 "Faith over comfort: Anant Ambani’s 180-km padayatra from Jamnagar to Dwarka is a lesson in perseverance")
In a country where padayatras are deeply embedded in its cultural heritage, the heir of India’s most affluent family has embarked on a spiritual journey on foot, echoing an age-old Indian tradition of seeking connection with the divine.
On 29 March, Anant Ambani, 29, began a 180-kilometre padayatra from Jamnagar, his ancestral city, to the sacred Dwarkadhish Temple in Dwarka. He expects to reach the holy site on 8 April, one day before his 30th birthday, after walking 20 miles each day for six to seven hours.
This is not a ceremonial march. It is an act of genuine devotion — a surrender of body, mind, and soul to Lord Krishna. With each step, Anant, a member of India’s wealthiest family, offers himself to the grace of Dwarkadhish and the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. His walk is not about making a statement; it is about discovering the divine in silence, solitude, and sweat.
What makes this pilgrimage particularly extraordinary is that Anant undertakes it while battling Cushing’s Syndrome — a rare hormonal disorder — as well as morbid obesity and chronic ailments such as asthma and serious lung disease.
As Anant Ambani traverses this sacred route, he is warmly received by the local community. Many have walked with him along the way, while others have offered prayers, blessings, or devotional gifts in honour of Lord Dwarkadhish.
Two esteemed spiritual figures have also joined the journey: Dhirendra Shastri, the head priest of Bageshwar Dham renowned for his discourses and outreach to youth across India, and Rasraj Maharaj, a revered Vaishnavacharya and spiritual teacher associated with the Pushtimarg tradition.
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More ShortsThroughout the journey, Anant remains immersed in devotion, reciting the Hanuman Chalisa, Sundarkand, and sacred Devi stotras.
Anant, the younger son of Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, is deeply spiritual by nature, and this padayatra is a reflection of that devotion. He is a regular visitor to many of India’s most revered temples and a generous patron. He has supported the restoration and upkeep of the Kalighat Temple in Kolkata, the Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara, and the Kamakhya Temple in Assam. Several Akharas also benefited from his contributions during the Mahakumbh, which concluded in February. He is currently a trustee of the holy Badrinath and Kedarnath dhams.
Anant’s padayatra is an introspective pilgrimage, accompanied only by a few assistants and spiritual advisers. In a world filled with constant noise, endless distractions, and shifting values, Anant Ambani’s journey to Dwarka stands out as a powerful testament to clarity, resilience, and spiritual resolve.
For a generation in search of depth amidst superficiality and meaning amid chaos, his padayatra serves as a poignant reminder that faith is timeless and that quiet perseverance can often be more powerful than loud proclamations.
Anant’s walk is not about ritual. It is about taking responsibility for oneself — about rising each day and choosing the harder path, not for praise, but for peace. Through this spiritual and deeply personal journey, Anant Ambani offers a message to an entire generation.
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