Roll Call

Since 1991, the Kuntes have travelled a mind-blowing 96,000 km on an 80 cc moped to visit nearly 13,000 temples in Maharashtra. Journeying across the length and breadth of the state, they have exhaustively recorded and clicked the past and present of all kinds of temples. And compiled and published temple data from six districts, besides holding an extensive photo exhibition.

Moreshwar, 64, calls his venture a vanprasthashrama yatra—a pilgrimage after renouncing life’s daily drudgery. ‘‘I had nothing specific to do after my premature retirement from a Garware company in 1990. Then we decided to go on a temple pilgrimage with a difference.’’ In 1991, they began with Pune—and found 600 temples in the city alone.

Born in Ajmer, Vijaya had hardly travelled anywhere before this. ‘‘There were rarely any pleasure trips. The farthest I travelled was to Hardwar when my brother got married in Gwalior. And once we took our kids to Mumbai.’’ Moreshwar agrees: ‘‘For 22 years, I just shuttled between Pune and Pimpri. I never even had the need to ride a two-wheeler.’’

Which is why on the first day of their first trip, the Kuntes had an inexplicable fear of being alone. ‘‘But it soon waned,’’ says Moreshwar, when they encountered two helpful people in a small Konkan village, who played hosts out of the blue. Tales of many more unknown people helping out in several unknown places followed.

‘‘On our first trip, we’d left with Rs 1,500 on us. Petrol then used to cost Rs 18 per litre.’’ Their costs mainly involve petrol, photo film and camera batteries. ‘‘I do not remember hiring a hotel room even for a single day,’’ says Moreshwar.

And mishaps? Hardly any major ones on their 96,000-kilometre run. Except one. ‘‘I cannot forget my 60th birthday. On that day we met with the only mishap in our travel life. It was near Latur,’’ says Moreshwar. Vijaya was unconscious for three days, though Moreshwar and his moped escaped unscathed. In another incident, Vijaya had to stand near a burning pyre for more than half an hour to escape from a bee attack.

But more than anything, what has left lasting impressions are the temples. A temple dedicated to Mallimardana in a small Konkan village near Chiplun and a few in Goa, stand out. While a certain disdain shows up when they talk about renovated, marble-splendoured ones. ‘‘Some temples have just been turned into 5-star places,’’ quips Moreshwar.

Six books down, they are planning their next one. And after they complete the remaining districts, a few more compilations are planned, perhaps one on deepmals, the traditional lamp posts on temple premises.

Armed with a semi-box camera, they continue to shoot—for posterity.