Bhubaneswar: Nepal's "kung fu nuns" have returned to India on their annual cycle journey and their destinations this time includes Odisha.

Around 155 nuns reached Bhubaneswar on Monday and chief minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated them at the secretariat.

The Buddhist nuns, who frequently organise pilgrimages and cycling trips, are on a countrywide journey to promote gender equality and raise awareness about human trafficking.

The nuns started their tour titled "Live to Love" from Kathmandu December 23. The nuns also impart Kung fu training to girls and help them in self-defence.

They travel around 70km every day on bicycles and have already covered cities such as Gorakhpur, Delhi, Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam. From here, they will move towards Vikramshila in Bihar where they will conclude their journey.

This is the fifth such bicycle tour of the Kung fu nuns. Earlier, they had undertaken tours to spread awareness on issues such as environmental pollution, women safety and child protection. These Drukpa nuns are led by the Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the Drukpa Order.

"Our motto is to create awareness among the people regarding the conservation of the atmosphere and to imbibe the spirit of women empowerment. We want to send the message across that women have power and strength like men and they should be provided equal opportunity to show their grit," said group co-ordinator Jigme Yeshe.

Cycle expeditions have become quite popular in the state these days. A doctor by profession, Ramchandra Chavan, recently completed a journey from Malvan to Konark in a span of 20 days.