Page 2 - Ram Temple Dispute

Skating, cycling, walking: Journeys people are taking to reach Ram Temple

Walking, cycling and even skating! Covering long distances amid bone-chilling cold, people from all over the country and cutting across religions are flocking to the temple town of Ayodhya ahead of the consecration ceremony on January 22. Driven by their faith in Lord Ram and carried through by the overwhelming religious mood in the country, they say they desire to be a part of the historic day and want to send out a message of love and unity. Nitish Kumar, a resident of Bihar's Madhepura district, has cycled more than 600 kilometres to reach Ayodhya. "It took me seven days to cover 615 kilometres from Bihar to Ayodhya. I have reached today. I was carrying a sleeping bag and some essentials with me on my cycle only to help me take some breaks on the way. I had decided to do this when the Supreme Court verdict came, I was still in school then," the 21-year-old told PTI. "I will come next time with my family. We are a strong believer in Lord Ram. They will also be celebrating on Janu

Govt offices to remain closed for half a day for Ram Temple consecration

All central government offices across the country will remain closed for half a day on January 22, due to the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, a Personnel Ministry order issued on Thursday said. The 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony of the new idol of Ram Lalla at the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram temple is scheduled for Monday. The ceremony is set to be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "The Ram Lalla Pran Pratishtha at Ayodhya will be celebrated on 22nd January 2024 across India. To enable employees to participate in the celebrations, it has been decided that all central government offices, central institutions and central industrial establishments throughout India will be closed for half day till 1430 hours on 22nd January 2024," it said in the order issued to all central government ministries/ departments. When contacted, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh told PTI that the decision has been taken in view of the "overwhelming" public ...

Shiv Sena (UBT) should stop hurting sentiments of Hindus: Dy CM Fadnavis

The Shiv Sena UBT leader on Monday claimed that the Ram temple in Ayodhya is being built four km away from the original place

Opposition should stop commenting on Ram temple consecration: Anurag Thakur

Union minister and Senior BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the opposition parties should stop commenting on the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya as the structure has been built after a long wait of 500 years. Thakur took part in cleaning the Hanuman mandir premises at Connaught Place on Tuesday, under a campaign launched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Some people are still not happy with the construction of the temple, Thakur told reporters when asked about the opposition parties' charge that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) have turned the "pran pratishtha" ceremony of Lord Ram into a political event. There are some who are pained at the construction of the temple, there are some who are pained by the "pran pratishtha" ceremony and then there are some who have to give statements on it for the sake of their politics, the Union minister said. "I just want to

SC stays HC order for court-monitored survey of Shahi Idgah in Mathura

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Allahabad High Court order that allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque adjoining the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta stayed the implementation of the December 14, 2023 order by which it had agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee the survey of the mosque premises which, the Hindu side claims, hold signs suggesting that it was a temple once. The bench said there are certain legal issues which have arisen and questioned the vague application made before the high court for appointment of a court commissioner for the survey. You can't file a vague application for appointment of court commissioner. It should be very specific on the purpose. You can't leave everything to the court to look into it, the bench told senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for Hindu bodies like Bhagwan ShriKrishna Virajman and others The bench said it is issuing notice to

BJP not interested in Ram Temple, wanted communalisation: Digvijay Singh

In a long post on X, Digvijay Singh said that the Congress never opposed the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya but asked to wait till the court's decision

Ram temple consecration to generate Rs 1 trillion worth of business: CAIT

Business worth Rs 1 lakh crore is expected to be generated with the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, traders' body CAIT said on Monday. The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) based its estimate on feedback received from trade associations of 30 cities across different states. "This event not only resonates with religious sentiments but also brings a surge in economic activities. The faith and trust of people are leading to the creation of many new businesses based on the country's traditional economic system," Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General of CAIT, stated. He said that approximately 30,000 different programmes by trade associations are being organised across the country in view of the Ram temple consecration. These include market processions, Shri Ram Chowki, Shri Ram rallies, Shri Ram Pad Yatra, scooter and car rallies, and Shri Ram assemblies. Markets are witnessing a high demand for Shri Ram flags, banners, caps, t-shirts, and

100 dignitaries from 55 nations to attend grand 'Pran Pratishtha' on Jan 22

The country heads will attend the Ram Temple event, according to VHP Joint General Secretary Swami Vigyananand, who handles the organization's international affairs

74% Muslims happy with construction of Ram temple: Muslim Rashtriya Manch

The survey result also claimed that, "70% Muslims trust the Modi government. 72% Muslims agreed, opposition has no issue and 70% Muslims feel that India has emerged as a world power"

Attempt to conduct Ram temple ceremony to hurt PM Modi: Mani Shankar Aiyar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attempt to personally conduct the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya will prove costly given the disapproval of the four shankaracharyas who have refused to attend the ceremony, said Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar. The former Union minister said it is beginning to show who is the "real Hindu" -- one who knows the difference between 'Hinduism' and 'Hindutva'. "Modi's attempt at being personally present and personally conducting the religious ceremony has received such strong disapproval from the four accepted seers of the Hindu religion, who constitute what you may call the pontiffs of the Hindu religion, that it is all going to turn back on him. It will bite back," said Aiyar at the ongoing seventh edition of the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) on Friday. Uttarakhand's Jyotir Mutt head Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has said that none of the four shankaracharyas will attend the event in Ayodhya as the consecration ceremony will take

