From Berlin to Karbi Anglong: German cyclist seeks salvation on Assam’s sacred trails

On a serene stretch of road leading to Manjha in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district, senior journalist and The Hills Emissary Editor Sushanta Roy stumbled upon a traveller unlike any other — Max, a 74-year-old German cyclist who has spent the last 14 months crisscrossing India on two wheels.

Barely dressed and carrying a quiet, free-spirited presence, Max spoke of a life transformed. Disenchanted with the consumer-driven lifestyle of his homeland, he left Germany in search of something deeper — something sacred. “I came to India to discover the great Hindu nation,” he said, reflecting on his spiritual quest.

Max’s reverence for Hinduism and its pantheon of deities has shaped his journey, leading him not just across regions, but inward — toward self-discovery. Daily yoga, he shared, has become his anchor — offering both physical vitality and inner peace.

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Remarkably fluent in Hindi and English, Max has immersed himself in local life with ease. His next route, he revealed, will take him through Lumding, Umrangso, Lanka, and other hidden corners of Northeast India — a region he describes as raw, spiritual, and profoundly moving.

When asked how he supports his travels, Max revealed a humble but practical skill: he’s a baker by profession. The craft, he believes, may have helped him survive — but it is the kindness of strangers and the spiritual richness of India that have truly sustained him.

Max’s story is more than that of an aged cyclist — it’s a portrait of a modern pilgrim, drawn across continents by India’s ageless spiritual magnetism. His journey reflects a timeless truth: that the roads less traveled often lead straight to the soul.