Devotees from Chhattisgarh bring 'Sweet Ber' fruit to Ayodhya ahead of 'Pran Pratishtha' Day
Jan 20, 2024
Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 20 : As the country awaits the grand 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla at Ayodhya's historic temple, people from across the country are making contributions to express their devotion towards Lord Ram.
Devotees from Chhattisgarh have brought 'Sweet Ber' from Shivrinarayan in Chhattisgarh's Champa district. A group of 17 devotees arrived in Ayodhya to hand over the fruits to the Ram Janmabhoomi trust.
It is believed that Shivrinarayan was the maternal home of Lord Ram. During the 'Vanvasa', when Lord Ram reached the place along with brother Lakshman, a devotee named Shabri fed him her partially eaten 'sweet Ber'.
"We have brought 'sweet ber' from Chhattisgarh's Shivrinarayan, which is also Ram Lalla's maternal home. A team of 17 'Rambhakts' has arrived here in Ayodhya," said Anup Yadav, a devotee. 
"Along with 'sweet ber', we have also brought a special kind of plant, which is only found in Shivrinarayan. The leaves of the tree are bowl-shaped. It is believed that Mata Shabri fed 'ber' to Lord Ram in these bowl-shaped leaves," he added. 
Yadav further said that the team of devotees would appeal to the Ram Janmbhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust to plant those trees in Ayodhya.
"We will request the Ram Janmbhoomi trust to plant these trees in Ayodhya", he said.
The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of Shri Ram Lalla will take place on January 22.
Meanwhile, one of the world's most expensive Ramayana has reached the Ayodhya. The book is said to be worth one lakh and sixty-five thousand rupees.
Manoj Sati, a bookseller who reached Ayodhya with the Ramayana to attend the Ram Temple Pran Pratishta, told ANI, "We have reached here with our beautiful Ramayana here in the tent city of Ayodhya. It has so many qualities and is the world's most expensive Ramayana."
"The design of the outer box, the paper, and everything that makes it...It has a three-floor box like the Ram Mandir being built with three floors. So it has also been designed similarly. There is a stand on the top floor to read the book," he added.
Meanwhile, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam's Joint Executive Officer Veerabrahmam said that Srivari Laddu Prasada, prepared to distribute to the devotees attending the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the Ram Temple, has been dispatched from Srivari Seva Sadan-1 to Tirupati Airport on Friday night.
Veerabrahmam informed that the TTD Board had decided to dispatch one lakh laddus, weighing 25 grams each, to Ayodhya for the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony on January 22.
As the city of Ayodhya is buzzing with excitement as it prepares for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Shri Ram Lalla at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi on January 22, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inspected the arrangements in Ayodhya on Friday, expressing satisfaction with the planning and execution.
The idol of Ram Lalla was placed in the 'Garbha Griha' of the Ram Temple on Thursday amid joyous chants of 'Jai Shri Ram.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform rituals to mark the 'Pran Pratishtha' while a team of priests, led by Lakshmikant Dixit, will lead the main rituals.
