‘We are not a tourist trap,’ the man told The Hindu.
“We are here for the love of God.
The last thing we want is to be exploited or cheated.
Our dream is to make a change in our lives, to make Mumbai a Paradise for our children.””
We are going to go to every beach in Mumbai and go swimming in the lake, and then come back home and celebrate with our families,” he added.”
If this is not a ‘Pillay’ in our minds, we are not going to have any happiness.
If I go to one beach, I am not going there again,” he said.
The man is a former taxi driver who went on a pilgrimage to India, after he had become disillusioned with the city’s traffic, and decided to become a spiritual guide.
“I have been travelling to India for over 20 years now.
It was the first time I went alone, and I thought, I can’t be alone with people.
I was going to do something about it,” he explained.
“This time, I will be alone,” he concluded.
The Hindu has contacted all major tourism boards and hotels to ask them to stop booking any more of the man’s services, as they are not happy with the “misrepresentation” of the “Pilgrim”, as the man has been dubbed.
The story is not the first to expose the alleged scam of “Pillaying” tourists to India.
Last month, a case was registered against the Kerala-based businessman, who is facing criminal charges.
The case was filed against him by a woman for “misleading” a tourist, according to local media.
The Maharashtra Police, in its notification on the complaint, also alleged that “Pilling” is a scam that is being conducted by “a man with connections to a hotel owner”.
