A squirrel’s memories of 1990 Kar Seva

Only a few hours are left for the grand and much awaited consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. This day will become a “historic day” in the annals of the World history. The mega event should be an eyeopener to all those who are negative minded and looking it from political angle.

It is the greatness of Lord Rama that gifts for the consecration are pouring from across the country cutting across political affliations, caste and community considerations. Everyone has come forward with his own humble contribution ranging from opening Bhandaras for free food to golden gifts. This gives a feeling to all the Hindus as if they are witnessing the coronation of Lord Rama at Ayodhya during Treta Yugam.

All this makes me walk down the memory lane when I too was one among the Vanarsena called Karsevaks held in 1990 at Ayodhya. I was the president of Sri Venkateswara University Students’ Union and a member of the National Executive of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

In Nellore, I met Ramadandu, who had set out from our native village Vinjamur in Nellore district for the Kar Seva to be held at Ayodhya. They had come from different villages of the district. The team was led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Sri Prasad ji.

I also joined them and we all left Nellore for Ayodhya by train. Police forces carried extensive checks wherever the train stopped. Every Kar Sevak had a valid ticket and were not travelling in group. We were travelling as ordinary passengers without anyone knowing that we were part of any group. We were not having any open contact with other Kar Sevaks.

This helped in escaping from the police till Nagpur. But at Nagpur, the checking was much more intense and many Kar Sevaks were identified and arrested and sent back.

But I was among the few Kara Sevaks who could manage to dodge the police. I got off from the train and took buses and lorries to reach Lucknow and from there to the borders of Ayodhya. By that time thousands of Kar Sevaks had gathered there but were unable to move forward as the police had sealed the town and there was no way the Kar Sevaks could move forward directly.

Hence few of us crossed the Sarayu river on foot at night and entered Ayodhya. As we crossed the Saryu river, we were advised by fishermen present there to wipe the footprints of all those who had passed ahead of us in the sand and made sure that there were no traces of footprints. By that time reports of police attacking the Kar Sevaks were pouring in. Somehow me along with other Kar Sevaks managed to enter Ayodhya during the wee hours with the determination to perform Kar Seva for the construction of Ram Temple.

Though we managed to reach Ayodhya, we were eventually caught by the police. We were arrested and shifted to the district jail near Ayodhya. As the district jails were full with hundreds of arrested Kar Sevaks, we were all locked up in temporary jails made of Tents. The local people in Ayodhya voluntarily provided us with drinking water, snacks and meals.

People from the surrounding areas of Ayodhya welcomed and patronised many Kar sevaks who had come from far away places and saved them from the clutches of the police. Many Kar sevaks, who had come to participate in the Kar seva with a spiritual aim and determination to reach the then controversial site, fell victim to the police brutality.

After being released from jail, we went back to Ayodhya, visited the Ram Mandir from a distance and travelled through Allahabad and returned to Nellore.

Nearly 35 years later, my heart is filled with joy that the dream of all the Kar Sevaks had become a reality and the sacrifices of thousands of Kar Sevaks had not gone waste. As the installation ceremony of the idol of Bala Rama was taking place I felt as if all Kar Sevaks who had sacrificed their lives and those who participated in the Kar Seva were human forms of Vanaras of Tretayugam.

l A huge 108-foot-long incense stick was created in Vadodara. Weighing 3500 kg, it took six months to create and cost over `five lakh.

l A diamond merchant from Surat has made a necklace on the theme of the Ram temple using 5000 American diamonds and 2 kg silver. 40 artisans completed the design in 35 days

l Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Alok Kumar handed over a silk bed sheet depicting the Shri Ram temple to Anil Mishra, ‘Yajman’ of Shri Ram Temple. Kumar said that the bed sheet was created by a silk manufacturer from Tamil Nadu.

l The Ram temple has received a bell weighing 2,100 kg made of ‘ashtadhatu’ (an alloy of eight metals). The bell was made in Etah’s Jalesar in Uttar Pradesh.

Gifts from other countries

Afghanistan

l Water from Afghanistan’s Kubha (Kabul) river has been sent as a gift to the Ram temple in Ayodhya, claimed the VHP president.

Nepal

l Janakpur in Nepal is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram’s wife Sita. More than 3,000 gifts, including silver shoes, ornaments and clothes, have been donated to Ayodhya’s Ram temple.

Other gifts from devotees to temple

l Devotees have gifted the world’s largest lock, weighing 400 kg, and 1265 kg of laddoo prasad to the Ram Janmbhoomi temple in Ayodhya.