Ram Temple opening: Why all four Shankaracharyas are skipping the Ayodhya event

The Ram Temple in Ayodhya is all set for the grand consecration ceremony on 22 January. Invitations have been sent to celebrities, industrialists, political leaders, sportspersons as well as seers, scholars, and prominent personalities from various fields. All four “Shankaracharyas,” or pontiffs of significant Hindu shrines, will not be present during the main inauguration ceremony, though. The decision was confirmed by Swami Avimukhteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand. However, why are they missing this historic event? Let’s take a closer look. About shashtras The four main temples, known as “peeths,” which are located in Joshimath, Uttarakhand; Dwarka, Gujarat; Puri, Odisha; and Sringeri, Karnataka, are led by the Shankaracharyas. They reportedly announced earlier that they would not be attending the ceremony, claiming a disregard for religious scriptures. The Hindu religious gurus, according to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, will not attend the grand event because it is against Sanatan Dharma, according to The Telegraph. He clarified that it was against Hindu custom to place Lord Ram idols before the temple’s construction was finished. “It is a Shankaracharya’s duty to follow the rituals of the shastras and ensure that they are followed. And here, the shastras are being ignored. The biggest problem is that the consecration is being done when the temple is incomplete,” The Quint quoted him as saying.

All four Shankaracharya's are not attending 22nd January event.

Why???
Listen to Swami Avimukteshwaranand Ji👇 pic.twitter.com/PWnmgUuwrj

— Swati Dixit ಸ್ವಾತಿ (@vibewidyou) January 10, 2024

“There was no need for such hurry,” he said, as per The Telegraph. There was plenty of time to complete “Pran Pratishtha,” or the consecration rite, once the Ram temple was constructed, according to Swami Avimukteshwaranand. He stated that opening a temple that was not yet finished was a poor idea. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the chief guest of the "pran pratishtha" ceremony, to which thousands of people have been invited. UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is in charge of organising the long-awaited inauguration, while PM Modi is scheduled to speak at the grand event. The question of religious affairs The Puri Gowardhanpeeth Shankaracharya, Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati, had said a few days ago that he would not be attending the event due to its violation of the scriptures. He warned that improperly performed ceremonies could bring bad omens upon the idol, citing the Skanda Purana to highlight the potential negative outcomes, as reported by News9. The Quint reports that on 4 January, a video of Swami Nischalanand surfaced wherein he accused PM Modi of “interfering in religious affairs.” As per the report, the Govardhan Mutt head was heard saying in the video, “What will I do there? While Modiji inaugurates and touches the idol, will I stand there and clap? I don’t want a position. I already have the biggest one. I don’t need credit. But what will Shankaracharyas do there (at the consecration)?”

If the PM is performing the pooja should I just be there to clap in the audience, I am a dignified person.
Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati - Shankaracharya of Govardhan Math, when asked why is he not going to Ayodhya for inauguration of Ram Mandir. pic.twitter.com/36NFQ4urMx

— Priyamwada (@PriaINC) January 8, 2024

According to Wion News, in a separate interview, he also questioned why so many politicians were invited since it is “the responsibility of priests and sadhus to consecrate Lord Ram’s idol.” “It’s because of the upcoming general elections that the event is being made so splendid. It’s not appropriate…” said he in Raipur on Friday. ‘Not against PM Modi’ Even though the religious leaders can be viewed as anti-Modi for their choice, Swami Avimukteshwaranand added that they have no personal grudges against anyone. “We are not anti-Modi but at the same time, we also can’t go against our Dharma Shashtra,” said Avimukhteswaranand, according to The Telegraph. The Congress criticism The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came under fire by the Congress on Thursday over the reported refusal of the Shankaracharyas to attend the Ram temple event. The Congress claimed that the party in power was launching the under-construction place of worship in anticipation of the general elections that are scheduled for April or May. [caption id=“attachment_13606092” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Under-construction Shri Ram Janmabhoomi temple during a media tour organised by Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra, in Ayodhya. PTI[/caption] According to Hindustan Times, Congress leader Alka Lamba said, “Ask them (BJP), why are the Shankaracharyas not going (to attend the pran pratishtha ceremony). They said that the construction of Ram Mandir is incomplete, why are the BJP and PM in a hurry? Inaugurating the temple while it is under construction and politicising it; it is evident because elections are nearing.” The grand-old party said on Wednesday that Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, three of its leaders, would not be attending the event since the BJP is attempting to use it as an opportunity for politics. “Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has been obviously brought forward for electoral gain,” the Congress said in a statement. The BJP referred to the Congress as “anti-Hindu” in response to the criticism. Likewise, several Opposition leaders, including West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee and CPI(M) party secretary Sitaram Yechury, have declined to attend the holy event in Ayodhya. Ayodhya and politics A member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) who works in Karsewakpuram’s office claims that Ayodhya has been “the centre of politics” since ancient times. Sharad Sharma, who joined the VHP in the mid-1980s when the temple movement was gaining ground, told The Quint, “It was for political reasons only that Lord Ram was exiled. The movement for the Ram temple was powered by the saints and seers, along with the Sangh Parivar which also includes the BJP. The BJP by virtue of being a political party, had its limitations, and yet, if you think of it, the temple is being built in Ayodhya today only because of the efforts of the BJP.” In addition, Sharma asserted that, contrary to what the Shankaracharyas and other political parties state, the consecration has no political purpose. He told the outlet, “We have the utmost respect for the Shankaracharyas. But can someone tell me why 4,000 are saints coming to Ayodhya from all across the country for the consecration if there is no religious meaning to it?” With inputs from agencies