Hyderabad: If one has devotion and commitment, nothing can stop one from embarking on an extraordinary journey. Challa Srinivasa Sastry from Hyderabad is once such Ram Bhakt who has embarked on an extraordinary journey with a novel idea to honour Lord Rama at Ayodhya.

An experienced sound engineer by profession with a career spanning over five decades in the film industry, Sastry has now turned towards spiritual endeavors, leaving an indelible mark on the Ayodhya Ram Temple.

Sastry's connection to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is deeply personal and rooted in family legacy. Fulfilling a vow made by his father, who participated in the Ram Janma Bhoomi movement, Sastry donated five silver bricks, each weighing 2.5 kg, for the temple's foundation.

These bricks were integral to the temple’s construction when Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for the temple at Ayodhya.

Sastry created a record of sorts when he undertook a 7,200-kilometer padayatra from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu to Ayodhya carrying a pair of gold-plated ‘charan padukas’ (footwear) made from 8 kg of silver and coated with gold, symbolizing the path believed to have been taken by Lord Ram during his exile. His arduous six months journey ended at Ayodhya ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony scheduled for January 22, 2024.

Since then, he and his wife have dedicated themselves to serving the community by distributing laddus to over 10,000 devotees daily and providing free meals to 500-1,000 people, addressing the lack of Telugu cuisine in the area. Continuing his tradition of unique contributions, Sastry has crafted a bow weighing 14 kg—13 kg of silver and 1 kg of gold—to be placed in the hands of Lord Ram’s statue on the temple’s first floor.

This bow is currently on a nationwide tour, receiving blessings from various temples, and is expected to reach Ayodhya by March or April 2025. Looking ahead, Sastry plans to construct a dharmshala (rest house) in Ayodhya to accommodate Telugu-speaking pilgrims, with construction slated to begin after February 2025. Additionally, he envisions installing a statue of Maharishi Valmiki at the Ayodhya Airport, further enriching the spiritual landscape of the city.