A Historic journey of 12-Jyotirlinga Ram Katha Yatra with Morari Bapu Ends at Talgajarda, Gujarat

Talgajarda: Pujya Morari Bapu’s one-of-a-kind attempt to organise Ram Katha throughout 12 Jyotirlinga concluded on August 8, 2023, at Bapu’s Chitrakutdham in Talgajarda, Gujarat. The almost 12,000 kilometre trek from the sacred highlands of Kedarnath to the coasts of Somnath was completed in only 18 days, sending worshippers on a spiritual and soul-searching adventure. Pujya Bapu took the initiative of preaching the words of Ram Katha throughout 12 Jyotirlingas in order to plant the seeds of peace and co-existence among all groups and communities, including Shaivites and Vaishnavas of Sanatan Dharma.

The journey was successfully covered with 1008 devotees listening to Ram Katha and doing darshan of the Jyotirlingas in Kedarnath, Uttarakhand; Vishwanath, Kashi; Baidyanath, Jharkhand; Mallikarjun, Andhra Pradesh; Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu; Nageshwar, Bhimashankar, Trayambakeshwar and Ghrishneshwar, Maharashtra; Omkareshwar and Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh and finally reaching Somnath. The devotees also had the opportunity to visit the holy dhams of Rishikesh, Jagannath Puri, Tirupati Balaji, and Dwarkadhish Dham.

Concerning the pilgrimage’s purpose, Bapu said that it was “nirhetu,” or without ulterior goal, but that it would undoubtedly serve to revitalise the centres of piety and devotion of Santan Dharma, including the jyotirlingas, dhams, and all other Hindu sites of worship. While all temples were already pure, Bapu emphasised that they needed to be maintained clean and well organised so that even the most ordinary man could readily approach them and have darshan to discover inner peace and connection with divinity.

Bapu said that the government’s efforts to promote Swachh Bharat and develop magnificent corridors in Kashi and Ujjain should be used as models for renovating other important pilgrim destinations. During the current Amrit Kal festivities, Bapu hailed the notion of “Ek Bharat, Shreshta Bharat” and brought emphasis to the cultural variety that our Bharat fosters via this Katha.

While many saints believe that the ultimate goal of human existence is self-realization, Bapu believes that a Sadhu must go out to the last man and strive to ignite his inner candle. In many respects, the Jyotirlinga Ram Katha was an outreach effort, an endeavour to reach out to people in the four corners of the nation, north, south, east, and west, and bring spiritual thrill to them. On the last day of the Katha, Bapu emphasised that the 12 Jyotirlinga Ram Katha Yatra was a cultural and national unification project.

The Ram Katha yatra was focused on sowing the seeds of peace and harmony, and united communities across the country in celebration of the rich history and ancient knowledge embedded in the very essence of our Bharatvarsha, with the goal of spreading the teachings and rationale of Sanatan Dharma across devotees across the country.

In order to make the lessons of Ramcharitmanas more relevant to current culture, Bapu spoke about the significance of creating an ideal utopian society that values cleanliness, equality, harmony, togetherness, and co-existence with peace. The Katha was organised to disseminate old knowledge of our scriptures to devotees all throughout the nation, promoting pride in our culture, faith, and diversity. Devotees went 12,000 km in 18 days with celebrations aboard the train of spirituality, filling the atmosphere with hymns, mantras, chants, and religious rites.

Morari Bapu’s legacy has been enhanced by the successful completion of the 12 Jyotirlinga Ram Katha. At the conclusion of the tour, Bapu freely declared that, although this was his 900th religious talk, it was just a break in a continuous journey that would resume in a few days at Cambridge University. Bapu has previously accomplished several historical feats, such as performing Katha in the air while circumambulating the Earth, in the ship, on Kailash, at Bhusundi Sarovar, and so on.

This historic 12 Jyotirlinga Ram Katha Rail Yatra was made possible by two special trains – Kailash Bharat Gaurav and Chitrakoot Bharat Gaurav Trains – with the assistance of IRCTC. Rupesh Vyas of Indore, Bapu’s flower (devotee), organised the Katha via Aadesh Charitable Trust.

About Morari Bapu

Morari Bapu is a renowned spiritual leader and a Ramayana exponent who has dedicated his life to disseminating the teachings of Lord Ram and promoting the values of truth, love, and compassion. With over 900 discourses and narratives on the Ram Charita Manas, Morari Bapu’s enlightening and engaging delivery has touched the hearts of millions across India and the world. His mission is to foster spiritual awakening and inspire individuals to lead a life rooted in simplicity, devotion, and righteousness. All his kathas are open to all irrespective of caste, creed, or religion. As a regular practice, free meals are served as prasad for all those who come to the Katha.