Ram in mind & now etched on their skin forever

Nagpur: Devotees are taking every possible measure to make the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodha an event that remains etched in their memory for a lifetime. With a view to play a part in this celebration, a young tatoo artist in Nagpur, Ritik Rajendra Darode, and his team are making tattoos of Lord Ram on the hands of devotees for free.The endeavour which began on January 2 will continue till January 22, the day when the ‘pran pratistha’ would be performed at the Ayodhya temple in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and dignitaries from diverse fields.

Ritik, 22, who calls himself a devotee of Lord Ram, has decided to make 1,001 such tattoos. “One tattoo cost around ₹1,200 but since this will be done to express our devotion towards Lord Ram, I don’t mind letting go this amount. People from places like Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring Amravati district are approaching us to get this tattoo made on their hands,” he said.The registration counter set up outside his Dynamic Tattoo Arts, Telephone Exchange Square, Garoba Maidan, has already completed over 1,000 entries. Students can be seen at the counter waiting for their turn. “It takes about 20 minutes to make a tattoo of Lord Ram — one with just written as Ram, second as Jai Shri Ram and third as Shri Ram with a temple. Around 50 such tattoos are being made daily,” said Ritik.Komal Sahu, a youngster who was getting a tattoo made on his hand, said he loves the name Ram. Another youngster Roshan said he want to be a part of this festival of Lord Ram through this tattoo.Ritik’s father Rajendra is supporting his son financially. “ I am proud of Ritik as he would not be charging his customers for the Ram tattoos for 20 days,” he said.

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Gujarati singer Geeta Rabari releases 'Shri Ram Ghar Aaye', a tribute to Lord Ram and Ayodhya. The song captures the attention and emotions of people across the nation. The Ram Mandir development is taking the internet by storm, with the consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22.

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