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Finally, the most awaited event of India has arrived. On January 22, the whole country will witness the inauguration of historic Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. The preparations are at their peak and the Hindus from across the globe are ready to worship and seek the blessings of Lord Rama at his birthplace. As the consecration ceremony is going to take place on Monday, devotees have been making their way to Ayodhya.
Amid all the preparations, various community kitchens from different parts of the country are being run to ensure that the devotees arriving in Ayodhya are well fed. From Nihang Sikhs to ISKCON and temple trusts from across India are serving langar food to devotees. These operations are being held in every nook and corner of the city.
The community kitchens are offering fresh cooked meals to the Ayodhya devotees and khichdi, aloo puri, kadhi chawal, achar, and papad are among the common items in the menu at these langars. Since it is the season of bone-chilling cold hot chai is also being served to provide them warmth and comfort.
As per the PTI report, a group of Nihang Sikhs, led by Baba Harjit Singh Rasulpur, arrived in Ayodhya on Friday to run a two-month 'Langar sewa' in the Char Dham Mutt for the pilgrims arriving here to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla in the newly constructed temple. “I am the eighth generation of Baba Fakir Singh and want to highlight the sacrifices of Nihangs among Ram devotees,” said Harjit Singh, a member of the Nihang Sikh group.
He further added, “This langar is a tribute to the struggle launched by our ancestors for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The service will go on for two months.” Apart from them, the Mahavir Temple trust of Patna as well is running ‘Ram Ki Rasoi’ a community kitchen here.
"Over 10,000 devotees are fed hot meals here in a day, the number is expected to jump when more people will visit the temple once it is opened for public after the Pran Pratistha ceremony. The expenses are funded by the Mahavir temple trust and people from across the country have been sending donations, both monetary as well as raw material," said one kitchen sevadar.
ISKCON too is in Ayodhya welcoming the pilgrims with lunch prasad. They are also distributing Vedic literature to the devotees. "ISKCON welcomes all the pilgrims coming to Ayodhya for the darshan of Lord Sri Ram. Daily 5,000 pilgrims are being served lunch prasad along distribution of Vedic literatures and 'sankirtan' by devotees of different nationalities," said Yudhistir Govinda Das, spokesperson, ISKCON India board.
