Yati & Butter: A Man, A Dog And A Unique Mission To See India On Foot

On Yati Gaur＊s Instagram profile, the terrain changes every few posts. Deserts become mountains, which morph into fields and busy highways. What remains constant is the back of a young man, carrying a large backpack and striding energetically next to a very cute dog. In reel after reel of Yati Gaur and Butter＊s journey, the man and the brown-and-white indie share their insights about walking the length and breadth of India, with the occasional detour to take a dip in a local pond.

Gaur and Butter＊s social profiles are The Unfolding Play: They have more than 77,000 followers on Instagram and over 26,000 subscribers on YouTube, where they upload more detailed versions of their videos. The duo are currently on Day 340 of their pan-India walk, on a pilgrimage of the ※char dham§ or the four holy Hindu sites that include Badrinath (Uttarakhand), Dwarka (Gujarat), Jagannath (Odisha), and Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu). Their latest videos are from the last site.

The story began with a sudden epiphany Gaur had while undertaking a smaller walk. In 2020, he was working with a travel company in Rishikesh, after earning a bachelor＊s degree in cinema. Gaur woke up one morning with the thought that he wanted to walk to Kedarnath. Before the journey even began, the discouragement did 每 several people around him told him that it could not be done. But Gaur persevered with full enthusiasm, and walked 48 kilometres on the first day. On the second day, he walked about 38 kilometres. ※And then by the third day, my body was done,§ he recalled.

Credit: The Unfolding Play

Gaur had been subsisting on non-nutritious foods like Maggi. He came across an ashram and spoke with a swamiji there, who forced him to rest for a few days. The priest also ensured Gaur drank milk in the mornings and advised him to slow down once he began walking again, tackling not more than 15 or 20 kilometres a day. He took that advice once he hit the road again, and on the seventh day, he reached the top of Kedarnath. Once there, he continued on foot, to Badrinath. ※I came back [to his home in Noida, UP] and told my family that this is what I want to do. I want to walk around India,§ he said.

Walking And Learning

Between 2020 and 2022, Gaur spent his days walking through different states. He＊d pick a place, travel there by bus or another form of transport, and then explore it on foot. Thus far, he has covered Sikkim, Goa, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The last state was where he met Butter. In Jaisalmer, at the start of 2021, he found a small pup who wagged her tail and came to him. ※I was immediately in love,§ he recalled. Now she＊s called Butter, and accompanies Gaur on all his walking endeavours.

By the end of 2022, Gaur was ready for a bigger challenge. On November 1, he undertook the char dham walk, and decided to include the 12 jyotirlingas of Shiva 每 located in different states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand 每 in his itinerary. He started in the mountains, recording each day on Instagram, walking from one small village or settlement to the next, eating with the locals and setting up camp nearby.

Credit: The Unfolding Play

※In Uttarakhand, the mountains are being broken down as though a mall is being built in Delhi,§ he says in one of his early vlogs. Other times, he＊s completely in awe of India＊s beauty. He also meets fellow travellers along the way and shares his thoughts through his reels. Some of his videos focus on advice for other travellers, while some are likely to inspire more such journeys. In yet others, Gaur and Butter relax in their improvised hammock. Still, he insisted: ※There is no purpose and nothing I want to say through the walk. I＊m just walking and learning.§

Butter, however, has had to face her fair share of challenges. In Odisha, after getting into an accident where she was bitten by a few strays, her tail had to be cut off. The surgery meant that they paused their walk for 1.5 months.

The duo continue to persevere. Throughout the roughly 5,000 kilometres he＊s walked so far, the 26-year-old has been firmly supported by his family, who back him financially and emotionally. Now, with all his social media following, he＊s also aided by many enthusiastic followers and different brand partnerships. More immediate help comes in the form of the people living in the places he visits. ※There have been zero instances of any untoward incident 每 I＊ve never been hit or threatened, nor have my things ever been stolen,§ he told me.

The Kindness Of Strangers

For the most part, Gaur has found his countrymen to be accommodating and kind. For instance, he looks for places to camp at night if there＊s no place to stay where he is. And thus far, he＊s always been allowed to set up camp, be it near a roadside dhaba or near a school building, in the mountains or in the desert.

Credit: The Unfolding Play

It＊s the everyday kindnesses that keep Gaur and Butter going. Three days after visiting Puri, they were in Rameshwaram, a small village in Odisha. Tired and famished, they came upon a tea stall, where Gaur explained his journey to the owner and requested some food that he＊d be happy to pay for. ※He [tea stall owner] immediately said yes. He didn＊t even let me finish my sentence,§ said Gaur. As Butter and Gaur went to a nearby lake to freshen up, they returned to a full meal of rice and vegetables waiting for them, cooked at the stall owner＊s home. Gaur also had several cups of tea, while Butter drank almost half a litre of milk. He was charged only ?60 for the entire meal.

※The people I＊ve met in villages are very kind,§ said Gaur, comparing them with folks he encounters in more urban spaces, who simply demand photographs but are unsympathetic to the fact that he＊s been walking in extreme weather for several hours. If he loses his patience for even a moment, he＊s immediately branded as someone with ※attitude§. In rural areas by contrast, he＊s first asked to put his bag down and rest, offered some water, and then asked to narrate his story.

Walking roughly 25 kilometres each day, observing the topography and dialect change, Gaur＊s fascination with India has only grown. ※I don＊t think there＊s another land as diverse as India.§ He＊s walked through the Himalayas, the Eastern ghats, on highways and roads, near lakes, experiencing picturesque moments each day. In every state, he attempts to find dishes centred around local ingredients, soaking in the variety. Eating local fare is especially important for Gaur since ※the most annoying challenge is the weather.§ And it＊s the food that helps Gaur and Butter stay on track.

Despite the challenges of walking in a tropical country, the duo loves being on the road. Gaur recalled how his love for walking goes back to his childhood 每 every argument with the family was followed by a long walk that calmed him down and helped him consider different perspectives. Today, that love for walking, combined with the shame of not knowing his own country too well, has led to this transformative journey with his dog. He estimates that the walk will take them at least another year to complete. But he＊s already got his next one planned. ※The North East is left.§