Saraswati Devi (Mauni Mata of Ayodhya) is a 85-year-old woman from Jharkhand, who has maintained a vow of silence, known as ‘maun vrat’ for three decades.
This vow was initiated on the day the Babri Masjid was demolished in 1992, and she committed to breaking her silence only when the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya will inaugurate.
Mauni Mata of Ayodhya
Saraswati Devi, popularly known as ‘Mauni Mata’ in Ayodhya, communicated with her family using sign language and written notes during her silent years. Although she had a brief break from the vow, speaking for an hour at noon every day until 2020, she went completely silent when the foundation for the Ram temple was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Her son, Hare Ram Agarwal, shared that she left for Ayodhya on January 8, 2024, aboard the Ganga-Sutlej Express to witness the inauguration of the Shri Ram Mandir. According to him, she has been invited by disciples of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das to participate in the Ram Mandir inauguration event on 22 January 2024.
Saraswati Devi, a mother of eight children, devoted her life to Lord Ram after her husband’s death in 1986. She spent most of her time in pilgrimages and has been living with her second-eldest son, Nand Lal Agarwal, in Dhanbad.
The Saraswati Devi adheres to a strict routine, waking up at 4 am daily for meditation, studying religious books in the evening, and following a vegetarian diet. She had undertaken penance for seven months at Chitrakoot in Madhya Pradesh in 2001, where Lord Ram is believed to have spent a major part of his exile.
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In summary, The unique story of Saraswati Devi, who maintained a vow of silence for three decades, linking it to the construction and inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is commendable and shows her respect for Lord Ram Lalla.
She is set to break her silence on 22 January 2024, with the realization of her dream of witnessing the Ram Lalla Prana Pratishtha or consecration of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
