A young man from Athavanad, near Kottakkal, in Malappuram district has set out on a daring journey at a time when a Haj pilgrimage on foot is almost unthinkable.
Shihab Chottur has begun his pilgrimage to Makkah. On foot, he will cover more than 8,600 km. He will reach Makkah for Haj in 2023 after traversing India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia on foot.
Mr. Shihab set out on his journey after an assiduous planning that lasted more than a year. Yet he says no amount of planning will help him while crossing vast stretches of land on foot. “It’s not planning, but it is the aim that matters,” he said.
