Ayodhya Ram Mandir: 64-yr-old Hyderabad man treks 8,000-km to Ayodhya with a golden gift

Ayodhya ram mandir: Ahead of the grand Ram Mandir consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, a 64-year-old from Hyderabad has embarked on an 8,000-kilometre padayatra to the temple site. 

Challa Srinivas Sastry is tracing the footsteps of Lord Ram's epic 'Vanavas' or exile, along the Ayodhya-Rameswaram route, but in reverse. This path echoes the narrative found in Valmiki's Ramayana, where Lord Rama, along with Sita and Lakshman, embarked on an arduous journey from Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh to Nasik in Maharashtra, Danadakaranya in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, and ultimately, Sri Lanka.

As Sastry retraces this route, he carries with him an offering of gold-plated footwear, crafted with the sacred 'panch dhatu' or five metals, valued at Rs 65 lakh ($78,133), which he hopes to present to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath upon his arrival in Ayodhya. 

Sastry had donated five silver bricks to the Ram temple. "My beloved father actively participated in the sacred 'kar seva' in Ayodhya, driven by his profound devotion to Lord Hanuman. His deepest desire was to witness Ram temple majestically in Ayodhya. Although he is no longer with us, I have pledged to fulfill his cherished dream," Sastry told PTI in a report. 

The Ram temple consecration ceremony is scheduled for January 22, which comes after a long and intricate legal process that culminated in the landmark decision by the Supreme Court in 2019. 
Under this verdict, the land on which the Babri masjid once stood was given to the Hindu community, while Muslims were granted a separate plot of land to construct a mosque, distanced from the contentious site. 

The entire temple complex has been crafted in the exquisite Nagara style. Upon completion, the temple will be 380 feet long (east-west direction), 250 feet wide and 161 feet high. Each floor of the temple will be 20 ft high with a total of 392 pillars and 44 gates.