By Washing the feet of the holly men and women is a long tradition in Santana Dharma for 1000s of years. Also our tradition teaches us to treat Guests as God and do Padha Pooja by washing the feet of those noble ones and take their blessings and then offer food and take the rest as Prasad.
Its Bhagawan Sri Krishan who set an example by treating the poor and downtrodden as noble and holly men and women offered the same privilege to them. This changed the course of how the padha pooja was being done before. Krishna as per the records of Mahabharata did that at least twice..
Ones Krishana did that to his poor classmate Sri Sudhama. You can still see that place where it happened in Bet Dwarka in Gujarat.. (Bet means meeting). Sudhama the old poor Brahman friend with torn clothes and nothing in the hand to offer comes to meet the king of Dwarka Sri Krishna. Sudhama was not even ready to come as he was afraid the king and his soldiers may through him out as he was just a poor fellow.. His guards many not even believe if he says that he went to school and studied with Sri Krishan ones, who is the king of paradise of earth of that time Dwarka.
But to the surprise of Sudhama himself, Bhagwan Sri Krishana not only received this poor friend of him who went to school with him a long while back but in front of all to see along with his queens, he did wash the feet of Sudhama as a pooja and took his blessings and then generously fulfilled all his earthly desires and at the end thanked him for taking the strain to remember and come and meet his old friend.
Even today, this event is celebrated as an epitome of friendship, emotional relationship and also as a moral campus on how to treat the poor and downtrodden with humbleness, sincerity and devotion.
One more reference we have on Bhagwan Sri Krishna doing the same is after crowing Sri Dharmaraj Yudhisthira as emperor of Indraprastha. Sri Krishna washed the feet of each one of the saints and honored guests who came there .Essentially all his devotes and then took the leaf after their food and cleaned the place and won their heart and blessings. This is also an incredible teaching moment.
Now coming to Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Bharat’s Prime Minister Sri Narendhra Modi adopting the teachings of Sri Krishna, washed the feet of the Safai Karmacharis ( Sanitation workers) including couple of women and took their blessings and offered Dhan and Dhakshana to make sure they go home happy. This Padha Pooja Modi ji did as a way to express thanks to those sanitation workers who made this Kumbh mela as the cleanest in the history of 1000s of years. This is the way of saying thanks for PM Modi on his behalf and also on behalf of the 130 crore (1.3 Billion) countrymen.
This not only setting an example by honoring the labor of man and women, but also a loud and clear message by PM Sri Modi that I shall follow the good path suggested by Santana Dharma. Also PM Modi honored these sanitation workers on the same shore of Ganga Mata and Thiriveni Sangam in Prayagraj where once Bhagawan Sri Ram lifted up another poor and downtrodden boat man Nishad raj Guha and hugged him and declared, till today we were only four brothers and with you we became five. After stating this historic statement like any other of his word ever in his life he honored Nishad Raj Guha as his brother.
After taking holy dip in Prayagraj Kumbh Mela, Indian PM Sri Narendhra Modi set a great example by following Bhagwan Sri Ram and Sri Krishna.. and also taught more about Santana Dharma and honor of labor and hard work in those brief time. Big thanks for Indian PM Sri Modi for always teaching by example. We know Bharat will retain its lost glory in next five years of your stewardship. Jai Sia Ram !! Jai Bharat Mata Ki !! Jai Santana Dharma Ki !!
