A 64-year-old man from Hyderabad has undertaken an 8,000-kilometer 'padayatra' (walk) to Ayodhya, carrying gold-plated footwear worth Rs 65 lakh for Lord Ram.
A 64-year-old, Challa Srinivas Sastry, from Hyderabad has undertaken an 8,000-kilometer padayatra (walk) to Ayodhya, carrying gold-plated footwear worth Rs 65 lakh for Lord Ram. His journey coincides with the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22.
Sastry is retracing the Ayodhya-Rameswaram route, mirroring Lord Ram's 'Vanavas' (exile) in reverse, with the intention of presenting the gold article. He had earlier donated five silver bricks to the Ram Temple.
The devout pilgrim began his journey on July 20, following the reverse order and stopping at Shiva Lingas established by Lord Ram along the way.
Having covered significant locations like Puri in Odisha, Trimbak in Maharashtra, and Dwaraka in Gujarat, Sastry aims to reach Ayodhya in the next 10 days. Sastry is carrying a gold-plated 'padukalu' (footwear) made with 'panch dhatu' (five metals) for Ram Lall's idol on his head, which he plans to hand over to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath upon reaching Ayodhya.
Sastry, inspired by the research of Dr Ramavatar, a retired Income Tax Department official who meticulously mapped Lord Ram's exile route, expressed his deep-rooted motivation.
"My father participated in 'kar seva' in Ayodhya. He was a strong devotee of Lord Hanuman. His desire was to see the Ram temple built in Ayodhya. As he is no more, I decided to fulfill his desire," Sastry said as quoted by news agency PTI.
The devoted pilgrim had to briefly pause his march for a UK visit but resumed it from where he left off in Tamil Nadu. Currently, in Chitrakoot, Uttar Pradesh, approximately 272 km from Ayodhya, Sastry, along with five others, continues his spiritual journey.
As the founder of the Ayodhya Bhagyanagar Sitarama Foundation, Sastry plans to settle down permanently in Ayodhya and plans to construct a house in the sacred city.
On January 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate a majestic Ram Temple at the birthplace of Lord Ram.
