A teashop owner from Kochi who went viral for travelling the world with his wife passed away in Kochi on Friday morning after he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was 71 at the time.
The Sri Balaji Coffee House was run by Vijayan and his wife, Mohana, in Kochi's Gandhinagar neighbourhood. Despite their humble beginnings, the elderly couple used their teashop earnings to travel across the world.
Vijayan and Mohana, popularly known as Kerala's 'travelling pair,' have caught the internet by storm several times due to their enthusiasm and the visits of celebrities and well-known international vloggers.
The pair had travelled to over 30 countries in 16 years. Their adventures drew the attention of ordinary people, celebrities, and vloggers.
After discovering about the pair through writer Drew Binsky's YouTube video, entrepreneur Anand Mahindra sponsored their trip to Australia in 2019.
Vijayan and his wife had just returned from a vacation to Russia last month, which turned out to be their last international journey together.
Those who know him well recall that his desire for travel began when he began assisting his father, and when he opened his tea shop 27 years ago, he decided to travel.
