BHARATI PAWASKAR
Age is no longer a matter for them. In their mid-80s, the Patnaik couple could climb the 350 steps to Lenadri Ganapati temple on their Astavinayaka Yatra. Nine-year-old Amit Chodankar easily climbed the 10,000 steps of mount Girnar in Gujarat without wearing his footwear along with 82-year-old Murari Manerkar. Similarly Mahadev and Parvati Palang, a couple also in their 80s could climb down 87 metres deep to visit the steep Gupta Mahadev temple at Sarasam, Bihar and then climb up again. These seemingly impossible feats were made possible due to the dedicated voluntary services offered by the committed volunteers of Dnyanadeep Pratisthan who accompany on every tour and take care of every individual, young or old, who travels with them.
“We even had with us a young child of six months, Atharv Mhapsekar on our first Astavinayak Yatra,” boasts Rakhee Palekar, president, Dynandeep Pratisthan, who accompanies the elderly on almost each Yatra. “It’s a service to humanity,” believes Dr Gurudas Naik, vice-president of the Tirthatan Vibhag of Dynanadeep. Apart from taking senior citizens on spiritual tours, Dynandeep conducts Yogasana classes and Naturopathy camps. The organization is also into environmental movements, conducting forest walks and running a campaign to make India plastic-free.
“Most of them are retired. Some fragile, others aged, ailing. Having lived an active, hectic life, they now count days to pass time. Many of these elderly cherished a dream to travel to places far and wide but couldn’t do so while they had no time for self. Now that they have ample amount of time and some are financially capable too, but many still lack company. Who would take them out for pilgrimages across India? Those of us who are young can travel wherever we wish but to take an elderly on a tour is a risk and a responsibility. Thus a seed was sown and Dnyanadeep was born,” states Sushant Tandel, 43 who is the brain behind this concept.
A former journalist and the founder of Dnyandeep Pratisthan, Sushant loves travelling himself. It was in 2015 that he thought of this after seeing tour operators bringing seniors with them for pilgrimage and flaunting banners for advertisement and public attention. The idea kept nagging at him and it was a year later, on May 2, 2016 that the concept was finally materialised into Dnyandeep Pratisthan.
“It was Sushant’s concept,” admits Rakhee who herself makes it a point to accompany the elderly who rely on her for every small thing. “These elderly need all kinds of support - physical, emotional, psychological and even financial. Understanding their needs we have initiated this venture. We keep the expenses minimal and run on ‘no profit, no loss’ basis, so that everybody who has a wish to accompany us, can do so with ease,” says Rakhee, an awardee of Yashodamini Puraskar 2015. Rakhee was offered this award by the State government for her social activities in various fields.
Vijaykant Kamat, 76 who was first a traveller soon became a permanent hand of Dnyandeep after witnessing how the elderly like him were treated with by the care-takers like Rakhee, Sushant and Dr Gurudas. “They go out of their way to see that we travel comfortably and get total attention - right from hot water baths to our medicine doses,” observes Vijaykant.
Retired teacher Chandrakant Patil, 71 who has travelled with Dynandeep to many places - Tirupati, Kanyakumari, Rameshwaram, Vaishnodevi, Simla, Kulu Manali, five Jyotirlingas in Maharashtra too vouches, “Rakheeji takes motherly care of us and we feel safe and secure when she is with us. We are looking forward now to our next tour which is to Rajasthan,” says Chandrakant who along with his wife Ratan, is ever willing to go on such spiritual sojourns whenever they are announced.
Dr Gurudas Naik concludes, “The elderly population should not be looked upon as a burden. What they ask is for words of love and care, appreciation and compassion.”
