Historic Day: Rama Mandir Construction starts at Rama Janmabhoomi
August 5, 2020, will be remembered by most of the Indians, especially all the people who believe the Hindu faith because it is one of the most important days wherein the foundation stone was laid for building the Rama temple in Ayodhya. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its first brick in Ayodhya at 12:44 pm, as per the muhurat for bhumi puja.
PM Modi was seen performing the pooja at Rama Janmabhoomi along with UP Governor Anandiben Patel and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. After the ceremony, PM Modi in his address said, “Like August 15, today’s day holds a similar significance for crores of people who devoted their lives for the cause of Ram temple. The mandir will mark a decisive change in the economy of Ayodhya.”
The Prime Minister termed August 5 a golden day and added that Rama Janmabhoomi stands liberated today. CM Yogi Adityanath said that the temple construction is a moment to “showcase new India to the world, which does not discriminate on the basis of caste and creed”.
The wait of centuries has ended and India is writing a golden chapter in Ayodhya, PM Modi said after performing the bhumi puja of the proposed Rama temple. The PM planted “parijat” sapling at the premises before sitting for bhumi puja. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat remembered LK Advani, the face of the Ram temple movement in the 1990s, in his speech and acknowledged that many who sacrificed couldn’t be here because of the Covid-19 situation.
“So many people had sacrificed, they couldn’t be here physically. There are some who couldn’t come here, Advani ji must be at his home watching this. There are some who should’ve come but couldn’t be invited because of the Covid-19 situation,” said Mohan Bhagwat.
Before the stone laying ceremony, PM Modi stopped at Hanumangarhi Temple for darshan, following which he arrived at the Rama Mandir site and was seen taking part in darshan of Bhagwan Shree Ramlala Virajman.
A religious event getting so much of attention was the first time in the country, there were live telecasts in all the news channels in the country. There has been lot of euphoria with regards to building the Rama temple and people have celebrated in their very own ways at all levels. The social media went gaga over the event and most of the people have posted pictures of Lord Rama and expressed their happiness by posting memes that celebrates the historic day!
Modi and Rama Mandir Connection
Yes, it was in 1992 when Babri Masjid was demolished by kar sevaks that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken a vow that he would return to Rama Janmabhoomi only when the mandir is built. True to his words, Modi is back in Ayodhya at Rama Janmabhoomi for the bhumi puja marking the construction of Rama temple.
After 29 years, Modi steps into Ayodhya and on this historic day to lay the foundation stone for the construction of the temple. The issue of Rama Janmabhoomi and Rama mandir at the site is not a new of few decades old, it has a history of almost 500 years and since then the issue has taken all kinds of twists and turns leading bloodshed, extreme violence and communal riots across the country.
According to the Uttar Pradesh government, PM Modi is the first Prime Minister to visit Ram Janmabhoomi, which many believe is the birthplace of Lord Ram. He is also the first Prime Minister to visit Hanuman Garhi, the shrine to Hanuman, the UP government said.
The Ram Temple is central to the ruling BJP’s ideology and core election promises. The “Bhumi Puja” ceremony holds special significance for PM Modi, who in 1990 was one of the organizers of a nationwide campaign to build a Ram temple to replace the 16th-century Babri mosque on the site. PM Modi never made a visit to the site and largely avoided mentioning the issue in his rallies.
The demolition of the Babri mosque in December 1992 by kar sevaks led to riots across the country and changed India’s political discourse. Several top BJP leaders – LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti – continue to face charges for their alleged role in the events. At the end, this made BJP a national force to reckon, and now the party is ruling the country for the second term!
Muslim body says “No Need to be Heartbroken”
Even as everyone is busy with the laying of the foundation for the construction of Rama Mandir in Ayodhya, there is a voice of unhappiness that is being heard elsewhere. After centuries of controversy and legal battle, finally, last November the Supreme Court bench head by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi favored the construction of Rama Mandir in the controversial site that once hosted Babri Masjid.
At the same time, the Supreme Court had ordered the Uttar Pradesh government to give alternate land of five acres around Ayodhya. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) was among the litigants which had filed a review petition against the Supreme Court judgment in the Ayodhya case in November last year. The court had also directed the central government to allot a five-acre plot of land in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque.
AIMPLB said it will not accept the alternative five-acre land. Another Muslim body, the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH), had also said that they opposed the unanimous Supreme Court decision. The AIMPLB was not a party to the case but had roped in three litigants – Mohammad Umar Khalid, a resident of Ayodhya town; Misbahuddin, a resident of Ayodhya district and Mehfusur Rehman, a resident of Tanda town in Ambedkar Nagar district – to file the review petition.
Eventually, the country’s top court dismissed all the review petitions and the land was handed over for construction of Rama temple. Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is participating in the Bhumi Puja that is happening right away at Rama Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya.
Reacting to happenings, AIMPLB questioned the Supreme Court judgment in Ayodhya. On Twitter, it told its followers that there is “no need to be heartbroken”.
https://twitter.com/AIMPLB_Official/status/1290666820089913344?s=20
“#BabriMasjid was and will always be a Masjid. #HagiaSophia is a great example for us. Usurpation of the land by an unjust, oppressive, shameful, and majority appeasing judgment can’t change its status. No need to be heartbroken. Situations don’t last forever,” the AIMPLB tweet said.
@religionworldin
[video_ads]
[video_ads2]
