Month of April. My hurt leg was totally healed. I was walking 30 km and more. Some days even 35 km. Intense heat. Everything was dry. Weather was dry. Pulses and wheat crops were dry. Harvesting was going on in the fields. Dry look everywhere. Yet the landscape looked pretty.
Small farmers were doing each process manually. Looked at the women separating chaff from pulses.
Wondered, I was not the only one walking in the burning sun, rural women too were doing hard labor under scorching heat. I would stop to watch them and talk to them about the pulses and the method they were engaged in.
Smiled seeing men snoozing under the cool shadow of trees. Prided in seeing women sorting out pulses even in hot afternoons.
On the other side I saw nilgai roaming free in vast dry lands which looked like the African savannah. Sharing few images of summer ruralscape.
That was 24th April. Lockdown got stricter. I had not anticipated so. Kept walking and reached Shivrajpur in Kanpur district. A big town. But no place to stay for me. Got tired of searching and found a temple with a huge courtyard. The temple was locked. But the entrance to the courtyard was open. Its marble floor was comfortable enough for me to sit. Or maybe to spend the night as well. Few youngsters were chatting under the shadow of a tree there. I talked to them. Showed them my travel blog. It had two posts on my holy walkathon as well. I wanted to convince them that I was a genuine person, truly on the holy walk. They went through it and assured me that they will do whatever they can. Told me that covid situation was so bad, no one was willing to even welcome their relatives. Only a house with a spare room, toilet and with a separate entrance can think of giving me room, even they won’t. It was not about how much I can pay. It was about who would agree to rent a room. In the meantime they offered me cold drink and biscuits. I was praying to divine, disguising my fear beneath exceptional calm.
Boys worked hard to find a place for me. They went to the home of a dharamsala caretaker, nearby. They even fought with him when he did not care. Whole afternoon passed. I was holding my meditative calm. Knew I had to spend the night in temple courtyard. Surprising fact was that I had to spend the next day as well being in a strict lockdown with no shops open, no transport and I would not get any hotel unless could reach bigger city. Another strange fact was that the next day 25th April was my birthday. All these thoughts did come but I had no answer for any. Just gazed at idols in the temple. As if in eternal meditation.
In the late evening I saw a girl talking in a soft tone with boys. That girl was running a clinic closeby in their home. Their family was well known to one of the boys. He had shown my blog to her. Girl discussed with her mom, took her permission and called her mom in the temple. They had a spare room with a toilet which they used for patients. It had a separate entrance too. With great regards they asked me to stay at their place. Could not believe that I got a place to spend a secure night. I burst into a smile and we all went to their home cum clinic. Sushmita, name of the daughter, served me tea with snacks. Boys brought my dinner from outside as they had already ordered.
Fear had gripped me in the afternoon. Now profound happiness was tickling me.
I asked Sushmita if I could stay with them the next day too, due to the lockdown issue. She cutely said, yes. Couldn’t sleep that night recollecting the day’s ordeal. And the outcome was so pleasant.
Clinic was on the ground floor and their residence was on the first floor. Next morning Sushmita’s mom brought bed tea and a bowl full of her homemade sweet. Seeing sweets in front of me, I could not control my laugh and thanked her for the sweets as that day being my birthday. They got very excited. Prepared wonderful meal for lunch.
Sushmita told the whole neighborhood about me. Teenagers came to meet me and took my autograph. Snoozed a bit in the afternoon. Suddenly heard someone calling me. This was Sushmita ’ s friend asking me to come upstairs quickly. I got up and without even combing my hair went upstairs in a hurry. The moment I stepped in the room they started singing happy birthday.
All dressed prettily for my birthday celebration and the amazing cake there waiting for me In such a time when no shop was open they still got a cake especially baked for me. Sushmita ’ s mom did some birthday rituals and then asked me to cut the cake.
That birthday became the most momentous day of my life.
My memoir: MYATULYAGANGAPARIKRAMA (designrr.page)
Sharing glimpses of my mountain and glacier treks during holy walkathon, in this short video.
https://youtu.be/99Ot7PMU-mI
Even with this pandemic situation, there are still kind-hearted people who are willing to help like Sushmita’s family. You are lucky you have met people like them. I miss traveling too. I hope this pandemic will be over soon. Always stay safe friend!
Yes Risa. Kind hearted people enliven our lives.
I don’t think I could ever seeing myself walking that distance daily. Although this does motivate me to start walking more in general.
Even unbelievable for me how I could do. Only with spiritual strength all became possible.
I don’t mind walking, but this distance is definitely a challenge. Your text is quite touching and has something historic to it 🙂
Thank you Renata. Glad you enjoyed reading.
Such a wonderful story, and meeting kind people in unexpected ways. You have a good heart and the people around you see it. Happy Birthday to you, and wishing you more good luck to your next adventure.
Thank you so much Blair for your encouraging words.