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The distance between workshop place and Digambar Akhara is roughly two and half kilometers. But as was predicted ,the streets,the bylanes, the intersection and the roof tops of temples and houses were occupied by some 5000 people in this two and half kilometers stretch. Most of them were residents and a little over thousand and half would be the people who penitrated from near by villages,who were refered as 'Karsewaks'. Ramakant Awasthi and me reached to workshop place by an isolated route and as we reached we found there was no place in and around workshop place where we could stand or view the 'Havan'( a pre ritual before the Ram Shila Pujan).We waited out side.
TV media(doestic and international) both have stationed themselves in the places they found suitable to cover,but mostly were ready to accompany the procession.Some of them were on roof top to get clearer view of whole event.
It was almost impossible for me to look out for Ami in the occean of men,women and Sadhus.I realized that I have lost her .A worried me looked towards Awasthi. Ramakant Awasthi moved towards entrance gate and as I headed I saw a fat man in his fourties coming towards me.
Richard a British, has landed from Biejing along with his small crew.Richard himself was editor,while Peter,another British,rather young man was correspondant while Germany born Inka Kretchmer was producer of the team representing Sky News. To tell all of you little about Sky News,I must say that Sky News is a sister company of media empire created by Richard Murdoch of News Corporation. Sky News primarily broadcasts in Europe and its another sister company Fox News is aimed on American Continent. While we have Star in India.
This small Sky News team was badly confused on what to cover and what to not.So Richard asked for helping hand I could not deny. Knowing that may be I would not be able to meet Ami and also it would be a great learning experience for me I agreed. Sky news team was having best of technology with them. Sattelite phone, a link with Biejing studio and such smart and beautiful producer. We all just walked around and searched for a place where we can station our camera. Finally Richard suggested that we should occupy a roof top. Since all the temple sturctures were in bad shape we managed to get on to a rather good building.
Now we were on roof top of an old structure just across the road and infront of workshop place. Now we could see all what was going on inside but I could not see Ami and Ima. Richard asked me to explain what was going on inside the workshop place and I explained that VHP leaders and Ram Chandra Param Hans and his 500 followers were performing 'Rudra Ashtadhyayai'--A worship to Lord Shiva. There after procession was supposed to move towards Digamabar Akhara.
Richard started his PTC on satellite link , Hail To Shri Ram..........that is what we are listening here in the holy town of Ayodhya'. He completed his PTC in three minutes and soon we saw that procession had satarted. We wrapped, thanked that all went well but all of suddent we saw that something banged an all of sudden there was a hole in the roof top.The building was collapsing an all we could see that a man reporting for an Indian channel collapsed inside hole along with debris. It was a one meter diameter hole . we helped out to Indian reporter to come out and landed safely on the floor of building and joined the procession.
The VHP ,the karsewaks and the people joined the procession while the residents of town occupied the streets and roof top.
As I joined the procession I could see that an elderly and rigid monk who had challenged the entire government on his commitment to perform Ram Shila Pujan had a great fan following. The Ram Shila was kept on a wooden chariot while VHP leaders like Ashok Singhal and Ram Chandra Pramhans was walking bare feet behind the chariot. The atmosphere was filled up with chant of 'Jai Shri Ram' and we were crawling amidst heavy load of crowd.
All of sudden I saw Ami,and I could easily judge that she was more than tensed while she kept herself busy clicking photograph. Inka Kretchmer,who by now was well versed with me whispered in my ears...."Oh that American photographer....she is awasome". I could not utter a world.
While keeping a vigilance on Ram Chandra Paramhans,who by then has trembled and fallen down for two times was sweating while shouting ' Jai Shri Ram'. Ashok Singhal was holding his hands but he insisted to be on his own.
And some how we reached to Digamabar Akhara. It all was a mess. Thousand of people,each inch of the ground was occupied by a single individual and we stood in crowd,me and Inka,while Richard and Peter went inside Akhara to cover Ram Shila Pujan. Inka offered me a bottle of water and that is all what we had that time.
Ram Shila Pujan lasted for two and half hours amidst a constant fear of a possible lathi charge,we some how remained static.The moment it finished we coould hear the karsewaks shouting, "Jai Shri Ram ,Ho Gaya Kaam". I saw Richard and Peter coming out from inside. Soon we rode his hired taxi and rushed to Krishna Palace,from where he was supposed to do live for Sky News.
I farewelled the sky news team at "Krishna Hotel" and rushed to "Shan-E-Awadh" to find if I would be able to see Ami. As soon as I reached to "Shan-E-Awadh" and to my astonishment Ami and Ima both had left to cath a flight from Lucknow to reach Delhi.
I was nervous,pained and emotional and thought that perhaps when I knocked at her hotel room door and Ima opened the gate was the last chance to see Ami. I was determined to see her atleast once in Delhi,so I did not bother to go my village as I had my luggage with me. An Associated Press Journalist gave me a ride uptil Lucknow and I reached Charbaagh Railway Station at 10:00 PM to catch Lucknow mail.
