[Continued from yesterday]

It was a three-stage journey to the Ram Temple at Ayodhya which was some kilometres away from our hotel — The Ramayana. The bus, the autorickshaw and then a walk, in 410 Celsius enervating heat, dragging our feet through the surging crowd, was too tiring.

Getting into the bus, we travelled on very bad and narrow roads. The bus stopped on the main road in a crowded township. Finding autos with skeleton body and unkempt for 31 of us itself was a crazy exercise for the youngsters in our group. A few senior members, like myself, were always looked after well in such situations with a preferential attention by the most affable members.

We travelled another about five kms by these autorickshaws and were dropped at a narrow, dusty, congested township from where we were asked to walk another one-km in the 410 Celsius sweltering heat. I and another senior lady member were much exhausted. I simply forgot Sri Ram and was looking for a place to rest. At last when we reached the temple, it was a relief, nay salvation to our physical body!

I chose to reach the sanctum sanctorum helped by a wheel-chair so also the other senior lady member. We had chosen the VIP queue but it was also a jostling experience. As the sanctum was at the first floor, there were steps and ramps taking the devotee to a meandering long line of the mixed group of the devout. The lane for the wheel-chair bound was with rumblers. I felt like puking due to the high speed in which my wheel-chair handler was rushing over the rumblers.

Jai Sri Ram, went up the loud chorus reverberating through the massive pillared hall. The idol came into view and the security was pushing away each devotee after a will-o’-the-wisp darshan. Sitting in the chair, I wanted to put money into the hundi there but security pointed at another hundi and                           hurried me out.

We came down and assembled at the appointed place where giant fans were whirring to cool the place unsuccessfully. I took a 1800 view of the temple and its surroundings. Not a pleasant sight to see. Hardly 40 percent work was completed. For me it looked like a job hurriedly done. It could be to pre-empt any possible danger of the work being stalled by vested groups.

After all, people know that whatever Modi does for the country is anathema to some Opposition parties and NGOs. I was only waiting to get out of the place that did not resonate with spiritual vibration as in Kashi or Brihadeeswara temple in Tanjore and many South Indian temples.

The local guide, mercifully not given to fluent verbal description of the history and mythology of the place, mentioned of Sita’s well, Sita’s rasoi (kitchen) and an ancient temple of Bhagwan Shiva etc. Hearing him, I thought Shiva seemed all pervasive among Gods of Hindu pantheon. I guess if we take a count we will find more number of Shiva temples all over India and South-East Asia.

Constructed in pink sand stone, it was jarring to my eyes. However, it was a happy augury that tolerance of 500 years of Ram Bhaktas at last was rewarded and we were a witness to getting natural justice despite opposition from some from this very land of Ram. To me this Ram Mandir is a great victory of peace against war we witness in the name of religion in other countries. Let it be.

As the sun was blazing overhead, we boarded our bus with greater enthusiasm than when we boarded the bus to go to the Ram Temple. For me there was great relief and salvation on reaching our hotel.

The following day we journeyed to Prayagraj. During Mughal and British period it was known as Allahabad. A holy place for Hindus because here is the confluence (sangam) of three sacred rivers — Ganga, Yamuna and the subterranean Sarasvati — and this is where the Kumbh Mela is held once    in 12 years when crores of people gather.

Allahabad is also a historic place for the Congress party members because it is here Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s father Motilal Nehru built this mansion Anand Bhavan. Indira Gandhi was born and got married here. It had been my longcherished desire to see Anand Bhavan about which I had read and heard much in my school and college days. Wish fulfilled and realised the British were kind to Nehrus.

The following day it was a journey to Chitrakoot — where Lord Ram spent his period of exile in forest, Vanavas. This is 123 kms from Ayodhya, Ram’s Palace. Its history and mythology are well-known and Rtn. Roopa Venkatesh had already covered it in her article.

My understanding is that any religion survives because important places and monuments relating to the religions are there for the believers to see and confirm the birth and existence of the Prophets and the Seers who founded the religion. For Hindus, places like Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Mathura, Kashi etc., across the country, are such evidences.

This was a roller-coaster holy trip that I did not expect it to be. We seemed to be spending more time on the road than at the holy places. Arriving in Varanasi (Kashi) the temple visit was at night 1.30 am. I was keen on seeing the claimed transformation in the Vishwanath Temple and the Ghats. Being not a nocturnal animal, I stayed back while all others went and a report has already been published. Here the Mughal vandalism of the original Shiva Temple remains with court cases dragging on. Tolerance in the face of intolerance. Hence, poor Modi could only build the corridor within the old precincts of the sanctum sanctorum which is well done, say our group members. But nothing was done to clean the narrow walking-path to reach the temple and the Ghat area because people do not co-operate and vacate their shops and residences.

No point in blaming Modi; the local people should blame themselves. When I had gone to Kashi in 2013, I came back swearing never to visit the place, however holy and sacred it is, because it was a dirty, unhygienic place of pilgrimage. Soon in 2014, Modi became MP from Varanasi and also the Prime Minister. And when I visited Varanasi in 2015 I found there was some development to make the place a bit comfortable for the visitors. The Ghats were much cleaner and water in the Ganges around the bathing area too. It was part of his ‘Swachh Bharat’ programme.

However, his hands were tied to do more. The Gyanvapi Mosque land could not be claimed by the temple authorities and the case is still pending in the Court. I do not think the serpentine pathway of some distance to approach the temple from the main road could ever be widened unless extra land is available in the temple-mosque complex.

The corridor that is talked about is where I had performed a puja before offering milk etc., in a bucket to the Shiva Linga in 2013. This corridor is very well reconstructed and some statues, including that of Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, who constructed the present temple, after the original one was encroached by the mosque. So also there was the statue of Ranjit Singh, Sikh King of Punjab. This part of the temple is looking beautiful. Thanks to Modi. If devotees want more or be satisfied with what they have, then let them wait for the Court’s decision like they waited in the case of Ayodhya.

A lateral thought: On returning home from this holy trip, I was wondering why not someone, a photographer and a writer like our own late T.S. Satyan, travel the length and breadth of India and record all the important temples and their history.

After all, religion is an intrinsical part of a Hindu Indian’s life from time immemorial irrespective of one’s caste. Sanatana Dharma was and is applicable to all across caste lines. And that is the unifying thread that binds all Hindus irrespective of caste.

[Concluded]

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