India
oi-Swastika Sruti
An aged person from Punjab who had disappeared during a pilgrimage to Amritsar reached Gaya, Bihar traveling over 1,200 kilometers by taking a wrong train. The return journey of the person was later facilitated through the help of a local person and a unique application of ChatGPT.
An elderly man from Punjab, Chaman Lal, went missing during a pilgrimage in Amritsar and ended up in Gaya, Bihar, over 1,200 km away after boarding the wrong train; a local resident helped him return home using ChatGPT.
The whole episode started with Chaman Lal, an inhabitant of Fatehgarh Gujran village in Ludhiana district of Punjab traveling to Amritsar on September 11.
Elderly Man Wanders Away And Reaches Gaya
As told by his relatives, Chaman Lal has suffered from memory issues for quite some time. On the occasion of the pilgrimage, he got separated from his companions and ended up reaching the vicinity of the Amritsar railway station.
From here, he got on a train without any idea about the destination. The long journey made him reach the town of Gaya in Bihar, which is over 1,200 kilometres away from his hometown.
By the time he reached Gaya, the old man looked confused and anxious. He was hungry, and moreover, he was not able to tell anyone about his address and how he managed to reach the place.
The only relevant piece of information that he could offer was that of his village, which is called Fatehgarh Gujran.
Gaya Man Uses ChatGPT To Trace His Village
It was in Gaya that a local resident named Neeraj noticed Chaman Lal and decided to help him. Instead of leaving the elderly man to find his own way, Neeraj took him home. He gave him food and shelter and allowed him to stay with his family for four days while he tried to identify his relatives.
There was, however, a major hurdle. Chaman Lal spoke only Punjabi, while Neeraj needed more information to establish his identity and locate his family.
The village name became the key clue.
Neeraj began searching online for Fatehgarh Gujran. He used regular internet searches as well as ChatGPT to narrow down the possible location.
The search continued for around three days. Eventually, he was able to identify Fatehgarh Gujran near Machhiwara Sahib in Ludhiana district.
Neeraj Travels With Him From Bihar To Punjab
Finding the village was only the first step.
Neeraj decided not to send Chaman Lal back to Punjab alone. Instead, he accompanied him on the long journey from Gaya to Ludhiana and then travelled onwards to Machhiwara.
Once there, he started showing Chaman Lal’s photograph to local residents in the hope that someone would recognise him.
His efforts finally paid off when Master Krishan Lal, a local resident, recognised the elderly man. The information quickly reached Chaman Lal’s family.
His grandson, Sukhchain Singh, travelled to Machhiwara and confirmed that the man was indeed his grandfather.
Family Had Been Searching For Him
Sukhchain Singh said the family had been looking for Chaman Lal after he went missing in Amritsar. They had searched different places and informed the police about his disappearance. Relatives and villagers had also circulated his photograph on social media in the hope that someone would recognise him.
The family was eventually reunited with Chaman Lal after Neeraj’s efforts connected the two sides.
The family expressed gratitude to Neeraj for not only giving Chaman Lal food and shelter but also accompanying him across states to ensure that he reached his relatives safely.
Family Welcomes Neeraj With Gratitude
After Chaman Lal returned home, his family welcomed Neeraj warmly. They reportedly garlanded him and offered him clothes and money as a gesture of gratitude.
Neeraj, who works in the construction sector in Gaya, said he simply could not ignore an elderly man who appeared to be in distress. Once Chaman Lal told him the name of his village, Neeraj took it upon himself to find the man’s family.
