Ayodhya-wasi Ramchandra Mishra was born in 1947.

He spends most of his time walking around the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir and selling books “for dignity”.

Where was he during the 1992 karseva? He says in a hushed tone, “I was right here. 8-10 din bandd rahe hum (I was right here, and in the lock up for 8-10 days).” He adds, “Ab itihas ka samay khatam hua. Ab dharm ka samay hai. (The time for remembering the past (history) is over. The time of dharma has come).

He wants to be completely occupied with the celebrations that “have been given to the devotee by Modi-Yogi (PM Narendra Modi and UP CM Yogi Adityanath).”

But where would the devotee find refuge when Ram Lalla was living under a tent? Here is what he said: “Yeh to bhagwan ki jagah hai, ismein bhakton ki baat kahan (this is the land of the deity, there should be no room for talking about bhaktas).”But mention Dashrath Mahal and his “filial” ties with Chakravarti Samrat begin to melt in his eyes.

For five centuries, and during the years when Ram Lalla was living under a tent, the Ram bhakta would walk to Dashrath Mahal, hoping for Ram’s homecoming. They would take shelter in its brooding but comforting and warming Awadhi countenance.

Then came 2019, bringing the historic verdict of the Supreme Court, and 2020, with the bhoomi pujan at Shri Ram janmabhoomi. 

The Pilgrim’s Six Propellers 

For years when Ram Lalla was in a tent, the sacred spaces dedicated to the members of the Ram Parivar gave him solace. These temples became witnesses to the devotee’s resilience. The six propellers for this phenomenon were: “darshan“, “parivar“, “madhurya“, “shanti“, “abhas” and “bal“. The word “bhakti” is excluded here because it already exists as the core driving force channelising the Ram bhakt’s energies for grappling with cultural deprivation and subjugation. 

Darshan: The devotee’s glance – centred on the manifestation of the divine – where the eyes of the devotee get immersed in the expanse of the vigraha in a silently overpowering gaze at Kanak Bhawan, or Dashrath Mahal, or Hanuman Garhi or at the sight of the divine Saryu. 

Parivar: The deep and umbilical connection of the devotee with the family, home, family members of Ram, in which the devotee counts “Ram Bhakt” Hanuman, Sita “Maiya“, Maharaja Dashrath, Bharat and even Maharani Kaikeyi, who plays the pivotal role in Ram’s exile, but receives the bhakti, honour, affection and love of the devotees. 

Madhurya: The absorption, understanding, and interaction of the devotee with the beautiful, aesthetic, the sweet, the tranquil and the gentle aspects found in every nook and corner of Ayodhya, from Tulsi Smarak Bhawan, to the Dashrath Mahal and Kanak Bhawan (believed to have been gifted to Sita during her moohdikhai from Maharani Kaikeyi). 

Shanti: What the devotee would experience at Sita ki Rasoi, Guptarghat, the banks of Saryu, Kanak Bhawan, and Dashrath Yagyashala. Her indispensable means and end during the years preceding 2019, the requisite to her resistance and persistence. 

Bal (strength – along with buddhi and vidya) that the devotee would find in “anant” measures at Hanumangarhi Mandir, the Chhoti Devkali Mandir and the Shri Ramjanmabhumi Nyas Karyashala where images of karsevaks and the tangible material for temple construction strengthened the bhakta’s resolve even further 

Abhas – semblance and reflection, which are experienced by the devotee at the ponds and kunds of Ayodhya, and in the gentleness of the demeanour of Kanak Bhawan. But above all, in the eternal edifice of spiritual discipline – Ayodhya ji herself.

Making Raja Dashrath’s Joy and Sorrow Their “Own”

During Ram Lalla’s days in the tent, Ramchandra Mishra would visit Dashrath Mahal: “The abode of Dashrath where Ram Lalla was born, his own home, what would be bigger for a Ram devotee?” 

Any Ram bhakta this author spoke to in Ayodhya, seems to have a sense of the memory matrix of Raja Dashrath’s own emotions. Tulsi Ram Parihar, a bhakta from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, was one such.

Parihar was seated on a bench with his wife Sribai Parihar at one of the prasad shops near the entrance of the Hanuman Garhi. They were waiting for the first lot of hundreds of pilgrims to the to make their first move towards the steps of the shrine.

