New Delhi/Indore, March 2 Have you heard of a man or a woman who did not consume rice, wheat, pulses for 20 years? And what if he turns out to be a national political figure? BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya turns out to be that person.
It all started 20 years ago when Vijayvargiya was the mayor of Indore and he pledged to build a Hanuman idol to counter a supposed curse on the city. He was told it would correct the 'vaastu' of the city.
The then mayor was suggested to build the statue near the airport area. He had pledged he would not take 'anna' or any grain till he builds that Hanuman statue to make the city 'curse-free'.
He had pledged not just any Hanuman statue but one that is made of eight metals, and also the tallest of its kind in the whole world as far as Hanuman statues are concerned.
As this March, his 20-year-old pledge was completed at the cost of a whopping Rs 15 crore, he finally broke his 'grain-fast' of 20 long years by consuming kheer, an Indian desert made of rice and milk.
Vijayvargiya tasted kheer after 20 long years, in the presence of saints like Mahamandaleshwar Avadheshanand Giri, Murari Bapu and Mahamandaleshwar Gurusharananand from Vrindavan.
So what did he use to eat so far? Vegetables and fruits were his most consumed food items, says those privy to his food habits. He also frequently had Sabudana. But no roti, breads, rice or pulses were on his platter for the last two decades.
To mark the occasion, his son and BJP lawmaker Akash Vijayvargiya would throw a "bhandara" or free feast on Tuesday evening where the entire city is invited.
Looks like, Kailash Vijayvargiya will have a feast on Tuesday, after all.
( With inputs from )