Puri: The lockdown to tackle the nCoV crisis has failed to dampen the indomitable spirit of a devotee from Gadakana in Bhubaneswar who has been serving the Lord transporting flowers and basil (Tulsi) leaves to Srimandir every day.
Ram Saran Das aka Tulasi Baba, who resides on the premises of Gadamahaveer temple at Gadakana, has collected a special vehicle pass from the Bhubaneswar Commissionerate Police to transport flowers and basil leaves from the Capital city to the 12th century shrine, sources said.
Das claimed that he has been offering flowers and basil to Lord Jagannath for the last 30 years.
According to Das, he usually collects Tulsi and a variety of flowers like lotus, cape jasmine, white tulip, foal foot, tecoma and champak from various places near Bhubaneswar and Puri and hand over them to the servitors for performance of daily rituals at Srimandir.
“I usually leave Gadakana around 4 am everyday and collect the flowers from various places. Finally, I hand over the flowers to servitors at the Western Gate. Initially, I was transporting the flowers on a scooter but now I have arranged a car for the purpose,” Das said.
Das further revealed that he was in deep anxiety to carry flowers and basil leaves to Srimandir during the 21-day lockdown over coronavirus. “However, an official of the Commissionerate Police in Bhubaneswar helped me in getting a vehicle pass. Now, I am not facing any trouble to transport flowers to Srimandir,” he said.
The elderly man claimed that he had offered flowers for Srimandir rituals during cyclone Fani that made a landfall on Odisha coast May 3 last year. “No calamity can create a barrier between the divinities and the devotees. I will continue offering flowers and basil for Lord Jagannath till my last day,” Das added.