Their energies seem gathered for the climb. “My first visit to Ayodhya happened years ago. I don’t remember when, but I was younger and more energetic. It was the time when Prabhu Shri Ram Lalla was ‘virajman’ in a makeshift space. We would go to Ram Janmabhoomi from Hanuman Garhi and we would return with a heavy heart. We would hurtle to Dashrath Mahal and keep sitting there for hours to find some succour, wondering when Mahara Dashrath would find Ram Lalla at his own temple.” Parihar quickly pushes the tears trickling within his throat.

They planned their month-long stay in Ayodhya – their third consecutive pilgrimage to the Ram Janmabhoomi, to be at the Dashrath Mahal “in dhyaan (meditation)”.    

Mull over this thought for a moment: Raja Dashrath is not known to be a tutelary deity of health, prosperity, vidya and dhan, yet the devotee would consider a temple dedicated to him as the foremost for “darshan”. 

At Dashrath Mahal, Mahant Dwarkadas told this author: “Those who wear the Ramnama know when to wear it and why to wear it, and likewise, they know exactly why to be at Dashrath Mahal.” This author was wearing the Ramnama. 

The row of brass bells strung and hung at the ceiling of the Dasrath Yagyashala reveal a story of the devotee’s faith in Raja Dashrath’s perseverance as a father. The belief, that his sacrifices to agni at this very yagyashala had a role to play in the birth of his four sons, too, makes Yagyashala a convergence point for worship, and for holding bhandaras on the fulfilment of fasts and prayers. 

The Journey Between Hanumangarhi And Sita’s Kuldevi

Hanuman ji of Hanumangarhi Mandir is believed to be the ‘kotwal’ of Ayodhya. For the devotee, Hanuman ji’s “permission” to visit the Ram janmabhoomi is prasad itself. The pedas are just momentary evidence of that prasad. 

On 5 August 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Ayodhya for the bhoomi pujan of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, he visited Hanumangarhi first, upholding the tradition to seek the blessings of the Kotwal of Ayodhya.

Towards the end of 2023, the “mangalvar” at Hanumangarhi seemed to work up something peculiar on this author. A thought occurred: ‘Thousands of devotees packed as one, surging towards Hanumangarhi as a sea of faith, would not have been possible without the devotion of Sita Maiya.’ Janakputri worshipped Devi Girija. And she is “virajmaan” at her abode in the Chhoti Devkaali Mandir.

“Sita Maiyaa’s Kuldevi first, Sumati ke Sanghi,” I tell Hanumanji, knowing that the Kotwal of Ayodhya would grant permission.  

Dedicated to Shri Janaki’s own “araadhya” kuldevi, the Chhoti Devkali Mandir is centered on the manifestation of Devi Girija – worshipped by Sita ji in her paternal home Janakpur (in Nepal). The Badi Dev Kali Mandir, dedicated to the Kuldevi of Ram is situated in Faizabad. 

Tears wash away the distance between her eyes and the prominent “chaukhat” of the garbhagriha. Pujari Ajay Diwedi of Chhoti Devkali Mandir told this author “The turn of events at Ayodhya, the freeing of Ram Lalla from the tented space, the building of the ‘bhavya’ Ram Mandir, the celebration of Ayodhya ji in Deepotsava and the arrival of pilgrims in great numbers, all have been possible because of the constant bhajan, kirtan and prayers of the devotees of Sita Maiyaa and Shri Ram Lalla.” 

It is believed that Devi Girija, “worshipped in Gauri swaroopa”, accompanied Sita Maiyya from Janakpur to Ayodhya as a result of the now bride’s devotion. He adds, “Raja Janak got a magnificent temple constructed near Saptasagar. The temple was dedicated to Girija Devi after the “sthapana”. It is believed that Sita ji would offer prayers at the temple every morning. She would travel from Kanak Bhawan each morning for her prayers to the Devi.”

The walls of the Chhoti Devkali Mandir in Ayodhya have the text of Durga Saptashati inscribed on them.

Pujari ji told this author that the temple has stood as a source of energy, devotion and above all, patience for the devotees of Ram Lalla through their most difficult days. “Koi ek diya jalaane tak nahin aataa thha Ayodhya mein (no one would come to Ayodhya to light diyas). Even taking the name of Ram Mandir would make people worried. What would be more heart-rending for Ram Lalla’s devotees? During such days, for a long, long, time, devotees would come to the Chhoti Devkali Mandir and offer their prayers. The result is before you.”

