Jayakumar Dinamani - Man with half a hand and quarter of a heart ends the Incredible Journey

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination." ~ Don Williams

Journey was his life's mission....Inspired by his Guru Sudhir Vaidhyar, founder of Sri Agasthyasramam, Tripunithura, Jayakumar Dinamani started his incredible journey in the year 2003. The purpose was to study about the lives of Avadhuthas - the seers who lead a nomadic life for the good of the world. In the year 2014, Lakshmi Dhutha and her mother Dr.Ajitha also joined his journey. They were working on a book called "Mahavadhutham" describing the lives of 21 Avadhuthas across the world. The book is being written in seven languages.

The 54 year old Jayakumar Dinamani was the son of Jayamani-Sudhinamma couple of Padmavilasam House at Vyalar, near Cherthala in Alappuzha district of Kerala State.

Jayakumar, Lakshmi Dhutha and Dr.Ajitha started their incredible journey through road on 16th April, 2023, from Sri Swami Vaidhya Gurukulam, Perumbavur, in an SUV given by the Gurukulam. A retired senior officer from Irrigation department, Mr. Sajikumar T.P had also joined them as part of their yatra this time.They traveled Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia (Bali), Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Malaysia, Tibet, Laos, China and Myanmar. The stories they found on their journey would form the book Mahavadhutam that Ms. Dhuta, a graduate in communication, is writing in English, and with plans for translating it into six regional languages. On this journey, they had no itinerary other than to find resources for the book.

“Our travels so far have been through the rugged remoteness of southern Bhutan; high land leading to the cave of the Tibetan saint Milarepa in Helambu, Nepal; and the borderlands of India that open towards the Jaldapara wilderness. We even met lesser known tribes, including the Totos, descendants of the Mongols,” Mr. Jayakumar Dinamani said.

The trio had undertaken a journey through out Bharat for 107 days after the Pandemic. It was in a car. They wanted to know all the cultures and gather knowledge on the diversity of the country. Their journey is inspired by the Union government’s ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrating 75 years of India’s Independence. They are supported by friends, and groups such as the Delhi-based Servants of the People Society.

Jayakumar Dinamani drove the car through out the journey. He never had perfect health for the past quarter century. He had met with a fatal accident in 1999 and had undergone treatment in hospital bed for a long period. He had severe diabetes and heart ailment. His right hand was 60 percent disabled! He was living with the help of a Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy with Defibrillator (CRT-D), even with which his heart only pumped 17%. That's even half of the minimum requirement of a heart failure patient. Diabetes left him with neuropathy on the legs and he had a tear in his Achilles tendon last year. Listen to this bold man's words, " Physically, I am as flawed as I can be. But mentally, I am as strong as I can be. I am well aware of the unimaginable possibilities our human bodies are capable of." He was an incredible man for the doctors who treated him at Amrita Hospital at Kochi. Thus Jayakumar had traveled over 12 lac kilometers during the past 20 years.

Their unfettered travel is “about finding that every being in this world is part of a unified whole,” Mr. Dinamani said. “We are in no hurry. Life, for us, is travel. We will do that till our end.” But he had to withdraw himself from this incredible journey at Thailand before their scheduled return on 26th February, 2024. He suffered from a stroke and was taken to a hospital, but fate drew the immortal soul from the mortal coil.

His disciple Lakshmi Dhuta and her mother Dr.Ajitha have to continue their journey to European Countries to finish the work of the book. Now, Jayakuamar's memories and his soul would travel along with them inspiring and guiding them.

"We talk of universal brotherhood, but hold grudge against an annoying neighbor. The more we travel, differences cease to exist. We feel home everywhere, relish food in every culture, and make lasting bonds even without language," Jayakumar Dinamani concludes.

His story would definitely inspire travel-lovers and inquisitive-minds.

Read more from my forthcoming book : The Hidden Gems of Kerala - The Unsung Heroes.

Dr.Subramoniam Krishnan