Er. P.L Khushu
Ram Lalla will be enthroned at the sanctum-sanctorum of the temple at noon on 22nd- January 2024. It is said that Lord Ram is getting its abode back after about more than 500 years. The Ram Lalla trust has also invited 4,000 saints to the ceremony. A holy priest from Varanasi, Lakshmi Kant Dixit, will perform the rituals of the consecration ceremony on January 22. From January 14 to January 22, Ayodhya will celebrate Amrit Mahotsav. A 1,008 Hundi Mahayagya will also be organized, in which thousands of devotees will be fed. Several tent cities are being set up in Ayodhya to accommodate thousands of devotees, who are expected to arrive in the temple town for the ceremony. According to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust, arrangements have been made for 10,000-15,000 people. Local authorities are gearing up for an anticipated surge in visitors around the ceremony and are in the process of implementing enhanced security measures and making logistical arrangements to ensure a smooth experience for all. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a slew of other dignitaries, including spiritual gurus , will be present in Ayodhya to attend the mega event.
January 22nd 2024, has been chosen as the date for consecration (Pran Pratishtha) of the Ram temple as it is supposed to be one of the auspicious occasion as per astrological ” Muhuratas”. This date synchronizes with the auspicious Abhijit Muhurat. The Muhurat on January 22 lasts from 11:51 am to 12:33 pm. Abhijit Muhurata is one of the auspicious Muhurtats when its duration lasts for a very short time of hardly just around 45 minutes. Abhijit Muhurat is extremely significant in Hindu mythology. It is when, according to legend, Lord Shiva killed the demon Tripurasur. This Muhurata is thus associated with the removal of any negative energy from one’s life. It is also seen to be a favorable day to start a new venture, whether it is a career, a business, or buying a new home. Mrigashira Nakshatra also begins at 3:52 am on that date and lasts until 4:58 am on January 23. This is regarded as a good omen for the consecration ceremony. The Mrigashira Nakshatra is connected with the deity Soma, also known as the “God of Immortality”. Denoted by a deer, it signifies the pursuit of knowledge and experience. It is ruled by Mars planet. Mrigashira, ruled by Mars, is known for its hustle , bustle and continual mobility. It is regarded to be lucky for a variety of rituals. Its positive influence begins on January 22 and lasts until the morning of the 23rd. Two more auspicious astrological blessings are there on this occasion as ‘Amrit Siddhi Yoga’ and ‘Sarvartha Siddhi Yoga’ also coincide with this date. This makes it suited for the ceremony. It is now said that “January 22, 2024, is as important as August 15, 1947. The countdown to the grand ceremony on January 22 has begun. Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram) in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony. After the consecration, the temple will be open for devotees to perform “Aarti”. Invitations have been sent to scores of dignities, including the various political leaders of various political parties across India, for attending this unique opportunity of installing the deity of Lord Ram at its original place at Ram Janama Bhommi, in Ayodhya.
Unfortunately most of the such political leaders are politicizing this occasion for their vote bank politics clubbing this ceremonial occasion to the Hindu Dharma only, distancing themselves from this pious occasion to appease the some other people of this country belonging to other “Dharmas”. In doing so these political leaders are doing a great harm to the secular fabric of India, when this occasion of consecration (Pran Pratishtha), is an off shoot of the faith of lovers of Lord Rama ( Ram Bhakhats) and not anywhere linked as a dogma of Hinduism. It is a devout faith for the Hindus across the country and aboard to see the Lord Rama getting back its place of installation as a symbolic deity for worship, unfortunately supposed to have been desecrated in the past , with the construction of a mosque at this place known as ” Babri Masjid”.
In 1992, the unfortunate demolition of the Babri Masjid by some fanatics triggered widespread Hindu-Muslim hate. The legal dispute over the actual presence of the Ram Mandir & Bari Masjid, on this spot reached the Indian Supreme Court, which heard the title dispute cases from August to October 2019. On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to build a Hindu temple, maintaining that actually as per evidences available including the surveys conducted by ASI that Ram temple existed at this spot of dispute.
Ram Janma Bhoomi, is located at a place that is linked to be the birthplace of Lord Rama. Lord Rama is believed to be the seventh avatar of the Bhagwan Vishnu. The Ramayana states that the location of Rama’s birthplace is on the banks of the Sarayu river in a city called “Ayodhya”, when the present day Ayodhya is in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
The historical Hindu faiths say that Ayodhya, the birthplace of Lord Rama, when it holds profound significance in Hindu tradition. The city is depicted as a symbol of dharma and the epitome of an ideal kingdom. The belief that Ayodhya is the divine abode of Lord Rama, has traversed through generations, fostering a deep emotional and spiritual connection for Hindus.
Ram Mandir finds its mythical roots in the Ramayana, an ancient Hindu epic attributed to the sage Valmiki. The Ramayana of the sage Valmiki, describes Ayodhya as a magnificent city adorned with grand palaces, lush gardens, and noble citizens. The narrative paints a vivid picture of the utopian society under Rama’s rule, emphasizing principles of justice, virtue, and compassion. The association of Ayodhya with Lord Rama’s birth, thus transforms the city into a sacred pilgrimage site for the Hindu devotees as such seeking to connect with the divine.
It is said that the exact site of Rama’s birthplace is where the Babri Masjid was constructed. Several findings of Archeological Survey of India (ASI) have confirmed the existence of a Hindu temple where the Babri masjid was built upon. 12 Pillars of Babri were made from remains of Hindu temple, 263 pieces of terracotta idols of gods, goddess and human figures were found which couldn’t be of a Mosque due to strict non – idolatry laws in Islam. Other findings which confirm the existence of Ram Mandir, include temple systems, temple Shikhara, Vishnu Hari Shila Phalak with many other circumstantial proofs.
As per From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, two archaeological excavations in 1978 and 2003 conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) found evidence indicating that the Hindu temple’s remains existed on the site. Archaeologist K. K. Muhammed accused several left-leaning historians of undermining the findings. Over the years, various title and legal disputes took place, such as the passage of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act in 1993.
A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously said the faith of Hindus in Lord Ram was undisputed. It also said the Archaeological Survey of India had suggested that non-Islamic structure did indeed exist at the disputed Ayodhya site where Babri Masjid was razed by a Hindu mob on December 6, 1992. The bench also rejected the Shia Waqf’s claim on the site as well as the suit brought by the Nirmohi Akhara. This Supreme Court verdict brought an end an almost 70-year dispute that has divided Muslims and Hindus.
There are three main parties to the dispute. The Nirmohi Akhara, a religious denomination, had sought directions to construct a Ram temple on the disputed land in Ayodhya and wanted the management rights of the premises to be given to it. Ram Lalla (or the infant Ram), represented by the Hindu Mahasabha, wanted the entire land to be handed over to them, with no part going to Muslim parties or the Nirmohi Akhara. The Sunni Waqf Board, which looks after religious properties of Muslim faiths, had demanded that the Babri Masjid be restored to the form that existed before it was brought down by the Hindu groups. Fourteen appeals had been filed before the SC against a 2010 Allahabad high court judgment, which had said that the disputed 2.77 acres should be equally divided among the three litigants. The Hindus had maintained that the mosque was built atop a temple that Mughal emperor Babar’s men had demolished. They claimed the site was the birthplace of Ram, the most worshipped deity of the Hindus.
It was only after the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Ayodhya dispute in 2019, that it was decided that the disputed land would be handed over to a trust formed by the Government of India for the construction of a Ram temple. The trust was eventually formed under the name of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. On 5 February 2020, it was announced in the Parliament of India that the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi had accepted a plan to construct the temple. The court also ordered the government to give an alternative 5 acres of land in another place to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the purpose of building a mosque as a replacement for the demolished Babri Masjid. On 7th February, five acres of land were allocated for a new mosque to be built 22 kms away from Ayodhya in Dhannipur village.
There seems to be utter confusion among anti-Modi I.N.D.I. Alliance opposition bloc leaders over the Ayodhya Ram Temple issue, with leaders of different parties taking divergent stands. These politicians of dotted I.N.D.I. Alliance are caught between the devil and the deep sea in this regard, with their pseudo secular approach, while trying to woo the voters of the minorities, with their appeasement policies, simultaneously feeling shy about the ignoring the massive electorate potentialities of the majority Hindu voters, which may ultimately result in their defeats against Modi and BJP.
While Mamata Banerjee has clearly said she would not attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are yet to decide whether they would attend. Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad are yet to decide about it. Thackeray is yet to receive the invitation. There is confusion whether Akhilesh Yadav will attend the ceremony or not. It seems leaders of anti-Modi front will not be attending the consecration ceremony, to distance themselves from it, baselessly calling it a political stunt of BJP and Modi. They may collectively visit the Ayodhya Ram temple after the ceremony is over. As per their wishful thinking it may give them a twin advantage: One, they can save themselves from being branded as anti-Ram and lay the blame at BJP’s doors for doing politics in the name of Ram temple. Equally since all the parties in the opposition bloc have not received invitations, and if a few leaders attend the ceremony, it can cause fissures in the alliance. In such a situation, the entire bloc may decide not to attend the January 22nd event. With such an approach of these pseudo secular political parties, now clubbed in a dotted “Ghtabandhan”, may also shun to celebrate Diwali, Holi, Navratras, Shivaratri and other festivals linked to the Hindu faiths, for their vote bank politics, to woo the minority voters particularly that of the Muslims of this country. Let this nation not see such an occasion. All these political leaders if given the political power, they may drive India to devastation. They are the inherent communalists for the nation.
They should think twice before doing so. Once bitten twice shy. The election results of M.P. Rajasthan and Jharkhand should be an eye opener for them to refuse to acknowledge the supremacy of the Hinduvita in India now. By refusing the hard reality of the Ram Janama Bhomi, they are bound to lose their characteristics as recognized political parties within India. Hinduvita is not Hinduism but Indianness in the present context of India. Indianness is to be a true Indian, when Ram Janama Bhoomi Poojan has nothing to do with Hinduism as an ism. It is the faith of the Hindus in Lord Ram as their Avtar and thus worship Him. It should not give a pain to anyone else, particularly the non-Hindus. Its synonimity is with the Haj Pilgrimages of Muslims. Haj Pilgrimage is their faith to pay homage and reverence to their Holy prophet. So is worshiping Ram and constructing a historical temple for Him is a customary faith of the Hindus living across India and abroad.
(The author is a chartered consultant civil engineer, passionately attached and devoted to his mother land Jammu & Kashmir).