Ayodhya: 64-year-old man begins padayatra carrying gold-plated footwear for Ram Temple inauguration
Lord Ram and his fervent desire to witness the construction of the grand temple in Ayodhya, a 64-year-old man from the city has undertaken an extraordinary padayatra spanning thousands of kilometers. Challa Srinivas Sastry's pilgrimage coincides with the auspicious consecration of the temple on January 22.
He's retracing the Ayodhya-Rameswaram route, mirroring Lord Rama's 'Vanavas' (exile) journey but in reverse, meticulously visiting the Shiva Lingas established by the Lord along the way.
Since setting out on July 20, Sastry has covered significant grounds, including revered sites like Puri in Odisha, Trimbak in Maharashtra, and Dwaraka in Gujarat. Carrying a pair of gold-plated footwear, symbolizing devotion and reverence, Sastry aims to present it to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath upon his arrival in the holy city, after covering a staggering distance of nearly 8000 km on foot.
Driven by a map meticulously researched by Dr.
Ramavatar, a retired Income Tax Department official, Sastry passionately narrated, «My father participated in Karseva 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.»
Displaying unwavering dedication, Sastry previously contributed five silver bricks towards the construction of the Ram temple following the Supreme Court's 2019 verdict.
«I am currently carrying gold-plated 'padukalu' (footwear) made with 'panch dhatu' (five metals) to be given to Lord Shri Ram,» he affirmed.
Despite a brief interruption in his march due to travel commitments to the UK, Sastry resumed his pilgrimage from where he had paused in Tamil Nadu. Currently accompanied by five others, he disclosed
