Thousands of pilgrims from around the country and across religions are flocking/visit to Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony on January 22. They are walking, cycling, and even skating long distances in the freezing cold.
As a result of their faith in Lord Ram and the overwhelming religious mood in the country, they want to be part of this historic day and spread love and unity.
Nitish Kumar, one of the pilgrims visit to ayodhya a resident of Bihar’s Madhepura district.
It took me seven days to cover 615 km from Bihar to Ayodhya. I arrived today. I carried just a sleeping bag and some essentials with me on my cycle to help me take some breaks. When the Supreme Court decision came, I was still in school, so I decided to do this,” the 21-year-old told PTI.
We are strong believers in Lord Ram. They will also celebrate on January 22, but I wanted to be part of this historical event in Ayodhya,” he said.
The tricolour and three saffron flags bearing pictures and a ‘Jai Shri Ram’ message adorn Kumar’s bicycle.
From Varanasi, Soni Chaurasia , one of the pilgrims who holds the Guinness Book record for the “longest dance marathon” (124 hours), is skating visit to Ayodhya for the consecration ceremony.
My coach and doctor will accompany me on a motorbike throughout the entire journey. I left Varanasi on January 17 and will reach on January 22. I have skated this distance before too, but the weather right now is challenging.
A 10-year-old boy, Himanshu Soni, set out on skates from Kotputhli, Rajasthan, on January 16 to cover 704 km to Ayodhya.
The atmosphere in Ayodhya right now is like that of Diwali. I wanted to be there on the day of the consecration ceremony. What better way to get there than to pursue my talent?” Soni said.
Shabnam Shaikh is walking from Mumbai to Ayodhya to promote Hindu-Muslim unity.
It’s a total of over 1,400 km and I walk around 60 km a day. Being a girl, it’s an obvious concern to find a safe place to take breaks, but wherever I go I’m welcomed,” she said.
Muttna Tirlapura, a resident of Karakitti in Karnataka, marched over 2000 kilometers on foot to reach Ayodhya dressed as Mahatma Gandhi with round spectacles and a stick in hand.
Gandhiji used to take ‘Ram Naam’ every day, and who better than him to spread the message of Ram! I will travel only to spread this message,” said Tirlapura, who describes himself as ‘adhunik Gandhi’ (Modern Gandhi).
‘Buddha Uncle’ Omesh Bhagat (47) is on an all-India cycling tour to save the environment.
Since May, Bhagat has cycled over 13,000 kilometers with a solar panel installed on the back of his bicycle.
“The religious mood in the country is overwhelming. It’s the first time I’ve seen anything like this. But despite the economic boom in Ayodhya, we must still maintain the environment,” he said.
In order to reach Ayodhya, Naresh Gupta, a 36-year-old farmer from Kharsia in Chattisgarh, walked barefoot for nearly 700 km.
At times, the weather made it difficult for me to walk barefoot, but I managed,” Gupta told PTI. “It took me two months to reach here. I took several breaks.The journey was memorable and I was determined to finish it,” he said.
Ayodhya will be reached on January 20 by Jaswinder Singh Lucky and his son, both from Uttarakhand.
The message we want to send is one of communal harmony. As Sikhs, we also believe in Lord Ram.
A Sikh from Batala in Punjab, Nitin Bhatia, is cycling over 1,100 kilometers on the same day as Lucky and his son to reach Ayodhya.
On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the consecration ceremony of the temple’s first phase.
After over a century of dispute, the Supreme Court settled a temple-mosque dispute in 2019. It ruled that a Ram temple should be built on the disputed site, and a mosque should be built on an alternative five-acre plot.
Also Read: