Edited By Sangeeta Das
In a poignant moment of devotion,
85-year-old Saraswati Devi from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad is set to break her 30-year-long
maun vrat (vow of silence) following the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in
Ayodhya on January 22.
Saraswati Aggarwal embarked on her
silence vow three decades ago, pledging to end it only when the Ram Temple in
Ayodhya was constructed. On the auspicious occasion of the Pran Pratishta day
at Shri Ram Mandir, she will break her silence by uttering the sacred words ‘Ram,
Sitaram’.
In 1992, the year of the Babri Masjid
demolition, Saraswati Agarwal visited Ayodhya and encountered Ram Janmabhoomi
Trust head Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. Following his directive, she undertook the
circumambulation of Kamtanath mountain in Chitrakoot, spending seven and a half
months in Kalpavas, surviving on a glass of milk daily and covering a 14 km
route around Kamtanath mountain.
Returning to Ayodhya after the
parikrama, she met Swami Nritya Gopal Das on December 6, 1992, and found
inspiration. Since that day, she vowed to maintain silence until Ram Lalla was
enshrined in the temple.
Saraswati Devi’s youngest son Hari Lal
Aggarwal shared, “Inspired by Nritya Gopal Das, she visits Ayodhya quite often.
Thirty years ago, she vowed to speak only after she sees the Ram temple with
her own eyes. She will break her fast in Ayodhya on January 22.”
Saraswati Devi received a special
invitation from Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya to partake in the Pran Pratishtha
ceremony. Departing for the temple town with her brother on Monday, she
expressed her joy in a written message, stating, “My life has become blessed.
Ramlala has called me to take part in the Pran Pratistha. My penance and
meditation were successful. After 30 years, my silence will be discontinued with
Ram Naam.”
A mother of eight children, Saraswati
Devi devoted her entire life to reading the Ram Charit Manas and other
religious texts. Despite not attending school, her husband, Late Devkinandan
Agarwal, imparted knowledge of letters to her.
The historic inauguration of Shri Ram
Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya is scheduled for January 22, attracting thousands
of devotees from across the country to witness the momentous event.
