DEHRADUN: Ram Singh Mehra, now 38-years-old was just 14-year-old when his uncle Madho Singh Mehra disappeared 24 years ago. "We were all shocked beyond words. At first we could not believe but later we had to given what he td us. It's not that his looks have changed completely but it felt so unreal," says Mehra.
Since the sudden return of 72-year-old Madho Singh Mehra last week, his family members in Janoli village on Ranikhet-Khairna state highway in Almora district are still in shock and awe. The family waited for his return for over 10 years and conducted his last rites after a priest advised that he was dead.
The family has now decided that there should be naamkaran ceremony after which Mehra gets entry into the house. Naamkaran is a traditional Hindu naming ceremony to give a birth name to the newborn. The ceremony is generally conducted on the 12th day after the birth.
At present a tent has been raised for Mehra to stay outside the village. He will have to stay there until his naming ceremony. Though Mehra refused to divulge any details about his long absence his family has requested everyone not to disturb him unnecessarily. "I request everyone to not bother my uncle. We will talk when the time is right now," said Ram Singh.