Kathmandu, Feb 23 A 58-year-old Muslim preacher from southern Nepal has embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, two of the holiest Islamic shrines located in Saudi Arabia — on a bicycle.

Wearing a garland of marigold over an Islamic red-checked scarf, the white-bearded Maulana Taslimuddin Shah started out last week in a bid to pray at the two shrines for peace in Nepal and the promulgation of a new constitution in the country.

Pedalling alone, Shah has a fund of 30,000 Nepali rupees to see him through his odyssey. He is also carrying the unique triangular flag of Nepal with its emblems of the sun and the moon, and the green flag of Muslim organisation Nepal Muslim Ittehad that gave him the cycle.

His first stop will be New Delhi. The Haj cyclist hopes to cover about 10,000 km and reach his destination in nine months.

From India, he will have to travel through Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Turkey.

The preacher comes from Devpura village in Dhanusha district in southern Nepal's Terai plains.