Saharanpur (9 Oct) :  History was created in Saharanpur once again.  Today, Paondhoi had thousands of visitors (e.g. Shri Ram, Lakshman, Sita and their thousands of devotees including the DM Alok Kumar, his wife and all the volunteer members of Ram Lila Samiti, Saharanpur, Paondhoi Bachao Samiti Saharanpur, Nigrani Samitis of both banks of Saharanpur).  Both the banks of Paondhoi were bursting with crowd - everyone filled with a sense of great expectancy to witness a scene which majority of them had never witnessed before.  There was complete euphoria amongst the masses as the Ram Lila artists representing Ram, Lakshman and Sita descended on the platform specially installed today at the site in the Paondhoi river near Bhuteshwar Temple.  Also waiting near the platform was Kewat - the 'legendary boat owner of the Treta Yug' with his boat who wouldn't allow Ram to embark his boat before His feet were thoroughly washed by him.  As the story goes, the boat owner was filled with the apprehension that the sand of Ram's feet might turn his boat into a woman as had happened in the case of Ahilya !

Both the banks of the river had uncountable people who greeted the holy characters with thunderous applause as the boat started moving with the help of ropes.  The DM and various other devotees were among those who pulled the boat with other end of the rope in their hands.  After one hour long journey along the current of the river,  it finally reached the destination - Rameshwar Temple, Pul Khumran where even bigger crowd greeted the holy travellers.  The fact that just one day before this enactment of this Ram Lila, five snakes coming from somewhere into the river had found their resting place in the boat seemed to have no adverse effect either on the Ram Lila committee volunteers or the artists performing in the river today. 

- Sushant K. Singhal

Member - Paondhoi Bachao Samiti (Regd.)

Email : info@paondhoi.org