Ram Mandir’s time is upon us

The narrow and narrow lanes of Ajodhya have always been reverberated with hymns and joins by Tulsi Das Ram Charit Manas, but there seems to be a noticeable difference in the atmosphere of it all. Perhaps her pride is that the city, considered the birthplace of Lord Ram, is about to erect a magnificent temple. Perhaps this is the relief of the natives for a relief that a delightful and full of anxiety decade in a believable city that developed into an urban settlement in the 5th or 6th century BC and which has seen its various communities live in harmony over the centuries has come to an end. Perhaps it is the prediction of August 5, when the cornerstone will be laid for the Ram Temple, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to lay the first brick in the country.

Read also | But Ram Rajya remains a distant dream

For the inhabitants of the city, both Hindus and Muslims, it will be the greatest public event of their lives. I have been waiting for this moment for decades, says septuagenarian Gupteshwar Tripathi, as he moved with his free time along the banks of the Saryu River, I did not think it would come into my life.

Hundreds of workers were busy renovating the ghosts. The walls were being painted and the river was being cleaned. In the city, the streets, filled with shops selling puja items and ashrams results, reverberated with Tulsi Das thumak chalat Ramchandra, bajat paijaniya (As child Rama walks, his polls make music). Drawings depicting Rama’s life and works were being carved into the walls, and the city seemed to be illuminated with bright lights. Characters from Ramayana had to be painted on walls and structures all the way the prime minister would take to reach Ram Janmabhoomi for the August 5 ceremony.

Soil and water from holy sites from Varanasi and Hardwar to Rameshwaram – have arrived at the office of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Trust, the body entrusted with the construction of the Ram temple. So far we have received land and holy water from over 3,000 countries, said Prakash Kumar Gupta, who heads the Trust office. And they keep pouring.

Worshipers from all over the country have also sent gold and silver bricks. In fact, the Trust had to hire security personnel to store the precious metals. She was also forced to make an appeal to the pious not to send gold, silver and ornaments and instead to deposit money in the Trust account.

We want people and future generations to remember the ceremony for the townspeople as well as the Hindus who witness it from their homes all over the world, nothing could be greater than this, said a district official who has to make preparations for the visit of the prime ministers. Over a bundle of lakhdoo bundles would be distributed as prasad on August 5th.

The administration is also facing the possibility of an influx of large numbers of worshipers to Ayodhya that day. Secretary-General of the Trust, Champat Rai, urged believers not to come to Ayodhya because of the pandemic and instead to witness the ceremony on TV. There will be ample opportunity for them to visit Ayodhya later during the construction of the Ram temple, he said.

Only about 200 people, including prominent saints and senior leaders of the BJP and RSS, including Mohan Bhagwat, are expected to attend the ceremony. And it causes heartburn.

Kidnapped by BJP-RSS

Part of the spectators as well as the locals think that the ceremony has been hijacked by BJP and RSS and that the representatives from the Opposition parties and even the saints who are considered to be against Parisha Vishwa Hindu (VHP) have been ignored.

Temple trust is controlled by VHP, BJP and RSS. She has sent invitations only to those associated with these outfits, a well-known Ayodhya-based viewer was told DH, adding that it would be better if prominent leaders of opposition parties were also invited. Ram Mandir belongs to everyone, he is not the property of some organizations.

Some happy, some resigned

Some Muslim litigants in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title lawsuits have not yet agreed with the SC verdict, but have resigned. Theek hainhumne wada kiya said ki no bhi the court has faisla hoga, hum manegehumne maan liya, (Alrightwe had promised to abide by the verdict of the MA we accepted), said Khaliq Ahmed Khan, one of the litigants.

The resolution of the settlement ho gaya hainbehtar hain (the issue is well resolved), said another litigant, Haji Mehboob. Iqbal Ansari, the son of Babri’s oldest judge, Hashim Ansari, said the Ram temple would prove to be a good omen for Ayodhya. The city will witness a comprehensive development now that there is no dispute, he said.

However, everyone was unanimous, saying that municipal harmony had never been under threat in Ayodhya. Economic relations between Hindus and Muslims in Ayodhya are very strong. Muslims sell flowers, which Hindus offer to the gods. The Dupatta Ramnami (scarf printed with the name of Lord Rama) was made by Muslims, Khan said, adding that Roza-Iftar was once organized at the famous Hanumangarhi temple in Ayodhya.

Hajji Mehboob echoed the feeling. The situation only gets worse when there is outside interferenceHindus and Muslims have lived in harmony in Ayodhya for decades.