Bhakti riders, a group of 10 cyclists began their 2,000 km journey from Pune on January 5 and are set to reach Ayodhya ahead of the inauguration of the Ram mandir. At the outset, the troupe performed a pooja at the Ram Mandir, Tushibaugh. They will tentatively reach Ayodhya on January 20. Deepak Bharadia, 47, from Kothrud, who owns a high-end modular furniture business is one of the cyclists. Talking about what made him take up this journey Bharadia said, “It's the bhakti for Lord Ram. If I may say this, Ram Lalla has been out of his deserved mandir, for the last 500 plus years. And after the Supreme Court judgment for the construction of Ram Mandir, as it is almost done, this inauguration is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us to witness the consecration of Ram Lalla and Ram Darbar by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So we intend to be a part of this mega historic event which will be remembered for centuries. The vibrations we experience there will be a lifetime memory for all of us.” The troupe has crossed more than 900 kms as they passed through Ahmednagar, Sambhajinagar, Ajanta, Burhanpur, Omkareshwar, Indore, Ujjain, Dewas and are headed towards Bhopal as of January 12. They have been chanting verses and hymns throughout the way. The group received support from various people across cities. “Few cyclists had joined us from Indore and decided to cycle with us till Ujjain and return. But one of the cyclists liked the experience so much, he extended his company till Dewas. It was close to 18 hours of cycling together. The feeling of being a part of this yatra made him do that”, said Bharadia. About the plan of cycling and the 14 day schedule, Bharadia said, “We thought Prabhu Shri Ram has taken the sacrifices that he has made, the struggles that he has had in his lifetime with exile for 14 years. So what if we can take up a 14 day journey from Pune to reach Ayodhya and be a part of this? So 14 years of Sriram and 14 days of ten cyclists. So that's the reason why I said we have taken up cycling.” The group, with ages ranging from 36 to 65 is full of people who are passionate about cycling. They have been cycling together for a couple of years. Only one of them is from Mumbai and 9 from Pune. The group constitutes people of different backgrounds like a few businessmen, some who are serving in the police, one retired ACP, one retired colonel and an educationist. Shankar Kengar, retired superintendent of police said, “It's a very nice experience to ride to Ayodhya. This was a call from Shree Ram”. The preparation involved creating a group and taking some rides together and practicing at individual level too. While they cycle through the day, they take shelter at different places across cities like dharamshalas, hotels, or acquaintances. About the message they want to give through this journey, Bharadia said, “Ram rajya has come, which means truth will prevail. The glory of our nation can be seen by the world at large. India is the spiritual capital of the world and believes in the ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, where the world is one big family. We are telling people that we are all one, let’s look forward to the era that’s unfolding in front of us, that is Ram Rajya.”
