Agra: Less than three weeks from now, VVIPs will flock to Ayodhya for the consecration of an idol of the Hindu deity Ram at the newly-constructed temple. Roughly 500 km away, plans are afoot to usher in Ram’s “second homecoming” at an ashram in the ravines of the Yamuna.
The ashram is located about four km from Agra’s Singna village, which has a special role in the legend of Ram, for it is believed to be home to the sage Shringi, who was married to Ram’s sister Shanta.
Shanta was immortalised in the form of a ‘ghat’ along the nearby Keetham lake, which was named after her.
According to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Shanta’s husband, the sage Shringi is believed to have performed a yajna at his ashram in the mythological city of Shringverpur at the instance of king Dasharatha that preceded the birth of Ram and his younger brothers Laxman, Bharat and Shatrughna.
Baba Nirnay Das ji maharaj, the mahant of Shringi Rishi Ashram, told ThePrint that the ashram has a statue of the sage Shringi and also the altar where he is believed to have performed yajnas. The altar, however, was in an area that was not accessible and therefore fell into disuse, he added.
The ashram, Baba Nirnay Das said, was renovated in 1980 by the then mahant Rangiram ji maharaj and regular prayers have been held there every evening since.
Asked how locals plan to celebrate the consecration, he said a ‘kalash yatra’ and a ‘bhandara’ (community kitchen) will be organised at the ashram on 22 January — the day of the consecration — followed by a nine-day recital of the Ramcharitmanas starting 25 January.
Vishal Sharma, secretary of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber, said the sage Shringi connection will put Agra on the Ramayana pilgrimage circuit. There is a need for more research on the subject, he said, adding that the Shringi Rishi Ashram should be made accessible to the general public.
“This is not the only holy site alongside the Yamuna river connected to the mythology of Lord Ram. The Renuka Dham, located a few kilometres from the Sikandra monument, is believed to be where Lord Parshuram, who challenged Lord Ram to break Lord Shiva’s bow to marry Sita, was born.”
Sharma added that the “Renuka Dham” has a temple dedicated to “Lord Parshuram’s mother” which can also be developed as a religious tourism hotspot.
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