A young man from Lolab in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district has embarked on a bicycle journey to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah, travelling across several countries on a journey expected to take around six months.Parvaiz Ahmed, a resident of Devar village in Lolab, passed through Ramban and Banihal along National Highway-44 on Saturday evening while heading towards Jammu.
Speaking about his journey, Parvaiz said he first plans to reach Delhi and then travel through Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Iran and the United Arab Emirates before reaching Saudi Arabia.
He said he began his journey from his native village on August 10. After reaching Srinagar, he stayed there for a day to get his bicycle repaired before resuming the long journey.Parvaiz said he was undertaking the journey with the hope of reaching Saudi Arabia safely and performing Umrah. He appealed to people to pray for the safe and successful completion of his journey.
He also expressed the hope that Allah would bless the country with peace, harmony and prosperity.
His unique journey along NH-44 attracted the attention of locals and travellers, many of whom wished him a safe journey and success in reaching Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.