Ram temple in Ayodhya: Narendra Modi’s tryst with history

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to conduct the auspicious act of opening the eyes of the ‘Ram Lalla’ idol at the Ram temple’s sanctum sanctorum in Ayodhya on 22 January, 2024, with a golden stick in the presence of 11 Vedic priests. This will mark the culmination of the seven-day Pran Pratishtha (consecration) rituals, heralding a new chapter in India’s civilisational history. While Jawaharlal Nehru visited Mughal marauder Babur’s tomb in Afghanistan in 1959, Indira Gandhi visited the tomb in 1968 and Rahul Gandhi in 2005, it took a leader as tall and fearless as Prime Minister Modi to correct a historical wrong. Babur destroyed an existing temple in the year 1528 to build a masjid (Babri masjid), snatching away from Hindus what was rightfully theirs. And while it is the Supreme Court ruling that paved way for the construction of the Ram Mandir, at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, let truth be told—it is the grand ambition, extraordinary vision, unwavering conviction and flawless execution of Prime Minister Modi that has finally brought the Ram Mandir to fruition. Ram Mandir has been part of the BJP’s manifesto for the longest time and the issue of building a mandir at Lord Ram’s birthplace was first crystallised in the BJP’s Palampur resolution of 1989. ‘Jan Jagaran Abhiyan’ slogan, coined by Modi, then the Gujarat general secretary of the BJP, became a rallying cry for the Ram Mandir movement. Three decades back, the BJP actively organised various activities including Mohalla Baithaks, Prabhat Pheris, Sammelans and a massive signature collection campaign. Half a crore signatures were collected from Gujarat alone, all thanks to Modi. Unlike his predecessors like Nehru, Indira or Rajiv Gandhi, Modi has never felt compelled to engage in appeasement politics and therefore never paid obeisance to bloodthirsty Mughals and therein lies his greatness. While Modi has no qualms visiting the Ajmer dargah, the Grand Istiqlal mosque in Indonesia or the Al-Hakim mosque in Egypt, here is a proud Hindutva leader who is equally at ease wearing his Hindu credentials proudly on his sleeves and why should he not? More than 80% of India’s population is Hindu. Is Jesus not celebrated at his birthplace in Bethlehem? Is the Prophet in Islam not celebrated at his birthplace in Mecca? Is Lord Gautam Buddha not celebrated at his birthplace in Lumbini in Nepal? Is Lord Mahavir not celebrated at his birthplace in Kundalpur, in modern day Bihar? The answer to the above questions is “Yes”. That being the case, why were Hindus denied their natural right to celebrate Lord Ram at his birthplace in Ayodhya? That is because Hindus are inherently secular and waited tolerantly for the Court verdict. There has now come a time in history though, when nothing can stop the collective consciousness of over a billion Hindus, the most peaceful community anywhere in the world. And that tryst with history is on the auspiciously eventful day of 22 January. Who are the reckless Opposition leaders who allege that Prime Minister Modi has hijacked the Ram Mandir issue for political gains? Who are the Opposition leaders who wrongfully accuse Modi of being majoritarian? It is that very lot from the Congress which filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, denying the very existence of Lord Ram and the Ram Setu. It is that very lot from the TMC in Bengal, Mamata Banerjee included, who have no qualms offering namaaz on the streets but have a problem with the peaceful chants of Jai Shri Ram. It is that very lot from the DMK which equates Sanatan Dharma with dengue, malaria and COVID-19. It is that very lot from the Samajwadi Party whose leader Mulayam Singh Yadav fired on unarmed Ram bhakts in 1990. It is that very lot from the RJD that calls Ramcharitmanas a hoax. It is that very lot from the AIMIM, Owaisi included, who hail the Constitution to derive undue benefits under Articles 29 and 30, but when instant triple talaq was criminalised and repealed within the ambit of Indian law, this radical bunch of bigots ran amok, disparaging the very ethos of the Constitution. In sharp contrast, if there is one party that has steadfastly furthered the Hindu cause, without being majoritarian, it is the BJP and if there is one fearless Hindutva icon who assiduously created an enabling environment for Hindus so that they do not feel marginalised in their own homeland, it is Prime Minister Modi. Manmohan Singh threw lavish iftar parties when he was the prime minister. Sonia Gandhi sent emissaries to the Vatican for the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa. Mamata Banerjee