A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Allahabad High Court, urging a ban on the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony scheduled for January 22 at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.
Bhola Das from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, filed the petition, citing objections from Shankaracharyas and claiming that the ceremony goes against the Sanatana tradition.
The petition argues that installing the idol of Ram Lalla in an incomplete temple is not in line with religious practices, and Shankaracharyas have objected to the ceremony taking place in the month of ‘Pus.’ Furthermore, it alleges that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is organizing the event for political gains in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Opposition parties, including Congress and Aam Aadmi Party, have supported the Shankaracharyas’ decision to boycott the event. Congress leader Ashok Gehlot emphasized the importance of their objection, stating, “If the Shankaracharyas are saying so, it has its own importance.”
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the BJP of politicizing the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Temple, asserting that the event should adhere to established religious traditions under the guidance of the Four Peeths’ Shankaracharyas.
In response, Swami Nischalanand Saraswati Maharaj, the Shankaracharya of Puri, explained the decision, stating, “This is not about ego. Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the Prime Minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla? The presence of a ‘secular’ government does not imply the obliteration of tradition.”
Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony have already commenced, with the main ceremony scheduled for January 22. The Ram temple will open for public ‘darshan’ from January 23, and PM Modi has initiated an 11-day special ritual in anticipation of the event.
