Man from Sweden seeks alms in his quest for mental peace

Coimbatore: People seeking alms in the vicinity of the Coimbatore railway junction is not an uncommon sight. But people passing by the station for the past two days were struck by the sight of a westerner with arms stretched seeking alms.
Wearing Rudraksha mala and wristbands, the middle-aged man who was clad in a white cotton dhoti was seen thanking donors with folded hands. He never spoke a single word to anyone, but had a constant smile.
Identifying himself as Kim from Sweden, he said he had been a garden architect back home but had renounced the profession to become a volunteer for want of mental peace. “I started doing volunteer work in Sweden. I came here to take part in a meditation programme at a yoga centre and become a better person,” he said.
Since his visit to the Isha Yoga Centre, he has been seeking alms. Kim said he got to know about the meditation programme through an acquaintance in Sweden and came on a three-month visa. He plans to go back after that.
A reluctant Kim requested not to seek more information about him and his visit. However, he has become the talking point for the public who spot him in and around railway station.
“He has been here for the past two days. He would just stand quietly in a corner and would not speak to anyone. When someone donates money, he would thank them with folded hands and a pleasant smile,” said an auto driver in the locality.
A spokesperson at the Isha Yoga Center said living a simple life was a part of shivanga sadhana, a 42-day-long process that starts on Pournami and ends on Shivaratri. At the end of the sadhana, devotees would undertake a pilgrimage to the Velliangiri mountains on the city’s outskirts.
“During the process, the pilgrims will have to take alms from at least 21 people and wear either white or light colour clothes. They have to eat only two meals during the day and the first meal should be after noon,” the spokesperson said.