VADODARA: When the grand Ram Mandir will be inaugurated in Ayodhya on January 22, ‘Khushbu Gujarat Ki’ will waft through the holy town. A farmer from Gujarat has prepared a 108-feet-long incense stick as an offering to Lord Ram. And, the huge stick is already on its way to Uttar Pradesh in a trailer.
“I am a devotee of Lord Ram and hence I wanted to give an offering to the god. So, I decided to make the biggest incense stick and light it when the Ram Temple is inaugurated. I am happy that I could make it in time,” said Viha Bharwad who stays in Vadodara.
It was an uphill task for 54-year-old Bharwad who prepared the entire incense stick single-handedly. “Initially I felt I won’t be able to make the incense stick in time. It took me six months to prepare the stick that weighs over 3,600 kilograms. All this while I had to ensure that the stick doesn’t get damaged,” Bharwad told TOI and added that once lit, the stick will burn for over 45 days.
Apart from the laborious work, gathering the material to make the mammoth incense stick was also a task. Bharwad, who is also in animal husbandry, used 376 kilograms of guggul (gum resin), 376 kilograms of coconut shells, 425 kilograms of various herbs, 191 kilograms ghee, 1,475-kilogram Gir cow dung powder and 280 kilograms barley to make the ‘dhoop agarbatti’.
The incense stick cost Bharwad over Rs five lakh. “I spent some from my pocket, some I loaned on interest while a few devotees donated money. It’s all due to Lord Ram’s blessings,” he added. Bharwad and 25 other devotees left Vadodara with the incense stick on January 1 and their convoy will reach Ayodhya by January 18. He said that Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt helped them in getting all the necessary permissions to visit Ayodhya.
“People are thronging the highways to get a glimpse of the incense stick. Some are also giving us offerings for the temple. But we try to cover 100 kilometres daily. This incense stick’s fragrance will only waft through Ayodhya on the auspicious day,” Bharwad said.
“I am a devotee of Lord Ram and hence I wanted to give an offering to the god. So, I decided to make the biggest incense stick and light it when the Ram Temple is inaugurated. I am happy that I could make it in time,” said Viha Bharwad who stays in Vadodara.
It was an uphill task for 54-year-old Bharwad who prepared the entire incense stick single-handedly. “Initially I felt I won’t be able to make the incense stick in time. It took me six months to prepare the stick that weighs over 3,600 kilograms. All this while I had to ensure that the stick doesn’t get damaged,” Bharwad told TOI and added that once lit, the stick will burn for over 45 days.
Apart from the laborious work, gathering the material to make the mammoth incense stick was also a task. Bharwad, who is also in animal husbandry, used 376 kilograms of guggul (gum resin), 376 kilograms of coconut shells, 425 kilograms of various herbs, 191 kilograms ghee, 1,475-kilogram Gir cow dung powder and 280 kilograms barley to make the ‘dhoop agarbatti’.
The incense stick cost Bharwad over Rs five lakh. “I spent some from my pocket, some I loaned on interest while a few devotees donated money. It’s all due to Lord Ram’s blessings,” he added. Bharwad and 25 other devotees left Vadodara with the incense stick on January 1 and their convoy will reach Ayodhya by January 18. He said that Vadodara MP Ranjan Bhatt helped them in getting all the necessary permissions to visit Ayodhya.
“People are thronging the highways to get a glimpse of the incense stick. Some are also giving us offerings for the temple. But we try to cover 100 kilometres daily. This incense stick’s fragrance will only waft through Ayodhya on the auspicious day,” Bharwad said.
