Shri Ram Vangaman Yatra 2017 : Walking on Righteous Path

An interesting endeavour by Delhi-based Shri Ram Sanskritik Shodh Sansthan Nyas to reconnect people to 290 places visited by Shri Ram. Since 2002, ten Yatras have been conducted to these places, while the 11th Yatra is to begin from New Delhi on February 9

Pramod Kumar
During his 14-year exile, Shri Ram along with Maa Sita and Lakshman visited the Ashrams of leading saints to gain knowledge and weapons, performed tapasya, offered puja in  temples and also eliminated scores of demons. His biggest contribution is to unite the society and bridge the gaps of high-rich, forward-backward, urban-Girivasi or Vanvasi. The bond of oneness that He developed lakhs of years back is still the thread that keeps the nation united even after so much diversity. This bond is strengthened through the places associated with Shri Ram. However, with the passage of time and following numerous invasions, many of those places have vanished due to lack of care.
New Delhi-based Shri Ram Sanskritik Shodh Sansthan Nays has been working since 1995 to rediscover and revive these places. The Nyas has so far rediscovered 290 places associated with the two Yatras prominently undertaken by Shri Ram—one from Ayodhya to Janakpur when he accompanied sage Vishwamitra, eliminated demons and then married Maa Sita. The second Yatra was the 14 year exile—from Ayodhya to Lanka. Noted researcher Dr Ram Autar has played a key role in rediscovering these places and reconnecting the people to them. He not only rediscovered them, but also motivated the local people to revive them by building temples and ensuring regular puja there. These places are in the form of caves, temples, mountains, River Ghats, etc.

“Since Shri Ram visited those places lakhs of year back, it is difficult today to pin point the streets or the pathways He followed or the exact stones he rested on. Hence, we have tried to identify the places Shri Ram visited with the help of the archaeological and other scientific evidences available in Valmiki Ramayana, Shri Ram Charita Manas or the mentions in folklores or folk songs,” says Dr Ram Autar, while talking to Organiser. He visited many states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to collect the folklores and folk songs in this regard. “Even now I cannot claim that I have rediscovered all the places associated with Shri Ram. There may still be many places, which are to be discovered, because Shri Ram influences the entire humanity. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the present and future researchers to discover the remaining places too,” adds Dr Ram Autar.

According to Dr Ram Autar, Goswami Tulsidas does not provide much detail about the route that Shri Ram took during exile. However, he mentions in one of the seven Kaands of the Manas about Shri Ram’s journey from Ayodhya to Janakpur. “That route is almost clear. When He and Lakshman left Ayodhya with Vishwamitra, they went to Vishwamitra Ashram in Baxur and then to Janakpur. During the entire Yatra they passed through the areas now in Faizabad, Azamgarh, Mau, Ghazipur, Balia, Buxur, Patna, Vaishali, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Janakpur, Sitamarhi, East Champaran and Gorakhpur, etc. While coming back from Janakpur He, instead of following the previous route, reached Ayodhya directly from Janakpur. Tulsidasji mentions about four years of the exile period, while Valimikiji does not provide much detail,” adds Dr Ram Autar.
For better understanding of the exile period of Shri Ram, Dr Ram Autar has divided that span into nine parts. In first part he discusses the route from Ayodhya to Chitrakoot when Shri Ram crossed Tamasa River, which is about 20 km from Ayodhya and then crossed the Gomati to reach Shringaverpur, the kingdom of Nishadraj Guh. Then he went to Kurai (Prayag). There is still a small temple there. The second part deals with the visit to Chitrakoot, where Bharat tried to persuade Shri Ram to return back. Valmiki Ashram, Mandavya Ashram and Bharatkoop are still there.
The third part deals with the journey from Chitrakoot to Sutikshan Muni’s Ashram in Nasik. There is one ‘Siddha Pahad’ at Siddha Village of Satna where Shri Ram, for the first time, pledged to eliminate the demons. Ramayana also finds mention of this mountain. During that phase Shri Ram went to Muni Atri Ashram and eliminated many demons active in that area. In the fourth part, He visited Dandak Van, the present area comprising of parts of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha—Chitrakoot, Nagpur, Umaria, Satna, Shahdol, Koriya, Anuppur, Sarguja, Jashpur, Gumla, Raigarh, Bilaspur, Raipur, Janjgir, Mahasamund, Dhamtari, Kanker, Narayanpur, Bastar, Malkangiri, Sukma, Dantewada, Khammam, Karimanagar, Jalana, Beed, Nasik, etc. Shri Ram stayed in Dandakvan for 10 years. The fifth part deals with the visit from Sutikshan Ashram to Panchwati, both in Nasik district of Maharashtra. The sixth part deals with the journey from Panchwati to Kishkindha. It is in present areas of Pune, Beed, Usmanabad, Solapur, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Belgaum, Kopal and Bellary. The seventh part deals with the journey from Kishkindha to Rameshwaram, while searching for Maa Sita. The eighth part is about Rameshwaram to Lanka. The ninth part deals with the return of Shri Ram from Lanka to Ayodhya by Pushpak Viman.

In order to reconnect people with all the 290 places identified so far, Shri Ram Sanskritik Shodh Sansthan Nyas has started conducting Yatras once a year. This year this Yatra is beginning from February 9 from Shri Hanuman Mandir of Connaught Place, Delhi. After passing through 245 places, it will conclude in Delhi on April 13. (See box on page 41 for details)
Dr Ram Autar is extremely worried over the negligence of the ruins and inscriptions, which still provide information about the places associated with Shri Ram. Some inscriptions are being stolen or damaged due to gross negligence of the society and the government. “King Vikramaditya had installed many inscriptions in and around Ayodhya. But they are gradually disappearing due to negligence. But those which are still there can be preserved. Similarly, there are many archaeological evidences at other places too which need to be preserved. These evidences are available in Mandvya Ashram, Murka, Karka, Kurai, Sarangdhar, Bhardwaj Ashram, Akshyavat, Sita Rasoi, a Shiv temple in Rishiyan forest, Sita Pahadi, Kumar Dway, Viradh Kund, Siddha Pahad, Sharbhang Ashram, Amrit Kund Rakselva, Ram Diwala, Rajiv Lochan Mandir, Keshkal Ghati, Rakas Hada, Panchapsar, Sindkhedraja, Rameshwar (Athani), Kaband Ashram, Hal Rameshwar, Banasar Guddada Neralakere, Muttukuda, Vilundi Teertha, etc.

“What is direly needed today is to connect all these places with roads—Shri Ram Vangaman Marg—in all the states as has been done in Uttar Pradesh. Apart from planting trees both sides of the road, temples should be built or renovated at all the places. We also need to create a chain of active devotees from  Ayodhya to Rameshwaram who specifically focus on preservation of these places. We are trying to do it with the limited resources that we have. But it needs extensive and collective efforts on the part of the society and the government,” adds Dr Ram Autar.