“To do more for the world than the world does for you, that is success.”
-Henry Ford.
We never tend to forget the ones who were there for us when we needed them the most. Life lies in the art of it. The sole purpose of giving and taking is a cycle. The current scenario of the COVID – 19 has gathered people around the city to lay a helping hand to anyone who is in need. Proving that humanity is indeed more powerful than a deadly virus, this priest has indeed saved the lives of many.
As they say, it is more of actions and not words. Kaup-based astrologer-cum-priest K. P. Srinivasa Tantri Madumbu has exceeded the word of humanity in real life. From serving food kits to grocery kits holding the essentials for survival, he has captured all of our hearts.
By providing nutritious meals, Mr. Srinivasa has served around 800 – 900 people ever since the second lockdown was implemented in the state. In the first lockdown, the priest has helped around 29,750 people with distribution of additional 200 food kits. The people receiving this are either auto-rickshaw workers, migrant workers, labourers, and so on, which is also sometimes acquired by doctors and healthcare workers. He has made sure that people who are in need can directly approach him through phone calls and have the food delivered to them. He says, “To the places we cannot travel, we decided to have essential food kits. I just spread the messages to gain young volunteers who have come forward to help distribute the kits. ”
His team focuses more on the people who belong to the regions of Kaup, Madumbu, Shankarapura, Udupi, Korangrapady and other areas. Mr. Srinivas has also updated his number through the platform of Facebook, so that people could approach him directly.
The food kits include steamy rice, delicious sambar, which is prepared by a set of volunteers, also supported family members. Looking at his extraordinary initiative, a lot of other residents started pooling in their contributions with rice grains to the priest. Other than the food kits, he has also initiated the ration kits that include grocery essentials such as rice, salt, sugar, biscuits, coriander and chilli, tea powder, etc. and has distributed 300 kits so far.
When asked about what inspired him to take this step, Mr. Srinivasa said, “One can definitely understand someone else’s pain if one has experienced it. Like how one can know the taste of honey only if he tasted it, similarly, the happinees in the art of giving is something that only a person who gives can understand.”
