Meet the son who’s taking his 70-yr-old mum for an India-darshan on his 20-yr-old scooter
— Kimberly.Colaco@timesgroup.com 31.10.2018
DKrishna Kumar, a 39-year-old ex-marketing official, says he is on a ‘mathru seva sankalpa yatra’ wherein he is taking his 70-year-old mother Chudarathna on a journey across India on his 20-year-old scooter.
They set out from Mysore on January 16, and have covered a span of 26,000 kilometres so far, exploring the southern belt, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and now Goa, along the way.
WHY HE DECIDED TO EMBARK ON THIS YATRA
He says, “I lost my father in 2015, and shortly after that while chatting with my mother, I asked her if she had seen Belur Halebidu, a district in Karnataka which is 120 kilometres away from Mysore.” Her response shocked Krishna. “She told me she hasn’t seen any place other than her own village. While my father was alive, all she had to do was be the housewife and her day would start and end with her focusing on household chores. That’s when I decided to take her around India, so she could see the temples and even meet and interact with people,” he says, adding that he decided at the age of 21, that he would never marry, and never make his mother do the same mechanical work she did when her husband was alive.
THE STORY BEHIND THE SCOOTER
“My father had gifted me the scooter when I was in my early 20s, and I have continued to maintain it and ensure it remains in the same state as it was in when he had gifted it to me. In fact, there were motorbikes available then too, but I didn’t want those. Whenever I ride the scooter, I feel that I’m also travelling with my father. It’s not a journey of two, but three people — my mom, dad and me. Before taking my mom on such long trips, I started off by taking her on smaller rides. Then, I kept increasing the distance so that she grew more comfortable on the scooter.”
‘I GOT IN TOUCH WITH MY MOM’S SCHOOLFRIENDS’
To make it a memorable journey for his mother, Krishna also tracked down some of her school friends, whom she had lost touch with over the years. “To see my mother hugging and talking to them, and being so happy, made me feel very satisfied. This is what is important in life, not money.”
While talking about his old job in Bengaluru, he says, “I worked for 13 years. I have made enough money, or as much as I need. The rat race never stops in the corporate world until you know what you want.”
Chudarathna chimes in at this point, “He’s my only son, and he has already done a lot for me. He has taken care of me in my old age. It’s hard to find that in today’s world. I am very proud of him. When he took me to meet my friends, it was one of the happiest days of my life for me. Many people ask me how I travel such a long distance, but I have never felt any pain or faced any problems. I put both my legs on either side of the scooter, and while we travel, I hold him very tight.”
Living simply all through their travel, the mother-son duo stay at various ashrams, mutts and dharamashalas along the way.
D Krishna Kumar with his mother, Chudarathna
— Kimberly.Colaco@timesgroup.com 31.10.2018
DKrishna Kumar, a 39-year-old ex-marketing official, says he is on a ‘mathru seva sankalpa yatra’ wherein he is taking his 70-year-old mother Chudarathna on a journey across India on his 20-year-old scooter.
They set out from Mysore on January 16, and have covered a span of 26,000 kilometres so far, exploring the southern belt, including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka and now Goa, along the way.
WHY HE DECIDED TO EMBARK ON THIS YATRA
He says, “I lost my father in 2015, and shortly after that while chatting with my mother, I asked her if she had seen Belur Halebidu, a district in Karnataka which is 120 kilometres away from Mysore.” Her response shocked Krishna. “She told me she hasn’t seen any place other than her own village. While my father was alive, all she had to do was be the housewife and her day would start and end with her focusing on household chores. That’s when I decided to take her around India, so she could see the temples and even meet and interact with people,” he says, adding that he decided at the age of 21, that he would never marry, and never make his mother do the same mechanical work she did when her husband was alive.
THE STORY BEHIND THE SCOOTER
“My father had gifted me the scooter when I was in my early 20s, and I have continued to maintain it and ensure it remains in the same state as it was in when he had gifted it to me. In fact, there were motorbikes available then too, but I didn’t want those. Whenever I ride the scooter, I feel that I’m also travelling with my father. It’s not a journey of two, but three people — my mom, dad and me. Before taking my mom on such long trips, I started off by taking her on smaller rides. Then, I kept increasing the distance so that she grew more comfortable on the scooter.”
‘I GOT IN TOUCH WITH MY MOM’S SCHOOLFRIENDS’
To make it a memorable journey for his mother, Krishna also tracked down some of her school friends, whom she had lost touch with over the years. “To see my mother hugging and talking to them, and being so happy, made me feel very satisfied. This is what is important in life, not money.”
While talking about his old job in Bengaluru, he says, “I worked for 13 years. I have made enough money, or as much as I need. The rat race never stops in the corporate world until you know what you want.”
Chudarathna chimes in at this point, “He’s my only son, and he has already done a lot for me. He has taken care of me in my old age. It’s hard to find that in today’s world. I am very proud of him. When he took me to meet my friends, it was one of the happiest days of my life for me. Many people ask me how I travel such a long distance, but I have never felt any pain or faced any problems. I put both my legs on either side of the scooter, and while we travel, I hold him very tight.”
Living simply all through their travel, the mother-son duo stay at various ashrams, mutts and dharamashalas along the way.
D Krishna Kumar with his mother, Chudarathna
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