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Real Life Shravan Kumar of Ramayana

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Shravan Kumar, the youth who exhibited unparalleled parental devotion in the epic Ramayan by carrying his blind parents on his shoulders, is being emulated by Kailash Giri Brahamchari by carrying his blind mother on his shoulders on a Char Dham Yatra. The 36-year-old Kailash Giri Brahamchari is a native of Wargi village near Sankat Mochan town in Madhya Pradesh and he has been carrying his 80-year-old blind mother on his shoulders for 12 years. All this to fulfill his mother’s vow – she had promised to go on a religious journey if her only son recovered from an accident.

Gautam Sarkar writes about this unique and nowadays rare Mother-Son relationship in The Telegraph, Calcutta

“When I was around eight years old, I had climbed a tree top and then fallen down. I broke my hand and my blind mother prayed for my recovery. She pledged that if I got cured, she would set out on a religious voyage to all the important shrines in the country. I recovered very quickly without any medicines and realized the power of the God. When I was around 24, I decided to take her on the religious journey,” Kailash said.

Poverty has forced him to carry his mother on his shoulder. “Through the journey, people have helped us with shelter and food. God’s blessings are with me and I hope to fulfill my mother’s wishes,” Kailash said.

Villagers were in awe to see a devoted son like Kailash. “One should learn a lesson from him. At a time when parents are tortured and harassed when they become old, Kailash is setting an example,” a villager was heard whispering to his friends.

The original village of the real Shravan Kumar of Ramayana in Uttar Pradesh and place where he died when struck by the arrow of King Dasharath is finding it difficult to even build a befitting memorial to the Ramayan youth who continues to inspire people.

Majority might purposefully ignore the immortal tale of Shravan Kumar of Ramayan but such tales will inspire a Kailash Giri Brahamchari in every generation and he will inspire many more.