From Ayodhya to Rameshwaram, 290 Shri Ram pillars will be put up, including at the Shabari Ashram (Sabarimala) in the village of Sabarimala in eastern Kerala.
The pillars mark all the places which Lord Ram visited during his journey to the forests, as per the Ramayan written by Valmiki. The first of these pillars will be installed in Ayodhya, at the Mani Parbat. As per the Valmiki Ramayan, at the wedding of Ram with Sita, the latter’s father King Janak gifted a huge number of gems to King Dashrath- the father of Ram. This mound of these gems was named Mani Parbat- and even today Ram and Sita's idols are seated on a swing during the festival of ‘Teej’.
Carved of the same pink sandstone that is being used in the under-construction temple, the first installation shall take place on September 27.
Lord Ram made two journeys to the forest- one during his childhood with Rishi Vishwamitra and another when he was banished from Ayodhya.
Shabari was a tribal woman who had been told by her spiritual guide that she would meet Lord Ram. When God came visiting, Shabari tasted each jujube that she had collected before offering it to Ram who ate them without protest. The Sree Ayappan temple complex houses idols of Lord Ram and Hanuman.
The places where these pillars will be installed were verified by a former Indian Revenue Services Officer, Ram Avtar Sharma on foot and aboard vehicles. Each pillar will have the couplet from the Valmiki Ramayan which indicates the place visited and its significance.
Some of the other places in South India where these pillars will be installed are the banks of the Tungabhadra river in Telangana. The small town on the banks of this river, Anegudi, was known as Kishkindha in ancient times. It is here that Ram first met Hanuman and the Sugreev.
Another will be at Dhanushkodi (Tamil Nadu), from where the Ram Setu starts. The 'setu' is the bridge that joined India to Lanka- the kingdom of Ravan where Sita was kidnapped and kept.
Champat Rai, trustee of the Ashok Singhal Foundation, which is working on the project said, “This will be an invaluable addition to make future generations aware of the life of Lord Ram”.
