New Delhi, July 27 -- In an extraordinary turn of events, a 41-year-old Japanese entrepreneur has left behind a flourishing business empire in Tokyo to follow a spiritual path devoted to Lord Shiva in India. Once the owner of a successful chain of 15 beauty product stores in Japan, Hoshi Takayuki is now known as Bala Kumbha Gurumuni.

Dressed in saffron robes and accompanied by 20 Japanese followers, he was recently spotted walking barefoot during the Kanwar Yatra in Uttarakhand, carrying sacred Ganga water. As part of his pilgrimage, he also organised a two-day food camp for fellow kanwariyas in Dehradun.

Mr Takayuki's spiritual journey began nearly two decades ago during a trip to Tamil Nadu, according to a report by The Times of India...