Shankaracharyas boycott Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration

12 Jan 2024 CW Team

Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the shankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth in Uttarakhand, recently declared that the four shankaracharyas, revered leaders of major Hindu shrines, will abstain from participating in the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya scheduled for January 22. In a video shared on his official X handle, he asserted that the ceremony goes against the sacred Hindu scriptures, as the construction of the temple remains incomplete.

His statement follows the announcement by the Shankaracharya of the Govardhana Peeth in Puri, Nischalanand, who declared his decision not to attend the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol in the Ram Temple. Nischalanand cited his refusal to participate merely as a spectator, emphasising that Prime Minister Modi would conduct the consecration ceremony.

The consecration ceremony at the Ram temple, set to take place in Ayodhya on January 22, is expected to host dignitaries such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, along with thousands of seers from across India. The 'pran pratishtha' ceremony anticipates drawing over a lakh devotees to the temple town.

On a different note, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury respectfully declined the invitation to attend the Ram Temple consecration ceremony, accusing the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of turning it into a "political project" for electoral gain.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP was staging a "gimmick show" through the inauguration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee emphasised that she does not support festivities that exclude other communities and expressed her belief in unity among masses irrespective of religious affiliations during a public program in Joynagar, South 24 Parganas district.

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