Ram Mandir Ayodhya: A woman in Jharkhand, who is now 85, had vowed on December 6, 1992, the day when Babri Masjid was demolished in Ayodhya, that she would not let mouth do the talking until her dream of the construction of Ram Mandir at the birthplace of Lord Ram is undertaken and its inauguration is done in the holy city, her family member claimed. Saraswati Devi, who is popularly known as 'Mauni Mata' in Ayodhya, started her vow on the demolition day promising to break it only when Ram Mandir is inaugurated, which is now scheduled to take place on January 22.
The woman’s story has gone viral and people are talking about her on the internet.
What’s Saraswati Devi’s story?
Devi, a resident of Dhanbad, left for the temple town in Uttar Pradesh aboard a train on Monday night to witness the historic Ram temple inauguration ceremony.
According to her close ones, she used to communicate with family members through sign language.
She took a break from ‘maun vrat’ and spoke for an hour at noon every day till 2020, but she went completely mum the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Ram temple in Ayodhya.
"The day Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992, my mother took a vow to observe silence till the Ram Mandir was constructed in Ayodhya. She has been jubilant ever since the date of consecration of the temple was announced," 55-year-old Hare Ram Agarwal, Devi's youngest child, claimed.
"She left for Ayodhya on Monday night aboard Ganga-Sutlej Express from Dhanbad Railway Station. She will break her silence on January 22," Hare Ram, a resident of Bhowra in Baghmara block, said.
Devi gets invitation for temple inauguration event
Devi has been invited by disciples of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das to take part in the Ram temple inauguration event, he said.
She is a mother of eight children, including four daughters, and devoted her life to Lord Ram after the death of her husband Devkinandan Agarwal in 1986. Since then, she has been spending most of her time in pilgrimages, according to the family members.
Devi is currently living with her second-eldest son Nand Lal Agarwal, an official with Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), an arm of Coal India, at Dhaiya in Dhanbad.
Nand Lal's wife Innu Agarwal (53) said that she saw her mother-in-law embracing the vow of silence in devotion to Lord Ram.
"Mostly, we understood her sign language. But she used to write down complicated sentences on a piece of paper," Innu Agarwal said.
"After the demolition of Babri Masjid, my mother-in-law visited Ayodhya and took a pledge of 'maun vrat' till Ram Mandir was constructed. She used to remain silent for 23 hours a day, taking an hour-long break only at noon. The rest of the time, she communicated with us through pen and paper," she said.
"However, when the foundation of the Ram Mandir was laid in 2020 by PM Modi, she went for a 24-hour 'maun vrat' and pledged to speak only after the temple was inaugurated," Innu said.
Woman does 'tapasya'
In 2001, Devi did 'tapasya' (penance) for nearly seven months in Madhya Pradesh’s Chitrakoot where Lord Ram is believed to have spent a major part of his exile, Innu claimed.
Devi wakes up at around 4 pm every morning and performs meditation for around six to seven hours in the morning.
"She studies religious books such as Ramayana and Bhagavad Gita in the evening after 'Sandhya Aarti'," Innu said.
Devi eats food only once a day and consumes a glass of milk in the morning and evening. She maintains a vegetarian diet consisting of rice, pulses and roti.
Ram Mandir inauguration
Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will be inaugurated on January 22, in a historic event. Several personalities have been invited to the event. The invitation cards are being hand-delivered to them by the representatives of the trust members and allies.
(With PTI inputs)
ALSO READ | Ram Mandir event invites to be 'hand-delivered' to all guests | DETAILS on invitation card, invitees
ALSO READ | Ram Mandir, Lord Ram’s images imprinted on special saree to be sent from Surat for consecration day
