Bollywood actress Preity Zinta recently shared her adventurous visit to Varanasi’s Kashi Vishwanath temple for Mahashivratri with her mother, Nilprabha Zinta, after taking a holy dip in Triveni Sangam at Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. Instead of opting for VIP services, the actress revealed she walked through the streets, took auto-rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, and even walked alongside the general public.

Taking to her X (formerly known as Twitter) on Monday (March 3), Preity posted a heartfelt note along with a montage of pictures and videos from her trip. She described how the trip began with a drive from Prayagraj to Varanasi, only to find roads blocked and vehicles restricted due to heavy crowds. Instead of turning back, Preity and her mother decided to continue their journey using public transportation and on foot, along with the sea of devotees.

"What an adventure this trip has been. Mom wanted to wrap up our Mahakumbh trip in Varanasi for Shivratri. So I told her, of course ma, let's go. From sitting in a car to an auto-rickshaw to a cycle rickshaw, we did it all and more, as we walked forever in crazy crowds. Once we got there we found out that due to heavy crowds, cars were not allowed & roads were blocked after a point, so people could walk & do darshan at the Kashi Vishwanath temple," she wrote.

The actress added, "We decided we will go for it. From sitting in a car to an auto rickshaw to a cycle rickshaw we did it all & more, as we walked forever in crazy crowds."

In a rare move for a Bollywood celebrity, she attended the aarti at the temple without VIP privileges. Despite only catching a glimpse of the ceremony, Preity said that it was the journey, not the destination, that mattered most.

She also shared her observations of the city, praising the decency of the crowd and the positive energy surrounding them. "The crowd in Varanasi was very decent. Never did I encounter anything negative, and people are essentially good. Even though the trip took us hours, we never felt it, thanks to the power of faith and the collective energy of the people around.

"I have never seen my mom so happy… she was glowing. Looking at her I realised that the greatest seva is not towards god but towards our parents. Sadly we only realise their value, once we become parents. Even though she initiated this entire trip the calling was mine - she was just the excuse. We reached at midnight & saw the midnight Arti. It was for a few seconds as no VIP services were available but it didn’t matter. It wasn’t the destination but the journey that was important," Preity added.

Preity, who shares twins Gia and Jay with her husband, Los Angeles-based financial analyst Gene Goodenough, has been keeping a low profile in recent years. On the work front, she is set to return to the silver screen with Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lahore 1947. Preity is widely loved for her roles in popular films like Kal Ho Naa Ho, Soldier, Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, and Sangharsh.