Ram Temple consecration: Liquor shops to remain shut in U'khand on Jan 22

The Uttarakhand government has announced that liquor shops across the state will be closed on January 22, to mark the "Pran Pratishtha" ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya

HP Cong chief Pratibha Singh praises PM Modi for Ram temple construction

A couple of days after the Congress high command decided not to attend the consecration event at the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the party's Himachal Pradesh unit chief Pratibha Singh commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the initiative of constructing the temple. In a video which surfaced on X, Singh is heard saying, "The initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to construct the Ram Temple is really commendable." She also said that her late husband and former chief minister Virbhadra Singh had immense faith in gods and renovated several temples in the state. Later, talking to the PTI on Friday evening, the Himachal Pradesh Congress chief said she and her son Vikramaditya Singh have received a joint invitation and she is yet to take a call on attending the consecration ceremony at Ayodhya on January 22. In the video, she said that Hindus constitute 98 per cent of the total population of Himachal Pradesh and added that "we all have faith in Lord Ram and we want our religion

Ram Temple: Mauritian govt gives special break on Jan 22 for celebrations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the ceremonial installation of the idol of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the grand temple on January 22

Ram Janmabhoomi soil to be gifted to invitees of consecration ceremony

The soil of Ram Janmabhoomi that was taken out during the digging of the foundation will be packed in boxes and presented to the guests attending the consecration ceremony on January 22, the temple trust said on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be here for the event will be presented with a 15-metre picture of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya packed in a jute bag that also carries the photograph of the temple, a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Theerth Kshetra Trust said. The trust member said arrangements are being made to present memorable gifts to more than 11,000 guests and invitees to the consecration ceremony. Apart from the soil of Ram Janmabhoomi, the guests will be presented 100 grams of special Motichoor laddoos made with desi ghee as prasad, he added. The trust member said that the gifts to the invitees would comprise two boxes, one containing motichoor laddoos as prasad and a sacred tulsi leaf, while the other would contain soil that was recovered during the digging

Hindu seers pray for PM Modi's successful completion of 11-day 'anushthan'

PM Modi himself announced on Friday that he will commence a special 11-day 'anushthan' (ritual) ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram Temple

Ram Temple consecration: PM Modi begins religious exercise for 11 days

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday began a special 11-day religious exercise ahead of the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22. In a message, he said it is his good fortune that he will be a witness to this auspicious occasion. He said God has chosen him as an instrument to represent all Indians during the 'Pran Pratishtha' exercise and that he is undertaking the special religious exercise keeping this in mind. "I seek blessing from people," he said on X. The prime minister posted an audio message, noting that it is difficult to articulate one's sentiments at this time but he is making an attempt. "I am emotional. First time in life, I am experiencing such feelings," he said. Officials said Modi will be following the arduous guidelines detailed in scriptures related to the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony.

Those who created hurdles shouldn't be invited to Ram Temple: Brij Bhusan

BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has voiced opposition to inviting the leaders of opposition parties who "created obstacles" in the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya for its consecration ceremony scheduled for January 22. Talking to reporters, Singh also dismissed the speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Ayodhya. "The opposition, which created hurdles in the construction of the temple at every step, should not be invited to Ayodhya at all," he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme at Rasauli in the Safdarganj area of this Uttar Pradesh district on Tuesday evening. "These (opposition leaders) are the same people who, while targeting the BJP, used to say 'Ramlala, hum ayenge, mandir wahin banayenge lekin tarikh nahi batayenge (we will come, we will build the temple there but will not reveal the date)," the MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh said. According to reports, invitations for the Ram temple consecratio

Govt approves more than 150 armed CISF commandos for Ayodhya airport

The Centre has sanctioned a security cover of more than 150 CISF personnel for the Ayodhya airport, days before the high-profile consecration ceremony at the Ram temple on January 22, official sources have said. The "Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhyadham" is the country's 68th civil airport terminal to come under the umbrella of the specialised Aviation Security Group (ASG) of the central force. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will provide an anti-terrorist and anti-sabotage cover to the airport that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023, the sources said on Tuesday. The force will frisk passengers, check their baggage and secure the perimeter of the facility, they said. An armed contingent of more than 150 CISF personnel under the command of a deputy commandant-rank officer has been sanctioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for securing the Ayodhya airport that will be enhanced in phases over the 821-acre land sanctione

Deliver ghee door-to-door for Shri Ram Jyoti: SP's Dimple Yadav to BJP

The Mainpuri MP, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to celebrate Diwali on January 22, said that the workers of the BJP should distribute ghee door-to-door and in all villages

Ram Mandir 'gives Hindus a reason to celebrate': NYC Mayor Eric Adams

When asked about the opening of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and what it meant to the Hindus of New York City, Adams said that the opening is 'extremely important'