Basti (UP) | A 25-year-old man undertook a 9 km 'dandvat (prostration) yatra' to a local temple here after his "wish for divorce" was fulfilled.

The incident took place in Narkhoria village in the Sonha area on March 28. The man, Jogesh, had earlier prayed at the Siddh Peeth Bairwa Samay Mata temple seeking separation from his wife.

Jogesh said he got married in 2022 and had been facing marital discord since then.

He said he had vowed to undertake the ritual journey if his divorce was granted. He claimed that his wish was fulfilled in 2025.

A resident of Narkhoria, Jogesh works in Delhi in the POP (interior design) sector. According to him, he had taken his wife to Delhi after marriage, but frequent disputes over his low income and irregular work hours led to constant tension, causing him significant mental stress.

"The vow was made during this period of distress, and its fulfilment prompted this dandvat yatra," Jogesh said.

To carry out the ritual, Jogesh had sought permission from the local administration as prohibitory orders under Section 125 of BNSS (formerly CrPC 144) were in force in the district.

Bhanpur Sub-Divisional Magistrate Himanshu Kumar granted permission for the yatra, ensuring security arrangements.

Station House Officer Mahesh Singh said, "Two police personnel were deployed to ensure the safe conduct of the yatra, which was carried out on March 28." Jogesh began the journey on Saturday morning without consuming food or water and covered 9 km in nearly 12 hours. Family members and villagers accompanied him during the journey.