During the coronavirus lockdown, the news of a German man making Delhi airport his temporary home had gone viral. And here’s the story of a Russian lady who had found shelter in a Ganesha pandal in Mumbai for a couple of weeks before leaving for her country. 35-year old Marina Biryukova was found in a tousled condition on a road at Saki Naka in Mumbai’s Andheri. There were injury marks all over her body. Saki Naka’s Kherani Cha Raja Pandal had sheltered her for 17 days before finally bidding her goodbye on August 25.
Russian Woman Sheltered At Mumbai’s Ganesha Pandal For 17 Days
After being rescued from Saki Naka road in Mumbai, Marina Biryukova was given shelter at Kherani Cha Raja Ganesha Pandal. As per Indian Express reports, director of the Kherani Cha Raja Pandal, Prashant Maurya has said that the Russian Consulate had arranged for her flight to Russia’s Nakhodka from Goa on August 26, a day after she left the pandal. Maurya added, “We gave her a shawl and a coconut as a token of Indian culture. She would call me Big Boss as I head the pandal. She would come to the office cabin and insist on sitting on the chair reserved for me. We really liked the fact that she would unhesitatingly tell us whatever she felt like doing.” Also, a Spanish woman stranded in Karnataka’s Udupi was learning farming and local dialect.
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She Had Made Friends With The Pandal Folks
Reportedly, during her stay in the pandal, Marina used to translate Hindi words into Russian. In that way, the pandal folks got to learn a bit of Russian language. She had quickly made friends with the people in the pandal and would tell them about her son and his learning on martial arts. Maurya said, “Everyone was so used to having her around the pandal that now we are going to miss her.”
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Powai Resident Anastasia Was Making Russian Salad For Her
Marina was suffering from a neurological disorder and initially, she was receiving food from Anastasia Sinha Roy, a Russian national in Mumbai. Coming to know about Marina’s condition from a Facebook group, Anastasia, a resident of Powai, came forward to help her. She had started preparing Russian salad for her. Marina had first come to India with her friends. Her friends had left, but she stayed back. And our country people took her responsibility in a splendid way. It gave way to a beautiful friendship between her and the city people.
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Hospitality is in the heart and soul of the Indian culture. Marina’s story stands as a perfect example of it. On that note, enjoy these interesting reactions of Americans on Indian snacks: