Over 500 influencers set to trace Lord Ram's journey back to Ayodhya from exile on a yatra

New Delhi, Jan 9 (PTI) More than 500 social media influencers are set to undertake a month-long 4,500-km yatra tracing the route taken by Lord Ram to return to his kingdom in Ayodhya from Tamil Nadu's Rameshwaram after his exile.

According to organisers of the Ramotsav Yatra, it will cover five states — Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Apurva Singh, who is part of the Ramotsav Yatra team, told PTI on Tuesday that the month-long yatra will start from Indore in Madhya Pradesh on January 14.

"Over 500 influencers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, bloggers, sports and Bollywood celebrities will participate in the yatra," Malay Dixit, another key member of the organising team, told PTI.

The event is being organised by the Ram Mahotsav Yatra Samiti formed by the All India Influencers Association, he said.

This comes in the run-up to the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

"This journey of ours is not only didactic but also a celebration of the journey of Lord Shri Ram through forests which will introduce us to Indian cultural heritage," Dixit said.

"We will also get an opportunity to emulate the real forest journey of Lord Shri Ram during the yatra and document it," he added.

On their way to Ayodhya, those participating in the yatra will collect soil from key locations to plant saplings in Ayodhya that will be named 'Ramayan'.

During the yatra, the participants will also visit four 'jyotirlingas' - Rameshwaram, Trimbakeshwar, Grishneshwar and Kashi Vishwanath - on the way to Ayodhya.

The devotees will leave their vehicles after reaching Uttar Pradesh's Nandigram, about 20 kilometres from Ayodhya, and complete their yatra on foot from there, Dixit said. PTI