Having made 35 annual treks from Chennai to Tirumala to pay obeisance to Lord Venkateswara, Blue Cross of India Chairman Emeritus S. Chinny Krishna has finally decided to hang his boots.
When faith comes into the picture, the long distance of 150 km from his Guindy plant premises (Chennai) to Tirupati turns out to be less arduous than one could have imagined. Though hale and hearty at 80 years of age, Mr. Krishna wants to end the practice on a healthy and contented note, rather than giving it up owing to pain and suffering.
Mr. Krishna reached Tirupati on Monday and spoke to The Hindu ahead of continuing his trek towards Tirumala.
Lack of toilets
The time taken for the trek always depended on the presence of good company, the temperature, availability of tree shade and allied factors. He is, however, disturbed at the absence of toilets in the 20 km stretch between Vadamalapeta and Tiruchanur, causing inconvenience to thousands of fellow trekkers.
The idea of paying an annual thanksgiving visit started way back in 1987 during the auspicious ‘Dhanurmasam’ (Margazhi month in Tamil) and has continued ever since. In the last 38 years, he successfully made it every year except on three occasions, once owing to his father’s demise, then during COVID-19 pandemic and the third time for a personal reason.
No bargain
Mr. Krishna said he did not believe in the practice of making a vow ‘for a benefit’ and then undertaking a trek as a ‘payback’. “Such a bargain does not work with God when you make a trekking offer for return of a favour. My treks are thanksgiving visits for keeping me healthy enough to walk all the way to His abode,” he said.
Though Mr. Chinny Krishna is more popular as a champion of animal rights after he pioneered the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme that stopped the barbaric killing of street dogs, he is also an industrialist and a sports enthusiast. His firm Aspick Green Tech made the first Formula Indian Car No.18 way back in 1974.
Interestingly, his father Captain V. Sundaram, a licensed pilot at the age of 19, also became the first Indian to get a commercial pilot’s license in 1937 and served the Mysore Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar. His mother Ms. Usha Sundaram was independent India’s first woman pilot.
Though he has announced a halt to treks, Mr. Krishna still contemplates visiting Tirumala once every year by road.
Published - January 20, 2025 10:04 pm IST
