JOIN USAmarnath Yatra turned into his final calling...
He died of cardiac arrest, on Tuesday, near the cave temple of Lord Shiva, at Amarnath in Jammu, according to reports reaching here.
A resident of Mane Manchamma Temple street in Veerangere in the city, he was part of a 50-member group which left for Bangalore in a tourist vehicle on July 1.
After reaching Bangalore, they resumed the journey towards Delhi by train. A devout person, he was a regular to MM Hills during every Amavasya pooja.
Besides, he was trekking to Nagamale, the only way to access another shrine near to hills during every visit. His wish was to go on Amarnath Yatra and when the opportunity came, he didn’t blink an eye. Owing to some reasons he had to miss the journey previous year, his nephew S Prakash told Deccan Herald on Thursday.
An agriculturist by profession, he was looking after the family owned lands at Duddagere on Mysore-T Narsipura road. He was the only son of late Puttanna and Rajamma couple.
A sole breadwinner of the family comprising his aged mother Rajamma, wife Pavitra, daughter Navya,11, and son Yeshwanth, seven. Navya is studying in fifth standard at Good Shepherd Convent, while Yeshwanth is a second standard student at Savitri Convent.
Mahesh’s another nephew Anand poignantly said, his uncle visited most of his friends before leaving the city that day. He was very friendly in nature, whom he regarded as an elder brother. He also offered pooja at nearby Ganapathi Temple in the surroundings along with six others from the locality who accompanied him on the yatra.
It included his neighbours Chandranna and Satish, another Mahesh, Srinivas, Prahallad and Mahendra. They were joined by Kumar, a relative of the deceased in New Delhi.
Kumar works in a private factory in New Delhi. Anand recalled that, a day before his (Mahesh) death, he had called his wife over phone to tell, he was fine. However, they do not know whether the tragedy struck after visiting the shrine or later. Chandra broke the news to a friend on Wednesday 12 noon over cellphone, to say Mahesh fatally collapsed on Tuesday evening.
Mahesh’s grandfather Basappa was a ‘yajaman’ of the garadi (a traditional wrestling house), founded by him in the locality- called by name Basappana Garadi. Mahesh, a BA graduate, who was a fitness freak, was regularly practicing at the garadi. The same quality had also earned him a job in armed forces. But he was dissuaded by his parents, as he was the only child, said Prakash.
Now, a pall of gloom has descended at the house, being thronged by relatives and well wishers. The body is expected to arrive at the house here in the night. Final rites will be performed at burial grounds in Bannimantap on Friday.