has even changed the name “Ram Navami” into “Rongo Navmi” in textbooks in Bengal. For the longest time, thousands of crores were given as Haj subsidies by successive Congress regimes. Is it not a travesty of justice that these hypocritical Opposition leaders who repeatedly demonised Hinduism under the garb of secularism, have the audacity now to lecture the BJP on the Ram Mandir? How can wearing a skull cap and throwing iftar parties at the cost of taxpayers be considered secular, but celebrating a Ram Mandir be communal? Think hard about that. Those who allege that there can be no Pran Pratishtha unless the temple is completed,are peddling lies. Only the construction of the “Garba Griha” or the sanctum sanctorum needs to be completed before the Pran Pratishta ceremony happens and the Garba Griha is ready. Those who say the Shankaracharyas have refused to endorse the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla, forget that India has over 33 crore gods and goddesses,12 Jyotirlingas, 13 Akharas including the Juna Akhara, over 7 lakh temples, scores of Adheenams and over 60 lakh sadhus and seers. It is impossible to please everybody. A vast majority of Hindus believe what will happen on January 22, 2024, should have actually happened 500 years back. Also, the former Shankaracharya of Kanchi peeth was arrested in 2004 under the watch of the Congress. Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati was mercilessly murdered in 2008, under the watch of the Congress. So the Congress party has absolutely no moral high ground to lecture the BJP or anyone else for that matter, as it has used and abused Shankaracharyas in the past, for political dividends. Commencing on January 16, 2024, the Pran Pratishtha rituals will unfold within the sacred precincts of the Ram temple. The centerpiece of these rituals will be the installation of Ram Lalla’s new idol, meticulously carved from the black stone of Karnataka. This symbolic act is scheduled for January 17, when the idol will be placed on an opulent golden throne. To facilitate the Vedic rituals integral to the consecration ceremony, eight havan kunds will be arranged within the temple’s sanctum sanctorum. Each kund will be assigned to a yajman (the beneficiary on whose behalf the rituals are performed), a priest, and several assistants, ensuring the meticulous execution of the ceremonies. A havan kund is a square structure where a sacred fire is kindled, and divine offerings are made during a religious ceremony. The main rituals will be conducted by Lakshmikant Dixit, a Vedic priest hailing from Varanasi, supported by a team of 121 other priests. The sanctum sanctorum will witness the presence of 11 Vedic priests, including Dixit, who will serve as the head priest orchestrating the sacred proceedings. This landmark event on 22 January, 2024, is not only a celebration of spirituality but also a testament to the unity and devotion of millions of Hindus who hold the Ram temple in high reverence. Karl Marx once famously said, “Religion is the opium of the masses.” Well, while religion alone can’t feed hungry multitudes, what is equally true is that religion can be a binding glue that unifies a force that elevates citizens to go beyond the call of duty, to achieve economic prosperity, tranquility and social harmony. The consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla on January 22, 2024, cements this very idea of a new India under Modi — an India that despite being secular in character does not deny its Hindu population the unequivocal right of celebrating its gods and goddesses; an India that celebrates innovation and entrepreneurship, but does not shy away from celebrating with equal fervour the splendour of the Somnath temple and the glory of Kashi Vishwanath and the Ujjain Mahakal corridors. And indeed, if there is a leader who has infused in Hindus pride for their religion, it is Prime Minister Modi. Prior to May 2014, Hindus were scared to wear bhagwa, adorn a rudraksha mala, wear the sacred kalwa on their wrists or even smear their forehead with sacred vibhuti (vermilion). Today, Hindus are not scared to reclaim their civilisational legacy, albeit within the ambit of law. Despite winning a brute majority in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Modi government left the Ram Mandir verdict to the better judgement of India’s apex Court, echoing Prime Minister Modi’s unwavering commitment to India’s democratic ethos and its institutions, the judiciary included. Hindus waited for 500 years, knocked on the doors of many lower courts for over 134 years, before getting an opportunity long overdue, to rejoice at a victory that had always been theirs for the asking, but