From here to eternity-2 : A pilgrimage to introspect!
[Continued from yesterday]
It was a three-stage journey to the Ram Temple at Ayodhya which was some kilometres away from our hotel — The Ramayana. The bus, the autorickshaw and then a walk, in 410 Celsius enervating heat, dragging our feet through the surging crowd, was too tiring.
We travelled another about five kms by these autorickshaws and were dropped at a narrow, dusty, congested township from where we were asked to walk another one-km in the 410 Celsius sweltering heat. I and another senior lady member were much exhausted. I simply forgot Sri Ram and was looking for a place to rest. At last when we reached the temple, it was a relief, nay salvation to our physical body!
I chose to reach the sanctum sanctorum helped by a wheel-chair so also the other senior lady member. We had chosen the VIP queue but it was also a jostling experience. As the sanctum was at the first floor, there were steps and ramps taking the devotee to a meandering long line of the mixed group of the devout. The lane for the wheel-chair bound was with rumblers. I felt like puking due to the high speed in which my wheel-chair handler was rushing over the rumblers.
We came down and assembled at the appointed place where giant fans were whirring to cool the place unsuccessfully. I took a 1800 view of the temple and its surroundings. Not a pleasant sight to see. Hardly 40 percent work was completed. For me it looked like a job hurriedly done. It could be to pre-empt any possible danger of the work being stalled by vested groups.
As the sun was blazing overhead, we boarded our bus with greater enthusiasm than when we boarded the bus to go to the Ram Temple. For me there was great relief and salvation on reaching our hotel.
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