By Vaibhavi Devi Dasi
When Bhaktimarga Swami set out on his 157-kilometer Walk of Devotion across the Netherlands this October, it was more than another of his celebrated treks — it was a journey home. At seventy-three, the Walking Monk returned on foot to the land of his parents, tracing a path through the flat, wind-swept countryside of Holland with the same quiet determination and grace that has defined his decades of walking pilgrimages around the world.
The route began on the North Sea coast at Zandvoort and meandered eastward through serene towns — Hoofddorp, Amstelveen, Baarn, Ede, Arnhem — before concluding at the German border. For eight days, Bhaktimarga Swami and his small team walked roughly twenty kilometers a day, chanting the holy names, engaging in conversations on philosophy and faith, and greeting those who crossed their path.
But this was not just a journey through geography — it was a pilgrimage through memory, heritage, and heart. The Swami, born John Vis in Canada to Dutch Catholic parents from Naaldwijk and Kwintsheul, called it “a walk of gratitude — to the land, to my parents, and to the Lord.” In his blog, he wrote, “When I walk, I feel I’m at peace with the world. The road becomes the prayer mat, the sky the temple dome, and every step a word in the mantra.”
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/walking-home-bhaktimarga-swamis-pilgrimage-of-devotion-across-the-netherlands/
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