It's of utmost importance to exhibit honesty and compassion towards our senior citizens, be they our parents or others. They have consistently been our beacon in times of uncertainty. This marked my third time accompanying this group, and on this occasion, they were keenly anticipating the Deogarh Jyotirlinga Darshan. Our previous expeditions were to the Panch Jyotirlinga Darshan in Maharashtra and the Hyderabad and Srisailam Jyotirlinga Darshan.

Living and journeying with them offered me numerous learning opportunities. Given that the group comprised senior citizens, I chose to accompany them free of charge, a service not included in our original costing. In fact, I considered it a blessing to visit and partake in the darshan alongside them.

The group was composed of approximately 35-40 individuals, with two group leaders who coordinated every tour with me. Upon meeting them at Gaya Junction at 4:30 am, having arrived from New Delhi via the Rajdhani, they appeared as vibrant as ever. The first thing group leader Singh Ji said to me was, "Om Prakash Ji, you are now our guest, and we have to care for you just like everyone else. So never take any tension; we will manage by ourselves. You enjoy the tour just as we will." These words infused me with additional energy to ensure that nothing went awry. Despite meticulous planning, things can sometimes become chaotic on a budget tour.

The month of travel was April '22, and the places we visited were under an orange alert due to a heatwave, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees. Despite having an AC Luxury coach and AC rooms, sightseeing inevitably involves some walking, which can be more challenging for senior citizens than for us. However, the guests had no complaints, except that their first day was quite strenuous. From 5 AM, they had been traveling from Gaya Junction to Rajgir-Pawapuri and Deoghar. After checking in and freshening up, we had dinner, and following a brief briefing by us (myself, our group leader, and Pujari Ji), we retired for the night.

The next day proceeded smoothly. They woke up early in the morning and went for the Deogarh Baba Baidhyanath Darshan. The crowd was manageable, and thanks to Pujari Ji's efforts, we were able to perform the puja and darshan a bit early. Some of our members were over 75 and needed assistance for the darshan, even though they had not opted for VIP darshan. Later, we visited other sites like Baba Basukinath Dham, Tirkut Hill, Tapovan Hills and cave, and later Gaya and Bodhgaya in a 5-night and 6-day program.

Throughout the journey, their spirits remained high. Their morning travel began at 7 AM. Their daily routine started with the Gayatri Mantra, followed by Bhajan Singing-Dancing, and the group leader would share a wealth of positive and encouraging words, lessons from books, and real-life jokes relevant to their daily routine from their colony and society. During the journey, they would distribute snacks that the members had brought from their homes. This entire process would take place inside the bus as we traveled between destinations or sightseeing points. They possessed remarkable memory skills, never complained about anyone, were very supportive of each other, and some of them had excellent walking stamina. They never let me down if something went wrong. It was they who made things work, never taking anything too seriously. They would always say, "Om Prakash Ji, we also have eyes, and we see you running from pillar to post to ensure everything is in order, but sometimes things can go wrong due to some of us, so never take it too seriously. We are here, and it will automatically fall into place." They were more aware than me and would brief them accordingly before the departure for the day's activities, which always helped us each time in making the tour a memorable one.