An 80-year-old man’s first encounter with the sea has touched hearts online after his son captured the emotional moment on camera. The video shows the elderly man standing in awe at Chandrabhaga Beach in Konark before bowing respectfully as the waves approach him.
The clip was shared on Instagram by Shrikant, who runs the account @bhukkhad_musafir. In the video, he explains that his father had never seen the ocean before and that he had brought him to the shore to witness his first reaction.
“My father has never seen the ocean in his entire life, and I have brought him to the sea shore. Let's see my father's first reaction,” Shrikant is heard saying.
Father bows before the sea
As soon as Shrikant’s father reaches the shoreline, he folds his hands and bows before the vast body of water. The simple gesture reflects his sense of wonder, gratitude and reverence for nature.
“Ah, the water is coming. It's coming up to your feet,” Shrikant tells him as the waves move closer.
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{{/usCountry}}He then asks, “What are you saying, Bauji?”
Overwhelmed by what he is witnessing, his father replies, “In life, such a big, wondrous thing... all I could do was just keep looking at it. I never even saw it in a dream.”
The video captures the elderly man quietly watching the waves, with a childlike smile visible on his face.
‘Some joys do not care about age’
Sharing the clip, Shrikant wrote, “At the age of 80, he saw the sea for the first time. There was a smile on his face and the innocence of childhood in his eyes. Some joys do not care about age; they simply wait for the right moment. This smile on my father’s face is our greatest treasure.”
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts
The heartwarming post has received several emotional reactions from social media users.
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“His first instinct was to bow before the sea in gratitude and offer his prayers to nature. He understands the true value of nature and knows that it is one of life's most precious gifts,” one user wrote.
Another commented, “Seeing Babuji bow before the sea with folded hands brought tears to my eyes. His humility and reverence for nature spoke louder than words. Great, Babuji.”
“This is perhaps the last generation that remains truly rooted in the soil, untouched by social media and deeply connected to nature, values and simplicity,” a third user said.
Another person simply described the moment as, “This is so heartwarming.”
HT.com has reached out to the user for his comments, and the copy will be updated once his response is received.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)