APRIL- "I saw him walking barefoot in the dirt on the road..."

About a decade back I was a young man doing a small job in Allahabad. Since I always go to a temple of Lord Shiva on Mondays I started hunting for a Shiva temple in Allahabad since I was new to the city. I finally found Mankameshwar temple in Allahabad on Saraswati ghat.

As is common practice for Hindus they put off their footwear before going inside the temple, so I took off my one day old shoes and went inside. When I returned someone had stolen them! This was a secluded place and there was no possibility of finding a shoe shop. So I went to the Mahant or the head of the temple. He understood the whole thing and lovingly said to me that there were no spare footwear so he is giving me his own slippers but I must remember to return them as soon as possible as he had just that one pair and until I returned them he would have to walk barefoot.

I do not remember what happened but there was some delay before I returned to him with new slippers. I saw him walking barefoot in the dirt on the road. When he saw me I touched his feet and put slippers on them. They were a size too small for him since he was a very big man. He laughed and said God is punishing him because he allows himself the luxury of wearing shoes when he should be austere and should go barefoot. Now what do you say of this?

Later I learnt that he was a policeman but renounced the world to serve God. I later tried many times to meet him to take his blessings but somehow never managed to meet him again. Perhaps this is how holy men teach us to make sacrifices for our fellow man. I guess if I myself made sacrifices like he did for me he would be happiest.

Akumar- Allahabad, India

Artist- J Rodman, San Francisco, California J's flickr