Pilgrim carries mother on 17-year trek , The real devotion

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3590548.stm

 

Pilgrim carries mother on 17-year trek

 

 

 

Kailashgiri says he aches but is determined to finish the

pilgrimage

Village womenfolk consider him a saint as he trudges along the national

highway leading towards India's technology hub, Bangalore, in the southern state

of Karnataka.

Some of them prostrate themselves before the saffron-clad 32-year-old,

Kailashgiri Brahmachari.

 

Swami, as he is described, is on an epic mission - he is carrying his

aged, blind mother, Kethakdevi, on his shoulders on an all-India pilgrimage.

 

He has already covered more than 6,000km (3,750 miles), beginning the

journey in his native village of Piparia, near Jabalpur in the northern state of

Madhya Pradesh eight years ago.

 

If all goes well, Kailashgiri's grand plan is to end his spiritual quest

at the next Kumbh Mela Hindu festival in the holy city of Varanasi in 2013.

 

"It is the will of God," says Kailashgiri on his decision to carry his

mother on the holy expedition.

 

 

Indian mythology

 

Ash stuck on his forehead, the bearded pilgrim dresses like a swami, or a

Hindu holy man.

 

The loving son carries two baskets on his shoulders, balanced by a wooden

bar.

 

 

He is a nice son but I am getting tired. I sometimes feel like

ending the journey and getting back home

 

Kethakdevi, mother

 

 

In one, his mother, in the other his meagre belongings.

 

"It does ache, but I am determined to complete the yatra [pilgrimage] even

it takes another 12 years," says Kailashgiri.

 

Villagers liken him to the Hindu mythological figure, Shravana Kumar, who

is said to have carried his aged, blind parents on pilgrimages.

 

"In this modern age, this is very rare. It shows how much he cares for his

mother," says Gowaramma, a grandmother from Buvanahalli, a village 25km from

Bangalore.

 

"He is truly a swami," says another woman, seeking Kailashgiri's blessing.

 

"My message is simple," Kailashgiri says. "Take care of your parents. If

you don't, your children will also neglect you.

 

 

Lifelong wish

 

People offer money and food along the route but Kailashgiri says his

mother prefers food cooked by him.

 

 

The couple attract blessings from villagers

 

Her favourite food is roti with cereal.

 

"He is a nice son but I am getting tired. I sometimes feel like ending the

journey and getting back home," says his mother, wrapped in a white sari.

 

In her 60s, Kethakdevi, who was born blind, is dependent on her only

surviving son. She lost her elder son and daughter over a decade ago.

 

Kailashgiri undertook the trip to fulfil his mother's lifelong wish to

offer prayers at important holy places in the country.

 

The holy trek has covered the northern city of Ayodhya, the birthplace of

Lord Rama and Kashi, one of the holiest Hindu sites.

 

It has taken son and mother to Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra,

Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

 

"I am very happy. I have visited so many temples," says Kethakdevi.

 

Her remaining wish?

 

"I want to touch the abode of God," she says.

 

Devotee

 

Kailashgiri is philosophical about the health risks of such an epic

journey.

 

The pair rest at temples on the way

 

"It does not bother me. Even if I die it does not matter. What is

important is the spirit of our yatra."

 

He walks three or four kilometres every day but on occasions logs more

than 20.

 

"It all depends on how my mother and I feel. Sometimes, we are so

exhausted, we take a rest for a couple of days before resuming our journey,"

says Kailashgiri.

 

The pair rest at temples and schools on the way.

 

Dagaji Shivaji Shellar, a truck driver who met Kailashgiri on the highway

has become a devotee.

 

"I will be spending some time to serve the guru," says Shellar, who helps

with daily chores.

 

Kailashgiri says he and his mother have been treated well. "Only near

Ananthpur [in Andhra Pradesh], my money and a bag were stolen."

 

His Spartan possessions include a stove and pots, a couple of rugs, some

clothes, a gold-plate wristwatch and a mobile phone.

 

Is this to keep in touch with relatives?

 

"The entire Sansar [world] is my family," he says.