something they had to patiently strive for and wait for. Blending religion and economics is not easy but it is not impossible either, especially when the leader at the helm of affairs is Narendra Modi, who is both a proud and unapologetic Hindu and a consummate statesman too. Modi is assertive without going overboard, proud of his Hindu roots and yet endearingly and effortlessly secular. Secularism comes naturally to PM Modi because Hinduism is indeed the only secular religion in the world. Unfortunately, the word secularism has become a much abused one over the last many years. Since the days of Jawaharlal Nehru, the Congress has been dismissing Hinduism as subaltern. Indira Gandhi buried the excavation reports of archaeologist B.B. Lal, who found proof of temple remains under the Babri Masjid and reportedly stopped the excavation work mid-way. Later, KK Muhammed, former Regional Director, North, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), too found remains of a temple under the masjid structure. Yet, many Western and Indian mediapersons, who know absolutely nothing about India’s rich history or its complex polity, have the audacity to denounce Hinduism and its magnanimity. Leftist pseudo-seculars who have never once expressed grief or even regret at the horrific genocide of Kashmiri Hindus in 1990, at the hands of bloodthirsty, radical Islamists, have the audacity to lecture on secularism? Irony just died a million deaths. Those who weep for Bilkis Bano have never shed even a crocodile tear for Shah Bano. The likes of Rahul Gandhi, Sitaram Yechury and Mamata Banerjee who accuse PM Modi of being majoritarian have not once condemned the ISIS-style beheading of Kanhaiya Lal in Udaipur or Umesh Kolhe in Amravati. These people were beheaded by radical Islamists only because they believed in their faith (aastha) in Lord Ram. On 22 December, 1949, Uttar Pradesh (then called United Province) Chief Minister Govind Vallabh Pant, at the behest of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, ordered the expulsion of Hindus from the temple of Ram Lalla. But Faizabad (present day Ayodhya) District Collector KK Nair refused to implement the order, pointing out that the real stakeholders were performing puja there and the move to expel them would lead to riots and bloodshed. Nair was soon suspended from service. Like her father Nehru, Indira Gandhi also scuttled the rights of Hindus by inserting the word ‘Secular’, via the 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution in 1976. For many years post that amendment, Hindus in India were pushed around, hounded and discriminated against, in their own country, under the garb of secularism. If anyone has any doubts on how the Ram Mandir can lead to an economic rejuvenation of Ayodhya, one need not look far — the 182-m tall Statue of Unity, the world’s largest statue, at Kevadia, in 2023 alone witnessed a footfall of over 1.3 crore tourists. Religious and cultural tourism is something India has a natural flair for. Take for example, the three UNESCO world heritage sites of Hampi in Karnataka, the ancient structural wonder, the Ajanta caves in Maharashtra and the Taj Mahal in Agra, which see heavy tourist traffic every year. The Ram Mandir is expected to outshine each of these. Ayodhya gave the concept of Ram Rajya — where there is “no poverty, pain, grief or discrimination”. Ram Rajya is a powerful idea that blends the Gandhian variant of a “Welfare State”, with many characteristics of contemporary capitalism. Ram Rajya is universal in its appeal and not merely limited to Shri Ram. In fact the 17th century saint, Sant Tukaram, extolled Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign as Ram Rajya. By using the Ram Rajya slogan, Gandhi implied an ideal Rajya akin to the “kingdom of God on earth”, where values of justice, equality, idealism, renunciation and sacrifice are practised. Also, Ram Rajya is not a proselytising or polarising concept. Can there be Ram Rajya without a Ram? The knowledge of Ram Rajya alone is not enough, as Ram needs to be understood first before the Rajya. Knowing the hero is as important as worshipping the hero. The spiritual fervour with which Hindus worship Shri Ram and imbibe his ethos is evident in many respects, especially so with regard to Prabhu Ram’s adherence to dharma, said the renowned Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. Prime Minister Modi’s greatest legacy is Hindu revivalism. Thanks to Modi, millions of Indian youngsters today know why Ram is a hero. The author is an economist, national spokesperson of the BJP and the bestselling author of ‘The Modi Gambit’. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .