Vijay Pal Singh Bhadoria, a farmer and Kovind's classmate in school, recalls, "Entire village used to support him as he was a child without mother."
President-elect Kovind is fondly remembered by his family and friends as a "studious and sober boy" during his childhood and teenage.
"We lost our mother in our childhood. When I was 10-year-old, Ram Nath was barely five and also the youngest among all seven siblings. Those were tough days, especially so for him. We loved him even more after mother's demise," says Pyarelal Kovind, Kovind's elder brother.
Kovind comes from a humble family. His father Maikulal ran two small shops-grocery and cloth in Paraunkh village. Kovind's mother was burnt to death in a tragic fire at home.
Vijay Pal Singh Bhadoria, a farmer and Kovind's classmate in school, recalls, "Entire village used to support him as he was a child without mother."
Bhadoria remembers how both of them used to shine their slates in school. His junior high school classmates recall the days when they used to bathe together in Sengur river after school.
Raj Kishore Singh, his schoolmate who retired as a teacher, remembers, "Once, our school prepared a drama in which Kovind was given a beggar's role. After rehearsal, he went to the teacher and told him that he is not comfortable doing a beggar's role and refused to do it."
Singh also recalls, "Once we were going to school and a boy in our group picked one sugarcane from a field on the way. Lifting sugarcane or plucking mangoes was, and still is, very common in villages. But when Kovind came to know about it, he called up the farm owner and asked the boy to return the sugarcane and apologise to him."
Entire Kovind family, including his brothers (two), their wives, children, and their spouses are now awaiting for the d-day. Dresses are being stitched along with other preparations. "We would keep it simple and elegant," says Hemlata Kovind, the President-elect's niece.
"Our flight tickets from Lucknow to Delhi have been booked for Sunday for the oath ceremony," tells Kanchan Lata, another niece. Most of them would board flight for the first time and ecstatic about it.
His Bhabhi Vidyawati (wife of his second eldest brother late Shivbalak Ram Kovind) stays in Jhinjhak village, 15 kilometres from Paraunkh.
She recalls Kovind's childhood, "When I got married to his brother, lallaji (as devar or husband's younger brothers are fondly called in UP) was just seven-years old. He was such an affectionate and sober child. Everyone used to love him. He often sat with me and help in grain grinding."
People don't negotiate in my shop now: brother
Shivbalak Ram Kovind, the second eldest brother of the President-elect runs a cloth shop now. Things have started changing for him. He laughs,"People don't negotiate price with me now since my brother was announced as presidential nominee."
'Jai shri Ram' and DJs everywhere
From Jhinjhak to Paraunkh one slogan which rocked the scenes was 'Jai shri Ram'. Interestingly, his family members in Jhinjhak and Muslim community in Paraunkh had arranged special DJ for the occasion. Bollywood songs were played at Jhinjhak celebrations.
Entire Jhinjhak and Paraunkh have been enjoying attention and media coverage since the last one month. "We are proud of Kovindji. It's because of him that India knows about us," say villagers in a celebratory mood.
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