Sarairasi, a small hamlet inhabited by the ‘Suryavanshis’, who claim to be the descendants of Lord Ram, on the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh’s temple town Ayodhya, is silently gearing up for the grand ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony slated to be held on January 22.
Women are busy making brisk purchases while men can be spotted buying colourful turbans and ‘nagra’ shoes from the local market. The muddy courtyards are freshly coated with cow dung and clay and the painted houses and colourful ‘rangolis’ give a clean, crisp look to Sarairasi that is completely drenched in festivities.
People here said January 22 would not only mark the day of ‘Pran Pratistha’ but end the 500-year-old pledge taken by their ancestors that they will not wear a turban, leather shoes and use an umbrella until Lord Ram is re-installed in the ‘Garbhagriha’ (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple.
“Whether marriage or any other occasion, none of us sported a turban, considered to be the pride of the people belonging to the Thakur community, in the last 500 years. January 22 will be a historic day for all of us and other Suryavanshis of Ayodhya. It’s the day when the 500-year-old pledge, taken by our ancestors to not use an umbrella, wear a turban and leather shoes, will finally get over,” said Shiv Vijay Singh alias Nawab Singh, who claims himself to be the 11th generation of Thakur Gajraj Singh, the Suryavanshi, who was the first to take the pledge.
The descendants of Thakur Gajraj Singh, however, expressed their resentment for not being invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony on January 22 in Ayodhya. “It is sad that despite the contribution of our ancestors, we have not been invited to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony. Nevertheless, we are happy that the very purpose for which our ancestors took the pledge and laid their lives, is being meted out,” said Vijay Singh.
Locals from the village said January 22 would mark the day of Holi and Diwali for them. Besides the people from Sarairasi, those belonging to the Suryavanshi community from nearly 115 villages in and around Ayodhya, too have geared up for the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ in their own way.
What was the 500-Year-Old Pledge?
According to the rural folklore, when Baqi Tashqandi alias Mir Baqi, a commander in the 16th century, was made governor of the province of Awadh during the reign of first Mughal emperor Babur, he founded the Babri Masjid and first visited Ayodhya.
On his visit to Ayodhya, he was amazed to see the popularity of Lord Ram, but destroyed the Ram Temple following which Thakur Gajraj Singh, a Suryavanshi, took the pledge to not to cover their head or wear a turban, which is the pride of the people from the Thakur community, until they get a roof above the idol of Lord Ram.
“My great grandfather called upon around 90,000 people including those from the Suryavanshi and other communities who got united and attacked the Mughal forces in order to save the temple. But the armed Mughal forces crushed them including Thakur Gajraj Singh to death and constructed the Babri mosque thereafter. With this, the pledge of my great grandfather remained unfulfilled. However, since Lord Ram is going to ‘Virajman’ (seated) at his place on January 22, our long-pending pledge will get fulfilled,” explained Vijay Singh, while highlighting his family’s history.
A book named ‘Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Ka Prachin Itihas’ published by Pandit Dwarika Prasad Shiv Govind Pustakalaya, Ayodhya, has a mention about Thakur Gajraj Singh on Page 47. “Thakur Gajraj Singh who resides near Surya Kund died in a fierce battle fought in Ayodhya against the Mughal forces that attacked Ram temple. The Mughal forces then ordered demolition of his house. Singh descendants, who pledged not to wear a turban, leather shoes and use umbrellas, still reside in the area,” the book read.
Historian Call It a Folklore
The local historians called it a folklore as they said there are no formal documents or evidence to support the claim of the villagers. Raghuvansh Mani, who has penned several books on the history of Awadh, said there are several stories doing the rounds. “There is no authentic document to support the fact that the locals entered in a battle with Mughal forces for demolishing the Ram temple,” Mani said.
A descendant of Thakur Gajraj Singh, Harish Chandra Singh, 71, said, “We are fortunate to see our ancestor’s wish getting fulfilled. We are thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and our chief minister Yogi Adityanath for making this day a reality”.
The Pran Pratishtha ceremony of the Ram Temple will take place at 12.20 pm on January 22 in Ayodhya. The organisers of the ceremony began distributing the sacred ‘akshat’ (rice, grams mixed with turmeric and ghee) on the New Year’s Day and will continue doing so till January 15 (Makar Sankranti). More than 7,000 guests from India and abroad, along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are expected to be present at the inauguration of Ram Temple. Over 1 lakh devotees are expected to reach Ayodhya for the ceremony.
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