Stones meant for Ram Lalla idol, now a pilgrimage for devotees

Ramsevakpuram premises managed by the Ayodhya chapter of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has caught devotees' attention with the eight pieces of stones that were initially taken there to make an idol of Lord Ram.

The stones, which are now kept under a tin shed, are from various countries and different parts of India; attracting Ram devotees. Earlier these stones were meant for Ram Lalla idol before the selection of idol sculpted by Mysuru based sculptor Arun Yogiraj.

As reported by The Indian Express, a group of devotees from Maharashtra visited Ramsevakpuram, who were then showed the six-foot-high "Devshla" of Shaligram which came from Nepal's Janakpur. It was taken there on February for Ram Lalla idol.

Apart from this, there are a total of eight Shilas brought from Nepal, Rajasthan and Karnataka.

A devotee from Rajasthan who saw the Shaligram stones told the publication, "All these stones are sacred. I will never be able to touch the Ram Lalla idol inside the Ram temple, but I can touch the stones which were meant for making the idols."

Another devotee said, "Ram was an incarnation of Vishnu and the Shaligram is considered a form of Vishnu. Hence, I am here to worship the Shaligram and other stones."

Prakash Bahewal, a Bajrang Dal worker told IE that that the stones are "pujniya" as they were meant from Lord Ram.

Bahewal said that he had visited Ayodhya in 1989 as a kar sevak and recalled that there were police officers to arrest them. However, he observed today the scenario has changed and the police officers are here to guide them. "Today, I am proudly walking in the same Ayodhya. This change happened due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," he said.

A VHP leader mentioned that the stones were brought in February and on daily basis over 15,000 devotees come to see the stones and when the Ram temple is constructed, the stones will be shifted to Ram Janmabhoomi.