As the nation awaits the Pran Pratishta ceremony that will mark the inauguration of the Ram Janambhoomi Mandir in Ayodhya, there is one family for whom this occasion is even more special. The Kothari family of Kolkata has waited for this day for long, after all two brothers of the family Ram and Sharad were among the first to hoist the saffron flag on the disputed Babri Mosque on October 30 1990.
Later on November 2 1990, the then Mulayam Singh government ordered Police forces to open fire on the Kar-Sevaks. Ram and Sharad Kothari were killed becoming martyrs for the cause of Ram Janambhoomi Mandir.
Today their sister Poornima has been invited to be a part of the Pran Pratishta cermony on January 22.
“This is the first joy in last 33 years. We waited for 33 years after the sacrifice of my brothers, and we are very happy… I have not forgotten anything of what happened to my brothers 33 years ago…Today we are able to see the grand Ram Temple in front of our eyes. But at some time, we lost all hope we had… I thought I would never be able to witness it… I am happy and proud… The sacrifice of my brothers is getting its due respect today…” said sister of the Kothari Brothers, Poornima Kothari.
When asked if she ever thought that the sacrifice of her brothers had been in vain, Poornima Kothari, said, “Yes, it felt like that before 2014 because when questions were raised on the existence of Lord Ram, then Ram devotees were also considered chaotic… Swami Prasad Maurya recently said that they were chaotic elements… Our expectations went very low… But now the environment of the country is very good… I am very proud to be here today… If they wanted to shoot, they should have shot them in the feet, why did they kill them?… I had heard that Mulayam Singh had later regretted firing at the karsevaks… But what did he get from this? He did it just for some votes…”
Speaking on opposition leaders declining the invitation for the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22, Poornima Kothari, said, “This is their misfortune that they are not coming even after getting an invitation… There are lakhs of people who are sorry to not be here… There are people who are simply happy to be in Ayodhya, even if they cannot witness the pranpratishtha… They (Oppostition) are politicians and they will witness everything from that point of view…”
A close friend of Kothari brothers and Ram-Sharad Kothari Smriti Sangh Vice President Ashok Jaiswal also remembers the sacrifice of the Kothari brothers.
“Both of them were my friends, especially the younger brother, Sharad Kothari… We were in the same shakha of RSS… I used to meet Ram Kothari sometimes… When there was a call for Karseva in Ayodhya in 1990, I was younger than 18 years and Sharad was 20 years old. Due to some reasons, I could not go but both the brothers left for Ayodhya…” said Ram Sharad Kothari Smriti Sangh Vice President Ashok Jaiswal.
“On October 30, 1990, Sharad Kothari was the first to hoist the Saffron flag on the main dome and did his Karseva successfully. At that time, they had come under the radar of the Mulayam Singh government and may have also become targets. On November 2, 1990,… tear gas was used against unarmed karsevaks when they were performing Ram Dhun. After that firing started and both brothers took refuge in a nearby home… Police held them forcefully and shot Sharad… Elder brother Ram tried to rescue him when the police shot him too in the head. This is how both the brothers lost their lives on November 2, 1990, while doing karseva…” Ashok Jaiswal added.
The family has since set up the Ram-Sharad Kothari Smriti Sangh in the memory of the two brothers which undertakes various social causes. The Sangh will be undertaking provision of refreshments at Ayodhya during the Pran Pratishta ceremony. A group of about 60 people will also go to Ayodhya on behalf of the Sangh
“The main objective of this organisation is to always remember the sacrifice made by Ram & Sharad Kothari and to do whatever we can for Lord Ram. Poornima Kothari, the sister of Ram and Sharad Kothari, has received the invitation to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony… She will attend the ceremony… We have arranged a camp near the Ram Temple in Ayodhya where we will provide refreshments for 25000 people. This is fortunate for us,” said Ram-Sharad Kothari Smriti Sangh President Rajesh Aggarwal.
To ensure that more and more people from Kolkata join in the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla, the organisation is also delivering Akshat (Broken yellow rice) from Ayodhya to every house.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would preside over the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22. Vedic rituals for the ‘Pran-Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.
A priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the main rituals of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will mark the Amrit Mahotsav.
A 1008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organised, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being erected in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town of Uttar Pradesh for the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony.
