Sometime in 1868, Sri Ramakrishna went on pilgrimage with Mathur Babu and family. Mathur was the manager of the Kali Temple at Dakshineswar. The party stopped at Deoghar. The town and its surrounding villages were then in the grip of a terrible famine, and the Santhals, the local tribal people of the place, had gone without food for several days. Already, some had died of starvation. Their bodies were like skeletons and they had hardly any clothes to cover themselves with.
Sri Ramakrishna could not bear the sight. He took his seat by the side of the Santhals, wept bitterly with them, and asked Mathur Babu to help them in their suffering. Mathur Babu said: “There are so many poor people here. How can I help them all? Moreover, we must be able to cover our expenses in places of pilgrimage like Varanasi, etc.” Sri Ramakrishna replied: “I do not want to go to Varanasi, leaving these victims of famine behind. They are the children of the Divine Mother. I shall fast with them unto death. Who cares for your pilgrimage schedule!”
Mathur Babu had to spend a lot of money on feeding and clothing the Santhals. Only then did Sri Ramakrishna agree to resume the journey.