Karnataka mother-son duo on 98,800 km pilgrimage across India and beyond on a father’s scooter

Krishnakumar from Karnataka is on a 98,800 km pilgrimage with his 75-year-old mother, riding a scooter gifted by his late father. Their journey has spanned India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar, driven by love and devotion.

Kolar: Everyone knows the story of Shravan Kumara, who, during the Treta Yuga, carried his blind parents on a pilgrimage, seating them on a scale balanced across his shoulders. In this Kali Yuga, a similar tale of devotion unfolds; Krishnakumar from Mysuru, who left a well-paying job to embark on the Matru Sankalpa Yatra, is carrying his mother on the very scooter gifted to him by his father. On Sunday, Mother's Day, he arrived in KGF Nagar, continuing his journey of love and duty.

Krishnakumar began his pilgrimage on January 16, 2018, to fulfill the wish of his 75-year-old mother, Chudaratna, to travel across the country. Their journey has taken them from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, covering states including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.

International pilgrimage: Son takes mother to holy sites on late father’s scooter

Krishnakumar later extended his pilgrimage beyond India's borders, visiting Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar with his mother on a scooter. So far, he has covered an astounding 98,800 kilometres, taking her to numerous holy sites. The scooter, gifted to him by his father Dakshinamurthy in 2001, holds deep sentimental value. After his father's passing in 2015, Krishnakumar says he considers the scooter a symbol of his father’s presence, accompanying him and his mother throughout their journey.

A mother-son pilgrimage

Two to three years after beginning their journey in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to stay in Bhutan for a month and a half. After the lockdown, they obtained travel passes and resumed their pilgrimage, eventually returning to their home in Mysuru.

Journey resumed in 2022

In 2022, they resumed their pilgrimage, visiting Jammu, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and several sacred sites across Northeast India. Having now travelled nearly 100,000 kilometres, they returned to Mysuru after being felicitated in KGF.