Priest by day, Motocross racer by evening: Kerala godman is fulfilling his life goals

A 34-year-old Kerala priest has gone viral on social media as he offers Aarti to goddess Durga in the day and turns into a highly skilled dirt track rider in his free time. The priest has been identified as Unnikrishnan VL, who lives in Kottayam district’s Manjoor village and is the priest of Pughukkulamgara Devi temple. Unnikrishnan is also a computer science graduate and a former IT sector employee, who decided to quit his job in 2013 and pursue his passion for motorcycling, according to a TOI report. Unnikrishnan quit his job and went on a bike trip across India and Nepal with a friend.

He also continued to pursue his passion and share responsibilities with his father, who was the priest of the Pughukkulamgara Devi temple. After his father passed away in 2019, Unnikrishnan began taking on added responsibilities and officially began his tenure as the temple priest in 2021. However, despite being a full-time priest, he could not let go of his passion for motorcycling and continues to pursue it till date.

Unnikrishnan currently owns a Hero Xpulse 200 adventure motorcycle and has obtained a racing license from the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India. He has also participated in the Indian National Rally Championship in Coimbatore, competing in the 200 cc segment. The Xpulse 200 gets a 199.6 cc, single-cylinder engine that produces 17.8 PS of power and 16.45 nm of torque. It is an adventure bike with long-travel suspension and spoked wheels to make it capable on dirt tracks and off-road conditions. With a kerb weight of 157 kg, the Xpulse is a popular choice among dirt racing enthusiasts.