📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Kishlay RF
Religion
Banka Woman Leads Family on Dandvat Pilgrimage to Baba Baidyanath as Husband’s Vision Fades
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bihar
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 12:32 PM
👁 24
Soni Kumari from Fullidumar, Banka, began a foot pilgrimage to Baba Baidyanath Dham with husband Mantu Kumar and 11-year-old son Ankush after the husband’s eyesight deteriorated.
On the final Monday of the Hindu month of Sawan, a striking scene of devotion unfolded on the raw Kanwaria route in Asarganj, Bihar. Soni Kumari, a resident of Fullidumar village in Banka district, set out on a traditional dandvat (foot) pilgrimage to the revered Baba Baidyanath Dham, accompanied by her husband Mantu Kumar and their 11-year‑old son Ankush.
The family’s journey was prompted by a recent decline in Mantu Kumar’s eyesight, which prompted the wife to take on the role of a sevadar, or volunteer, for the pilgrimage. Carrying the customary bamboo staff and a small bundle of offerings, the trio walked the arduous path, reflecting the deep-rooted faith that characterises the Kanwar Yatra.
Local onlookers noted the determination of the family, especially the mother who, despite her husband’s health concerns, chose to continue the ritual pilgrimage. The pilgrimage to Baba Baidyanath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is considered especially auspicious during the month of Sawan, drawing thousands of devotees across Bihar.
Authorities in Asarganj reported that the route remains safe and that volunteers are assisting pilgrims with water and basic medical aid. The family’s progress will be monitored, and they intend to reach Deoghar, the site of the Baidyanath temple, in the coming days.
The family’s journey was prompted by a recent decline in Mantu Kumar’s eyesight, which prompted the wife to take on the role of a sevadar, or volunteer, for the pilgrimage. Carrying the customary bamboo staff and a small bundle of offerings, the trio walked the arduous path, reflecting the deep-rooted faith that characterises the Kanwar Yatra.
Local onlookers noted the determination of the family, especially the mother who, despite her husband’s health concerns, chose to continue the ritual pilgrimage. The pilgrimage to Baba Baidyanath, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, is considered especially auspicious during the month of Sawan, drawing thousands of devotees across Bihar.
Authorities in Asarganj reported that the route remains safe and that volunteers are assisting pilgrims with water and basic medical aid. The family’s progress will be monitored, and they intend to reach Deoghar, the site of the Baidyanath temple, in the coming days.