An elderly man from Punjab who went missing during a pilgrimage and travelled more than 1,200 km from home was reunited with his family after a Gaya resident spent days tracing his village with the help of online searches and ChatGPT.
Chaman Lal, a resident of Fatehgarh Gujran village in Ludhiana district, had travelled to Amritsar on September 11 to visit Sri Harmandir Sahib under the Punjab government's Chief Minister Pilgrimage Scheme. His family said he has memory-related difficulties. During the visit, he reportedly became separated from his group and reached a railway station, where he boarded a train to Bihar.
He eventually reached Gaya, where local resident Neeraj found him distressed and hungry. Chaman Lal could not provide many details about himself, but repeatedly mentioned the name of his village, Fatehgarh Gujran.
Neeraj took the elderly man home, provided him food and shelter and kept him with his family for four days while trying to trace his relatives. Since Chaman Lal spoke only Punjabi, the village name became Neeraj's main clue.
He searched the internet and used ChatGPT to identify the village, eventually locating Fatehgarh Gujran near Machhiwara Sahib in Ludhiana district after three days.
Neeraj then accompanied Chaman Lal on the journey from Gaya to Ludhiana and later to Machhiwara. There, he showed the man's photograph to locals until Master Krishan Lal recognised him.
Chaman Lal's grandson, Sukhchain Singh, reached Machhiwara and confirmed his identity. The family had been searching for him in Amritsar and had also shared his photographs online.
The family later welcomed Neeraj with garlands and gifts, thanking him for bringing Chaman Lal home safely.
