NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries director Anant Ambani on Sunday completed a 170-km padyatra from Jamnagar to the Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat. His mother Nita Ambani, chairperson of the Reliance Foundation, and wife Radhika Merchant joined him at the temple.
The five-day foot journey began from Jamnagar and concluded in Dwarka, a city considered sacred in Hindu tradition. Undertaken ahead of his 30th birthday on April 9, the pilgrimage included daily walks of 12 to 15 km. Ambani stopped at several temples along the way, offering prayers and chanting.
Speaking at the culmination of his yatra, Ambani expressed his gratitude to Bhagawan Dwarkadhish and said, “See, it’s my own spiritual journey. I started this by taking the name of God and will end it by taking his name. I want to thank the Lord Dwarkadheesh. I am grateful for the people who joined me on my spiritual journey. I am joined by my wife and mother, who will reach soon.”
Despite facing chronic health conditions such as asthma and fibrosis since childhood, Ambani undertook the trek entirely on foot. At one point during the journey, he reportedly stopped a truck transporting chickens, bought the birds, and asked his team to make arrangements for their care.
Anant Ambani said, “I extend my best wishes to all on the occasion of Ram Navami. I did the darshan of the Dwarikadhish, and with this, my padyatra has completed…”
“This padyatra is not about endurance, it is about faith,” said one devotee at a temple stop along the route.
Anant Ambani’s pilgrimage has drawn attention from locals and devotees, many of whom greeted him with traditional chants and offered blessings. The Ambani family has often visited the Dwarkadhish Temple in the past.
The pilgrimage is seen by many as a personal act of devotion. According to temple authorities, Ambani performed special prayers upon reaching the shrine.