An 82-year-old woman in Madhya Pradesh, a staunch devotee of Lord Ram, is ecstatic as preparations are underway for the shilanyas ceremony set to take place in Ayodhya on August 5.
Urmila Devi had shunned food in 1992, when she was 54 years old, vowing to eat only after the temple came into existence. She was hopeful to witness the historical ceremony in Ayodhya, but the Covid-19 outbreak and her frail physical condition have deterred her from doing so.
The octogenarian was desperate to visit Ayodhya for the occasion, her family said. She, however, said that she will break her fast after seeking darshan of Lord Ram on the banks of the river Sarayu.
"I will keep chanting Ram's name on the day the bhumi pujan takes place," Devi said.
Her family is happy that she will final break her pledge and return to a normal diet like them. "The children are eagerly waiting for their grandmother to join them in normal meals," her daughter-in-law said.
Her family recounts that Urmila Devi had pledged to take the fast in 1992 after widespread violence took place following demolition of the Babri Masjid. Then 54, she decided take a diet only of fruits until the temple was built in Ayodhya with mutual agreement.
All these years, Devi has been chanting the 'Ram naam' in her devotion.
When the Supreme Court delivered a verdict in favour of Ram temple construction on the disputed site, a delighted Urmila Devi had congratulated the judges and Prime Minister Narendra Modi through letters.
MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had on Sunday cited the example of Urmila Devi in a tweet.
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