87-year-old MP Woman, Surviving on Tea & Bananas Since 1992, to Break Vow as Ram Mandir Nears Reality in Ayodhya

Jabalpur: An 87-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh, who had been surviving on a diet of just bananas and tea for 27 years – as part of a vow she had made for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, heaved a sigh of relief on Saturday when the Supreme Court passed the historic verdict and paved way for the construction of Ram temple in the city.

Urmila Chaturvedi, a resident of Vijaya Nagar in Jabalpur, around 250-km from state capital Bhopal, told News 18 that her only desire in life was that lord Ram be moved to his temple in Ayodhya. And with the SC verdict favouring the temple construction, her dream is set to materialise.

The octogenarian had vowed not to take food in the year 1992 when communal riots hit several states, including Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, following the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya.

“I saw Hindu and Muslim brothers shedding each other’s blood and was so pained that I decided to shun food till the dispute was resolved amicably and Ram temple would come up in Ayodhya,” said the elderly Urmila Devi.

She was glued to the television on November 9 when the SC delivered the verdict on the issue and her happiness knew no bounds when the court pronounced the verdict in favour of Ram Lalla. She headed straight to Ram’s idol and performed a sastang pranam before it.

Urmila is happy that after a wait of 27 tough years, the verdict was finally delivered. She recounted how some made fun of her and others pressurised her to end fast. However, there were a few who applauded her grit and discipline, and felicitated her on public platforms.

She is now awaiting the temple construction and wishes to end her strict diet after visiting Ayodhya and seeking blessings of Ram Lalla.

She said her family tried feeding her after the top court’s verdict on Saturday but she made it clear that she would end her pledge in Ayodhya after seeking blessings of her revered deity.

Her family said that age might have weakened her body but the grit and zeal of the octogenarian remains intact.

(Inputs from Pavan Patel, Jabalpur, News18MP)