Ram Mandir inauguration: Maharashtra karsevak traveled barefoot for 31 years to Ayodhya

Rambhakt Niwas Patil of Kolhapur, who had been proactive in the demolition of the Babri masjid, has been walking barefoot to the site of the Ayodhya temple as part of his resolution to build the Ram temple at the site. With the Ram temple inauguration days away, Patil will be felicitated by the villagers, who will also present him a pair of slippers.

Kolhapur: As countdown begins for Ram temple inauguration in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, a Ram devotee from Maharashtra's Kolhapur, who has been traveled for 31 years without wearing slippers to the temple site as part of his vow, will be felicitated by the villagers with a pair of slippers to travel to the newest Hindu pilgrimage site. Rambhakt Niwas Patil of Kolhapur is among many karsevaks, who had taken different resolutions for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

On his part, Patil had decided that he would not wear slippers in his feet until the Ram temple was built. Patil has been travelling Ayodhya for the last 31 years bare feet as part of the resolution. With the inauguraition of the Ram temple in Ayodhya days away, Patil will be felicitated by locals at the Shiye village and presented with a pair of slippers on Ram Mandir inauguration day on 22nd of January. Patil, who had been proactive in the demolition of the ancient Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992 for the construction of the temple said that he will “live the precious moments of his life due to the fulfillment of the dream”.

Recalling the demolition of the mosque, Patil said that on that day, karsevaks from Kolhapur had rushed to Ayodhya to demolish Babri masjid in Ayodhya to pave way for the temple. They included 35 people from Shiye village in Karveer taluka. Besides Patil himself, the karsevaks included Pandurang Patil, Vilas Bua, Sunita Bua, Babaso Chaugule, Shivaji Bua, Suvarna Bua, Babaso Bua, Uttam Patil, Shivaji Kashid, Ananda Patil, Sambhaji Patil, Vijay Chaugule, Narayan Jadhav, Prakash Jadhav, Annasao Patil.

Besides, Tanaji Bhogle, Niwas Jadhav, Babasaheb Chavan, Bhairavanath Jadhav, Tanaji Nalavde, Shankar Patil, Nivritti Giri, Madhukar Sutar Maharaj, Hanumant Shinde, along with late Ananda Shinde, Balwant Chowgule, Sharda Chowgule, Tatoba Patil, Baburao Shinde, Ramchandra Shinde , Sunil Kamble, Narayan Shinde, Balaso Chowgule, Baburao Patil, Mahadev Patil also led the demolition of the Babri mosque to build the temple.