South India pilgrims finally leave Ayodhya for home
LUCKNOW: When former Sanskrit lecturer N Narasimhappa left Bengaluru with 13 other family member and friends for a pilgrimage to Ayodhya, he had no inkling they would all get stuck in a temple for 55 days.
After a long wait for around two months, Narasimhappa, around 67, and others were able to leave for Bengaluru on Friday.
At around 7.30 am, they left Hanumant Sia Raghunath Sadan ashram in Ayodhya to board the Sangam Mitra train at Jhansi railway station. This ashram was their home for the past 55 days. Mahant Ram Sundar Saran, head of the ashram and others bid them farewell.
“They became our responsibility. It was our duty to look after them. It was an emotional moment for all of us when they left. For the past two months we looked after them like family. Efforts were made to make them comfortable,” said the Mahant.
This was Narasimhappa’s third trip to Ayodhya. On the first two occasions he came alone. But on this third pilgrim- age there were 13 others with him. They reached Ayodhya on March 21 with a return ticket for March 25. But the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown left them stranded in Ayodhya.
“The day lockdown was announced (March 24), we decided to leave the hotel and take refuge in the ashram (Hanumant Sia Raghunath Sadan). There was no option,” said Narasimhappa.
“We were worried how we would sustain for 21 days in Ayodhya with a limited budget. What would happen next, how will we reach Bengaluru and what if we run out of money?” said Narasimhappa.
And then, Ram Sundar Saran, his deputy Nityanand Saran and other members of the ashram took it upon themselves to take care of this 14 –member group, including four men, nine women and an eight-year-old child.
“We hoped that after April 17 we would be able to leave for Bengaluru. But as the lockdown was extended on three successive occasions, depression set in,” said Narasimhappa.
But as the locals came to know about these south Indians stranded in the ashram, aid started arriving for them.