KR Vijayan, the smiling tea seller from Kochi and the globe-trotter who explored the unfathomable wonders of the world despite the hardships he faced in life, is no more. Vijayan, who spent a lifetime travelling to different countries along with his wife, left behind a legacy when he breathed his last on Friday at his house in Kochi.
His life is the open chapter that could tell us that some dreams which may seem impossible at first will evently be a reality if you put your heart to it.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
Vijayan and his wife Mohana, the magical couple who visited 26 countries during 16 years, were planning a trip to Japan next. It was only a few weeks ago that the couple returned to Kerala from their trip to Russia with plans for their upcoming trip to be finalised once they sort out the expenses. He was sharing the Russian stories of the days he spend in the cold, and the rednesss of Stalingrad to the locals on Friday morning when the untimely death came calling for him.
The couple’s first-ever journey was an 18-day long visit to Israel with Swami Sandeep Chaitanya back in 2007. The trip cost them about Rs 3 lakh and a lot of personal sacrifice in their life. Since their journey in 2007, the couple has been saving Rs 300 a day from their income from their tea shop. Despite all financial insecurities, the couple would take a loan, travel to a foreign country, return and spend the next 3 years repaying the debt and plan their next trip.
His tea shop near Salim Rajan Road in Kochi, which remains shut during the travel, has its walls covered with many photographs of the countries they have visited, maps and newspaper cuttings from their trips. The couple has travelled to Britain, France, Egypt, the USA, UAE, Israel, South Africa, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Australia, Singapore and many more countries.
Life was not easy for Vijayan while he was growing up. Pilgrimage to several temples in Kerala with his father developed his passion for travelling. However, with the untimely demise of his father, family responsibilities fell on his shoulders and his dreams of travelling came to a standstill.
It was only in 1988 that he resumed his passion when he accompanied his cook on a pilgrimage to the Himalayas. He once said that a journey from Cherthala to see Kochi was the journey that fueled him to be a traveller in his life.
Vijayan and his wife Mohana had gained media attention as they managed to travel to over 26 foreign countries with the earnings from a small tea stall. He sells tea for Rs 5.
Published: 19 Nov 2021, 02:23 am IST
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