe marital discord.Married in 2022, he said repeated disputes with his wife had pushed him to seek divorce through family court.The divorce was finalised in January 2026. After the legal process ended, he returned to fulfil what he described as a promise made to the deity. Local officials said the ritual was carried out with prior permission.The sub-divisional magistrate approved his application, and police facilitated the movement to ensure safety.Station house officer Mahesh Singh said a constable was deployed to monitor the route.Family members, including Jogesh’s parents and siblings, accompanied him, while villagers gathered along the way in support. At the temple, he offered prayers, broke a coconut and ended his fast.
