New Delhi, July 30 : As the day for Ram Mandir Bhoomi Poojan nears, efforts are being expedited to bring holy soil and water from major rivers across India to Ayodhya, through courier, 'rath yatra or by individuals, ahead of August 5, that is seen as a culmination of a long legal tangle.
The soil and water from Sangam -- the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati -- will reach Ayodhya today for the 'bhoomi pujan' of Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5.
The soil and water were handed over to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leaders amidst chanting of mantras, on Wednesday.
A three-member delegation of the VHP has carried the sacred soil and water to Ayodhya, all the way from Prayagraj, where the three rivers meet.
"A group of VHP leaders including VHP's Dharmacharya Sampark pramukh shambhu, and Prant sangthan mantri Mukesh Kumar and Meja resident, Sanju Lal Adivasi, (a Scheduled Tribe man) have collected the sacred soil and water amidst performing pujan through Vedic tradition on Wednesday," said VHP spokesman Ashwani Mishra in Prayagraj.
After collecting the sacred soil and water, the VHP leaders took it to Mahavir Bhawan (residence of late VHP leader Ashok Singhal) and recalled Singhal's contribution and efforts for the Ram temple.
The VHP workers then took the sacred soil to Keshar Bhawan, the VHP office.
Meanwhile, soil from another key part of Uttar Pradesh is being taken to Ayodhya.
Soil from the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's home turf, has also been sent to Ayodhya for 'bhoomi pujan'.
"Apart from sacred Sangam water and soil, the soil of Kashi Vishwanath, Shringverpur water, and sacred soil and water of other prominent religious shrines including Kabir Math, Maharshi Bhardwaj ashram, and Sitamadhi would also be collected and sent to Ayodhya before August 5," the VHP leader said.
More than 1,700 kms away from Ayodhya, holy water and soil is also being sent for Ram temple construction, from Karnataka.
Senior Karnataka Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) official Muniraju told IANS that the samples are being sent from Dharmasthala and Nethravati, Kudal Sangama in Uttara Kannada.
Similarly water from Suthur Matha in Hubli, Hubli Moorsavara Matha, Mysuru Suthur Matha, Chamundeshwari Hills, Cauvery river water, Kapila, Tungabadhra and many other places are being collected and sent to the North Indian town that is going to be the focus of India for the next one week.
Water is also being sent from Dakshina Kannada's Katilo Durga Parmeshwari Devasthanam and Udupi Irastamatha.
Most probably Anjanadev Betta near Hampi, which is said to be Lord Hanuman's birthplace. The VHP is also planning to send a big stone from Anjanadev Betta to Ayodhya.
Likewise, samples are also being sent from Adhi Chinchinigiri.
Nirmananda Swamy from this place is participating in the Bhumi Poojan. From this southern state, only three people have been invited - Bejawar Swamy, Virendra Hegde and Nirmananda Swamy.
Interestingly enough, many of these samples are being sent through courier, speed post and even a Rath Yatra , which has already left for Ayodhya, traveling a long distance to the heart of Uttar Pradesh.
So that it doesn't feel let out, Haryana too sent its water from Kurukshetra, the epic battleground from the Mahabharata.
Mud from Jyotisar Tirtha and Saraswati Tirtha, both in Pehowa, and water from ponds of Kurukshetra in Haryana have been sent for the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony.
They have been handed over to Vishwa Hindu Parishad by the Kurukshetra Development Board, officials said.
Board honorary secretary Madan Mohan Chhabra told the media that it was a matter of pride that the holy soil and water from various temples of Kurukshetra will be included in the Bhumi Pujan ceremony.
Mud and water from as many as 31 historical temples located in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district have been sent for the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony too.
The temples include that of Lord Raghunath, a highly revered temple dedicated to Lord Ram in Sultanpur in Kullu town, about 200 km from the state capital.
Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow couldn't be left behind either.
The soil of Tulsi Akhara of Aishbagh Ramlila Maidan in the UP capital was tied in red cloth and sent to Ayodhya.
And it's just the tip of the iceberg.
The Ram Mandir Trust is fighting it tough to manage the deluge of soil and water that continues to arrive at its office, from the length and breadth of India.
Prakash Gupta, the office in-charge of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust, says thousands of famous temples, celestial sites, ponds, rivers from UP, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, among others have sent soil and water containers which are now being deposited in the Trust Office.
As Ayodhya town is given a beautification treatment, the trust has started the countdown for the D-Day, with 'mitti' and holy water from across India.
--IANS
abn/kr.
Source: IANS
