A man of Bonei of Sundargarh district has been continuously going on Bol Bom trip to Puri loknath Temple carrying holy water on foot covering about 400 km for last 16 years.
Shankarsan Pruthal (39) was running a stationery shop at Bonei market a few years ago. But now his shop is closed and he does not have any income. But his annual Bol Bom pilgrimage has not stopped.
Shankarshan had started his holy journey in 2000. Every year when Sharavan starts, Shankarsan takes water from the Vedvyas Ghat at Rourkela on the first Monday and carries that water to Shree Baneswar Temple at Bonei where he pours the water on the Shiva linga. On that day, Shankarsan again takes water from the Brahmani river and starts his Bol Bom journey to Shree loknath Temple at Puri.
Shankarsan wears Bol Bom dress and moves bare foot all the way from Bonei to Vedvyas and the vice versa and then from Banai to Puri.
During this sixteen years’ journey, he faced lots of problems, but Shankarshan never looked back. During his eight-day Bol Bom journey to Puri, he eats only Mandiya (finger millet) which he ca ries with him. Thanks to his utmost devotion for lord Mahadev, Shankarshan is never heartbroken for having virtually no income and has been pouring water on Shiva linga with the hope that one day his fortune will change.
Another youth identified as Prasant Kishan of Narendra at Bonei joined Shankarshan since last two years in his Bol Bom trip.
“I go to Shree loknath Temple, Puri to pour water on Shiva linga every year and it makes me happy,” Shankarshan said and added, “I believe it is only lord’s blessing that helps me undertake the difficult journey.”