Kashi Yatra

 About a hundred years ago, there lived in the town of Wai, on the bank of the Krishna river (in Satara district of Maharashtra, then known as the Bombay Presidency) a jeweller named Shyam Saraf. He lived with his parents Narayan and Jayabai, his wife Surekha and their children Govind and Kavita. Narayan had inherited the jewellery shop from his father, and had run the business for over forty years.

As a boy, Shyam spent much of his spare time at the family's shop. By observing his father at work, Shyam learnt the art of making ornaments, presenting finished ornaments to customers, valuing jewellery pieces that people brought for sale, and the other finer aspects of an enterprising jeweller.

When Narayan felt Shyam had enough experience to run the business on his own, he retired from the business. For the last few years, Shyam had looked after the shop. He earned enough to cover the family's expenses, and also to save for a rainy day.

In those days, it was a custom for every person to make a pilgrimage to Kashi at least once in their lifetime. Such a pilgrimage was known as the Kashi Yatra. Narayan and Jayabai aspired to go on such a pilgrimage. One day, Narayan broached the subject with Shyam. Said Narayan, "Son, both your mother and I are getting on in years. Before we get too old to travel, we want to have darshan of the Lord of Kashi. I consulted Joshi Saheb (the family's astrologer). He suggested a few auspicious days after Deepavali, to begin our journey. The rains would have stopped, and it will not be too cold. Your mother and I can make the journey, without worrying about the weather".

Shyam did not comment. While he understood his parent's wish to have darshan at Kashi, he was reluctant to let them undertake the arduous journey. First, they would need to travel twenty five miles by bullock cart to Satara, the nearest railway station. The train journey to Kashi would take another two days, with a halt in between. After they arrived at Kashi, they would stay at a dharmashala. They would return only after spending five or six days at Kashi, having darshan at the temple of Lord Vishwanatha and other holy spots nearby.

Shyam wished to accompany his parents on the pilgrimage, to ensure their safety and comfort. However, he simply could not keep the store shut for the duration of the pilgrimage. He expressed his reservations about his parents' pilgrimage to Surekha.

Surekha's own parents had already made the pilgrimage to Kashi as members of a group, the previous year. They had come back safe and sound. Surekha allayed Shyam's fears and reassured him.

After thinking over the matter for a few days, Shyam agreed to his parents' plans. They found out that a group of people were going to Kashi just before winter that year. Narayan and Jayabai decided to join that group of pilgrims.

Narayan and Shyam calculated the expenses for the pilgrimage. They found that they would need to spend a little over four hundred rupees, a sizeable sum in those days. Narayan instructed Shyam to withdraw this amount from Narayan's account with the local bank, a few days before Narayan and Jayabai began their journey.

During the following weeks, the whole family prepared for the pilgrimage. Narayan and Jayabai decided what they would take on the journey, and earnestly began packing. A few days after Deepavali, they were ready. Shyam visited the local bank and withdrew four hundred and twenty five rupees.

That evening, Narayan visited Gangadhar, who was a friend of his from their childhood. Gangadhar was the headmaster of the local school, the only one in the town. Both Narayan and Gangadhar had studied together there. They reminisced about their long friendship. Narayan expressed his wish to go inside the school once again. Gangadhar and he walked the short distance to the school. The school had closed for the day, and the watchman opened the gates to let them enter the premises.

Gangadhar escorted Narayan through the classrooms. Narayan observed that the school building and the furniture were much the same as in their school days. The building was in dire need of being renovated, and the furniture was old and had to be repaired or replaced. Though Narayan realised this, he did not point it out to Gangadhar on his own. Instead, he tactfully elicited Gangadhar's thoughts about the condition of the school building and the furniture. 

After Narayan returned home, he had a long conversation with Jayabai. Narayan spoke to Jayabai about his long friendship with Gangadhar, and the many occasions on which they had helped each other tide over the many difficulties they had faced during their lives.

Shyam had brought home the money he had withdrawn from the bank, for his parents' pilgrimage. He had placed the amounts needed for various purposes, in different envelopes. Shaym carefully handed over each envelope to his father. With equal care, Naraytan placed each envelope in to the case that he intended to take with him during the journey to Kashi.

The day before Narayan and Jayabai were to begin their pilgrimage, they both went to the temple of Mahaganapati on the river bank. After they had darshan at the temple, Jayabai returned home. Narayan returned home after an hour. When Shyam returned home, he found his parents unpacking their bags, and putting their clothes back in the cupboard.

Shyam and Surekha were astonished. Shyam could only blurt out, "What has happened, Baba? Why on earth are you putting your clothes back? You will be beginning your journey tomorrow!"

Narayan calmly walked over to him and told him about his visit to the school. He told Shyam what Gangadhar had confided to him the condition of the school's finances. The Trust that managed the school had been trying to raise funds to repair the school for years, but had only succeeded in getting minor repairs made every year, before the monsoon. Unless major repairs were undertaken soon, Gangadhar had said, the roof could collapse in a few years. This would be a disaster, and the Trust was trying to raise funds in all possible ways, to get the school building renovated.

Narayan said, "Both your mother and I earnestly want to see the school building renovated. In fact, our pilgrimage will be meaningless if the school were to remain in the same condition. For this reason, we together decided to donate the amount that we set aside for our Kashi Yatra, to the school Trust. In fact, Gangadhar and I went to the school Trust's office yesterday, and I gave away the money that you withdrew from my account, to the school's fund. As for our pilgrimage, we can wait for a year or two. We have no regrets in postponing it."

Shyam and Surekha were moved by their parents' gesture. The Kashi Yatra was something that both Narayan and Jayabai had been eager to undertake. It was a big sacrifice, to postpone the pilgrimage. Yet, it was much more fulfilling for them to donate the money saved for their pilgrimage, to the school fund. Indeed, they considered the school as a temple of learning, and their donation an offering. 

Neither Shyam nor Surekha objected to the decision. They saved money in the coming months, and after two years there was enough for Narayan and Jayabai to undertake the Kashi Yatra. During the same time, the school Trust had raised enough funds to get the school renovated. Narayan and Jayabai had the satisfaction of seeing the school building restored and refurbished, before they began their journey to Kashi.