Next day I knocked at my brother's residence in Noida early in the morning.
(To be continued..........................Second phase of my joblessness)
.
TV media(doestic and international) both have stationed themselves in the places they found suitable to cover,but mostly were ready to accompany the procession.Some of them were on roof top to get clearer view of whole event.
It was almost impossible for me to look out for Ami in the occean of men,women and Sadhus.I realized that I have lost her .A worried me looked towards Awasthi. Ramakant Awasthi moved towards entrance gate and as I headed I saw a fat man in his fourties coming towards me.
Richard a British, has landed from Biejing along with his small crew.Richard himself was editor,while Peter,another British,rather young man was correspondant while Germany born Inka Kretchmer was producer of the team representing Sky News. To tell all of you little about Sky News,I must say that Sky News is a sister company of media empire created by Richard Murdoch of News Corporation. Sky News primarily broadcasts in Europe and its another sister company Fox News is aimed on American Continent. While we have Star in India.
This small Sky News team was badly confused on what to cover and what to not.So Richard asked for helping hand I could not deny. Knowing that may be I would not be able to meet Ami and also it would be a great learning experience for me I agreed. Sky news team was having best of technology with them. Sattelite phone, a link with Biejing studio and such smart and beautiful producer. We all just walked around and searched for a place where we can station our camera. Finally Richard suggested that we should occupy a roof top. Since all the temple sturctures were in bad shape we managed to get on to a rather good building.
Now we were on roof top of an old structure just across the road and infront of workshop place. Now we could see all what was going on inside but I could not see Ami and Ima. Richard asked me to explain what was going on inside the workshop place and I explained that VHP leaders and Ram Chandra Param Hans and his 500 followers were performing 'Rudra Ashtadhyayai'--A worship to Lord Shiva. There after procession was supposed to move towards Digamabar Akhara.
Richard started his PTC on satellite link , Hail To Shri Ram..........that is what we are listening here in the holy town of Ayodhya'. He completed his PTC in three minutes and soon we saw that procession had satarted. We wrapped, thanked that all went well but all of suddent we saw that something banged an all of sudden there was a hole in the roof top.The building was collapsing an all we could see that a man reporting for an Indian channel collapsed inside hole along with debris. It was a one meter diameter hole . we helped out to Indian reporter to come out and landed safely on the floor of building and joined the procession.
The VHP ,the karsewaks and the people joined the procession while the residents of town occupied the streets and roof top.
As I joined the procession I could see that an elderly and rigid monk who had challenged the entire government on his commitment to perform Ram Shila Pujan had a great fan following. The Ram Shila was kept on a wooden chariot while VHP leaders like Ashok Singhal and Ram Chandra Pramhans was walking bare feet behind the chariot. The atmosphere was filled up with chant of 'Jai Shri Ram' and we were crawling amidst heavy load of crowd.
All of sudden I saw Ami,and I could easily judge that she was more than tensed while she kept herself busy clicking photograph. Inka Kretchmer,who by now was well versed with me whispered in my ears...."Oh that American photographer....she is awasome". I could not utter a world.
While keeping a vigilance on Ram Chandra Paramhans,who by then has trembled and fallen down for two times was sweating while shouting ' Jai Shri Ram'. Ashok Singhal was holding his hands but he insisted to be on his own.
And some how we reached to Digamabar Akhara. It all was a mess. Thousand of people,each inch of the ground was occupied by a single individual and we stood in crowd,me and Inka,while Richard and Peter went inside Akhara to cover Ram Shila Pujan. Inka offered me a bottle of water and that is all what we had that time.
Ram Shila Pujan lasted for two and half hours amidst a constant fear of a possible lathi charge,we some how remained static.The moment it finished we coould hear the karsewaks shouting, "Jai Shri Ram ,Ho Gaya Kaam". I saw Richard and Peter coming out from inside. Soon we rode his hired taxi and rushed to Krishna Palace,from where he was supposed to do live for Sky News.
I farewelled the sky news team at "Krishna Hotel" and rushed to "Shan-E-Awadh" to find if I would be able to see Ami. As soon as I reached to "Shan-E-Awadh" and to my astonishment Ami and Ima both had left to cath a flight from Lucknow to reach Delhi.
I was nervous,pained and emotional and thought that perhaps when I knocked at her hotel room door and Ima opened the gate was the last chance to see Ami. I was determined to see her atleast once in Delhi,so I did not bother to go my village as I had my luggage with me. An Associated Press Journalist gave me a ride uptil Lucknow and I reached Charbaagh Railway Station at 10:00 PM to catch Lucknow mail.
Next day I knocked at my brother's residence in Noida early in the morning.
(To be continued..........................Second phase of my joblessness)
.
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