Hyderabad: Challa Srinivasa Shastry is a dedicated follower of Lord Ram and a generous philanthropist. He has gifted a silver bow and arrow, weighing a total of 14 kg, along with 1 kg of gold, to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. These will be placed with Lord Raja Ram in the recently consecrated Ram Darbar.
Shastry, aged 65, hails from the Telugu-speaking regions and previously worked as a sound engineer. Since retiring, he has dedicated his life to serving Lord Ram. He gained attention after donating silver bricks to the Trust, which were used in constructing the Lord Ram Lalla temple in Ayodhya. Shastry explained, “I crafted a silver brick and sandals and carried them to Ayodhya from Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu, on foot. Following Lord Ram’s path, I presented these to the district collector. I was asked to make four more bricks for the foundation. I was honored when Modi garu laid the foundation with these five bricks, each weighing 2.5 kg.” This act was to honor a promise made by his father, who participated in the Ram Janma Bhoomi movement.
The bow and arrow were given to Champat Rai, the General Secretary of the Teerth Kshetra Trust. Assurances were made by the district officials and the Trust that these items would be placed in Lord Raja Ram’s hands in the Ram Darbar on the temple’s first floor.
The Ram Darbar’s consecration took place on June 5 in Ayodhya. In this sacred space, Lord Ram’s idol, alongside Maa Sita’s, sits on a two-foot-high white marble throne. Nearby, Lord Hanuman is depicted sitting, while Lakshman and Shatrughan stand. All statues and the throne were crafted from white marble in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
Shastry and his wife have been serving in Ayodhya since the temple’s opening. They noticed a demand for Telugu cuisine, especially rice, which is not commonly available in Ayodhya. With the help of donations, they now provide meals to around 500 to 1,000 people daily, free of charge.
