India’s Champions Trophy winner joins Dhirendra Shastri’s Sanatan Hindu Ekta Padayatra 2025 – What’s the movement all about?

Former Indian cricket star Shikhar Dhawan has taken a significant step beyond the cricket field, lending his celebrity status to Sanatan Hindu Ekta Padayatra 2025, an ongoing 10-day trek led by Bageshwar Dham high priest Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. Dhawan, affectionately known as ‘Gabbar’, joined the march on Saturday and made clear his support for the initiative’s core mission of promoting Hindu unity and nationalism.

Along with the experienced opener, the presence of Indian veteran wrestler ‘The Great Khali’ instantly drew national attention to the padayatra that started on November 7. The long march is planned to cover a 145-kilometer route covering three states (Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh) and will culminate in Vrindavan on November 16.

The Cricketer’s Stand: Unity Over Caste

Speaking to reporters after attending the march, Dhawan emphasized the importance of religious unity for the power of the country. “I am very happy to be here. Acharya Dhirendra Shastri’s idea behind this padayatra is to elevate Hindus above caste boundaries and promote Hindutva,” Dhawan said. “From unity comes great strength. Hindus must unite and become stronger for a strong nation.”

#WRISTWATCH | Faridabad, Haryana | Former cricketer Shikhar Dhawan says: “I am very happy to be here. Acharya Dhirendra Shastri’s idea behind this padayatra is to elevate Hindus above caste boundaries and promote Hindutva… There is great strength in unity. Hindus must unite and… https://t.co/I5xtEiHVRB pic.twitter.com/gaAeaMhbbH

— ANI (@ANI) November 8, 2025

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Dhawan’s final act after retiring from cricket is an important statement about a social and religious movement. His support for a political figure like Acharya Shastri is likely to spark debate on what retired athletes should do publicly.

Understanding Padayatra’s Mission

Sanatan Hindu Ekta Padayatra is the second march undertaken by Acharya Dhirendra Krishna Shastri. Its primary stated objective is to eradicate casteism and discrimination from its roots and ensure a united front among the Hindu community across the country.

Acharya Shastri emphasized that the march was a journey of “Hindu awakening” focusing on “nationalism, not casteism”. While promoting Hindu unity, the spiritual leader declared that the yatra was “not to march against Muslims, but to support Hindus.” The march begins each day with the recitation of the national anthem and Hanuman Chalisa, and participants take the oath seven times each day to reinforce the message of unity and national spirit.

Padayatra started at the Chhatarpur Mandir complex in Delhi and received a lot of support with around 40,000 people registering from all over India. Shastri said the Sanatan unity message went to every village and every street along the three-state route.

The involvement of public figures like Shikhar Dhawan gives a huge boost to the movement, ensuring more people see it and hear its message on social media and regular news feeds. This keeps Sanatan Hindu Ekta Padayatra in the national conversation throughout its 10-day tour.

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