CHRISTINE MACHADO | NT BUZZ
Around four years ago, D Krishna Kumar and his mother, Choodarathna were conversing about things when he happened to ask her if she had ever visited the noted Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, Karnataka. He was perturbed when he realised that she hadn’t, as Belur is just a little over an hour’s drive from Mysore, their hometown.
“Being a part of the joint family system, my mother spent her time over the years mostly doing only housework and never got a chance to step out anywhere, whereas I having worked in the marketing field for 13 years had travelled to so many places. This bothered me and I resolved then and there that I would show her not only Belur but the whole of India,” says Kumar, 39.
Thus on January 14 this year, Kumar quit his job and on January 16, he and his 70-year-old mother began their trip to visit different parts of India. He describes this as ‘Mathru Seva Sankalpa Yatra’. “I believe that during their lifetime we should fulfil our parents’ dreams or else after their death there is only guilt,” says Kumar, who decided at the age of 21 that he would not marry.
The duo are making their way to different states in India on a 20-year-old Bajaj Chetak. “This scooter was gifted by my late father to me about 20 years ago. Thus by using the scooter for this trip it gives me the feeling that he is also on the journey with us,” he says. Although the mother-son duo has previously made a road trip in a car from Bengaluru to Kashmir in April last year, to prepare his mother for this trip, he used to take her for short trips around the state.
So far the mother-son duo has covered a distance of 26,800 kilometres having visited Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and parts of Karnataka. “We have been to all the small and big temples and have covered every little gully. We now are looking forward to experience the wonderful beauty of Goa and hope to visit temples like Shantadurga, Mangueshi, etc,” says Kumar, adding that they stay the nights at different ashrams, dharamshalas, etc, along the way. If food is an issue, the duo has packed fruits, cucumber, etc, which they can munch on.
And they have been touched by the generosity and warm welcome that people have awarded them wherever they go. “We usually take tips from the locals on directions, where to eat and what to visit. We did not expect such warm-heartedness from people,” he says.
To make the trip even more special for his mother, Kumar has also managed to get in touch with a few of her school friends and they have been stopping over to visit them along the way.
So far, the trip has been pleasant and barring one bike puncture there has been no difficulties whatsoever. “I have had no back pain. Not even a cough or cold. People come up and ask me how I manage to sit behind him for such long distances. I just hold on to him tightly and with God’s blessings there has been no problem so far,” says Choodarathna with a smile. “It is my great pride to have a son as loving as he is and who has given me such happiness in my old age.”
Post their Goa stopover, the duo will then begin their journey back home visiting places like Gokarna, Karwar, etc.
