SRINAGAR — A 29-year-old youth from Diver Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has embarked on a bicycle journey to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, with the expedition expected to take around nine months.
Parvaiz Ahmed Lachi, an avid cyclist associated with the hotel industry, told the news agency KNO that he had been planning the Umrah journey by bicycle for more than two years. His plans were delayed after he suffered a leg fracture while playing football.
Parvaiz said he resumed cycling after recovering from the injury and gradually increased his pace before deciding to begin the journey.
“My parents resisted the idea for over a year. I kept trying to convince them. During Ramadan, I prayed for the Umrah journey and eventually my family got convinced,” he said.
Parvaiz said he was inspired by Shihab Chottur, a native of Valancherry in Kerala’s Malappuram district, who travelled thousands of kilometres on foot from India to Makkah to perform Haj.
“Since Shihab Chottur walked such a long distance to Makkah, I thought, why couldn’t I do it on my cycle?” he said.
Route and timeline
The Lolab cyclist said he currently has visas for Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and has to reach Kazakhstan by September 1 as part of his journey. He said the complete expedition is expected to take around nine months, during which he will travel through multiple countries before reaching Saudi Arabia.
Parvaiz said his primary motivation is to visit the House of Allah and complete the Umrah pilgrimage after undertaking the journey by road.
“I expect to see the House of Allah. I will also spend the holy month of Ramadan at Masjid an-Nabawi and pray for the entire Ummah,” he said.
Despite the physical demands of the expedition, Parvaiz said he is determined to continue the journey and hopes to complete it safely.
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