In politics, a general perception is that public memory tends to be abysmally short. The Ram devotee and her memory proves the perception wrong. The Ram bhakta visits the Ramjanmabhoomi with an inter-generational memory that has been nurtured by accounts narrated by her parents and their parents and their parents, as part of their spiritual discipline. 

The Power Of Femininity 

Kanak Mahal and Chhoti Devkali have offered devotees the deepest expression of his devotion for the Divine Feminine.  

The devotees say they “feel a strong connection” with Chhoti Devkali Mandir and Kanak Bhawan. “It could be because there is Sita Maiyaa as the common source of devotion.”

Others say: “Never a task has gone unfulfilled after prayers at Chhoti Devkali”. She is, after all, the deity worshipped by Sita Maiya herself. Sometimes, transgender bhaktas come and offer bhajans to Sita at Kanak Bhawan. They consider themselves the sakhis of Sita.

Anand Kumar Gupta runs a shop selling Ramnaam chadars, gamchhas, etc. near the Hanumangarhi Temple. During the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, he dashed out of home to help and rescue injured karsevaks. 

Currently, Gupta is in awe of the how Ayodhya’s journey of transformation during the last three years has burst open the diversity of people visiting the city. “The pilgrim’s fondness for Kanak Bhawan is exceptional. The reason for the deep fondness is the presence of Sita Maiya one can feel at Kanak Bhawan. As Ayodhyawaasi, I do not feel surprised that a lot of devotees sit in meditation at Kanak Bhawan. After visiting Ram Janmabhoomi, one experiences a strong urge for a darshan of the Shri Ram and Sita at Kanak Bhawan.”

Neelam Dubey, a homemaker from Ayodhya, believes that Kanak Bhawan offered her the emotional refuge in order to lessen the pain of seeing Ram Lalla in the tent. “The Darshan made us feel that Sita Maiya was listening to our prayers. We felt at home in her abode.”

What’s the one aspect about Kanak Bhawan that takes over the heart of the devotee? Dubey has the answer ready for years, it seemed: “In addition to the unique darshan of Ram Lalla and Siya, the beauty of Kanak Bhawan. Each time, the presence of Sita ji’s blessings assert their impact on me. There was a belief – that our prayers would change everything. They have.”

The Ghat Where The Devotee’s Journey Re-begins

In its varying shapes and fullness, the moon illuminates the Gopratar Ghat (popularly known as Guptarghat) in its warming glow during the month of Kartik.

On Sharad Poornima, devotees take the holy dip in Saryu ji at the ghat where Shri Ram is known to have “become gupt” in the waters, departing for the ‘divya Saket dham‘.

During the day, mist hovers over the other banks. After snan, the bhaktas head to the Gupt-Hari mandir, where parrots and other birds chanting “Ram” always exceed the number of devotees.

The gateway is less ornate than the temples in Ayodhya’s Ramkot. The “angan” has been scraped by the different seasons. Poignant is the Gupt-Hari mandir’s interaction with the elements of nature and life. According to pujari Karunesh Tiwari, the devotee’s journey from Ayodhya’s Ramkot to the Gupt-Hari mandir situated at the banks of the Gopratar Ghat is a journey in deep realisation of, and acquaintance with, this portion of Saryu and the meaning of the ghat in Shri Ram’s life.

He says, “Devotees say that the ‘shanti’ they feel at this temple is exclusive to this temple. . .The peace devotees experience here is rare.”

Offering prayers at the Gupt Hari Mandir makes one wonder whether the end is the mark for a beginning. The heart wants to be in Ramkot once again. 

At Hanuman Garhi Mandir’s pillared space facing the back of the vigraha, a Sadhu sits grinding saffron and sandal to a paste on a slab of stone. He pours some drops of water into it, at intervals, making the saffron leave its hue.

The devotee’s journey in Ayodhya is just the same.

Each darshan leaves its hue in the circular journey and each drop of water moulds the consistency of spiritual discipline. And for centuries, the faith and fervour got firmer over each darshan across the multitude of temples in Ayodhya — in the restive absence of Ram Mandir.

The same hue of saffron, when the devotee enters the Ram Mandir, will be a residue of Sita’s devotion.