Legacy Lost?

Early this morning, Mr S, our local pious man, (vegetarian, bearded and forever donning a kurtha, a practical Indian wear) dropped at our gates to request for a place to host the Navarathri prayers at our house. I politely declined as it was a last minute request and the house was raging with exam fever!
Since we started living in this Taman more than 10 years ago, a bhajan group comprising some adults but mostly school children equipped with musical instruments and percussions, under the auspices of S's father (Masterji, as he known as he taught sangeetham [classical Indian singing] and could speak Hindi, as well), went from selected house to house singing devotional song on the 9 days of Navarathri (the 9 auspicious days to worship the Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati). Coincidentally, the Chinese people have a similar 9-day celebration for Goddess Kwan Ying, the Goddess of Mercy! The reception for 'caroling' group used to be so overwhelming that the sessions used to go on till past midnight. That was then... Masterji and his right hand man, NS, passed on a couple of years ago. And the Navarathri bhajan group has come to this. All dressed up and nowhere to go!
What happened? Has S failed in continuing his father's legacy or have people changed their priorities? Have achieving good results and enjoying worldly comfort superseded the need to improve our karma standings in the afterlife?
We have to remember that Masterji was a retired man with time in his hands. S had a full time job to attend to and a young and growing family to be fed and educated. Charity and divine deeds start at home first!
Talking about continuing the old man's legacy, I just remembered my old barber, Lingam who succumbed to heart attack 3 or 4 years ago. When he was alive, he ran a small barber shop near our Taman. He was a mild mannered man who had only nice things to say about everything. This is a stark anomaly to most of the Indian barbers that we are accustomed to, who are strongly opinionated and you tend to agree with them as they would holding a blade at your jugular! In fact I would writing about them soon. (in midst of drafting)

Joni Mitchell

Lingam's had a small following of loyal customers who actually sang praises of his simpleton way of life and his cordialness in a letter to the editor of  'The Star', our national newspaper. As always, all good things came to an end. Like Joni Mitchell sang in Big Yellow Taxi..."Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got till it's gone...They paved paradise, And put up a parking lot...." Lingam died after his first fatal attack at the age of 54. (What do you know, you cannot have a second fatal attack, can you? You only live once. He had been a diabetic but kept himself trim. His morbidly over-sized chronically lethargic wife with a plethora of diseases have outlived him thus far. Perhaps, God wanted Lingam to be by his side to meet to the his tonsorial needs up in heaven!
Lingam sudden demise caught the family by surprise. His heir was a 17 year old teenager who had bigger plans on his mind - undergraduate and law studies and so forth. So, the widow hired some young punks to continue the business. After some disagreement, she got  an elderly man to run the show. After a few no-shows by the replacement barber, the premises is now permanently shut. And all the loyal followers have moved on to other barbers around there. Life goes on...another legacy lost!
I suppose that is why many renowned figures around the world are grooming their young to take over their legacy. Lee Kuan Yew groomed Lee Hsien Loong; Mahathir Mohamed and Mukhriz; Ling Liong Sik and son; Gnanalingam and Ruben; Samy Vello and Vel Paari; Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng; Anuar and Nurul Izzah; Kim Jon-Il and Kim Jr and the list goes on...