Ayodhya, Aug 01: The mortal remains of Ramchandra Das Paramhans, president of Ramjanmabhoomi Nyas, were consigned to flames at Tulsi Ghat on the banks of river Saryu here today. The pyre was lit by Vaishnav Das Shastri, a disciple of Paramhans, amidst chanting of vedic hymns.
Thousands of people gathered at the ghat shouted slogans as Shastri lit the sandalwood pyre on a specially erected dais.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, RSS chief K.S Sudershan, BJP national president Venkaiah Naidu, Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Murli Manohar Joshi, BJP presidents of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Vinay Katiyar and Uma Bharati were among those present at the cremation ground. Senior VHP leader Acharya Dharmendra Dev asked the gathering to take a pledge to construct Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in Ayodhya.
"We have to fulfill the dreams of Mahantji. He had a vision to construct an impressive Ram Temple at the sanctum sactorum. Let's take a pledge that we will fulfill his dream," he said. Earlier, a large number of people took part in the funeral procession which started from digambar akhara, the abode of the Mahant where he breathed his last yesterday, and went round the temple town making brief halts at VHP workshops at Kar Sevakpuram and Choti Chavni before reaching Tulsi Ghat.
Unprecedented security arrangements were made en-route and in and around Ayodhya in view of Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and other VIPs attending the cremation. Bureau Report