Shri Sitaram Kedilaya, senior RSS Pracharak since 6 decades initiated ‘Bharat Parikrama’ at Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu on August 9, 2012. Sri Sitaram Ji has started his yatra ‘BY FOOT’ covering 10 kilometres a day. His yatra is scheduled for a span of 5 years covering about 23,000 kilometres throughout Bharat. He also visited Nepal and Bhutan during his yatra and interacted with the villagers there.
His journey focuses on a vision ‘Grama Rajyam — Rama Rajyam’ to link all the villages and upliftment of each village. He emphasizes on – One should love his village, love the mankind, conserve the water, help elders and all living beings, and grama upliftment. Yatra Slogan ‘Know Bharat; Be Bharat; Make Bharat’ clearly visions the grama upliftment.
A day’s Yatra schedule for Seetharam Kedilaya begins after the performance of Gau-pooja (Worshipping Holy Cow) at 6.15am every morning unfailingly, in the village he happens to be in. At 6.30am the yatra begins with a walk about 10-15 kilometres a day. After reaching every village he visits the nearest temple and offers prayers – is always part of the yatra. After entering a village, he takes rest for a few minutes, following which he plants a tree in the temple premises or in its proximity. Lunch is a moderate affair which is always at a villager’s home, irrespective of caste, creed, language or colour. Food is always accepted as food from these homes. Incidentally, Kedilaya takes food only once a day. Food is followed by an hour’s rest. During the course of these addresses, 9 vital issues are stressed upon Protection of land, Protection of cow, Conservation of trees, Conservation of biodiversity, Protection of individuals and families (Jan Sandhan), Conservation of water, Preservation of native village culture, Rural employment and Preservation of values of rural medicine.
This Bharat Parikrama comes to an end on 9th July 2017. To mark this, a grand function is organized at Nagaraja Thidal, Nagarcoil, Kanyakumari. RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat will be addressing the gathering. Shri Chaithanyananda Maharaj, Vellimalai Ashram, will be blessing the gathering. Shri Dattatreya Hosabale, RSS Akhil Bharatha Joint Secretary (Sah Sarkaryavah), Shri
Pon Radhakrishnan, Union Minister for Shipping and Transport, Shri Visu, Actor and Director, Shri Piraisoodan, Film Lyricist and Writer will be participating on the occasion.