Today marked the start of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11-day preparations for the January 22 Ram temple consecration ceremony, which included “strict vows and sacrifice”. He expressed his feelings of emotion and overwhelm in a special message to the country.
“I’m feeling sensitive. “I am feeling this way for the first time in my life,” he said in a 10-minute audio message that was uploaded to X.
PM Modi said it was his good fortune to be able to witness the “Pran Pratishtha” ceremony, in which an idol of Ram Lalla, or infant Ram, will be placed at the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
At what he called a “historic and sacred moment,” he claimed that God had selected him to represent all Indians. To prepare for it, the Prime Minister said he would follow strict rules prescribed in scriptures and as guided by saints.
“According to our scriptures, in order to worship God and perform yajna (sacrifice), we must awaken the divine consciousness within ourselves. The scriptures provide strict guidelines and vows that must be followed prior to the consecration in order to accomplish this. As a result, I am beginning a special observance of 11 days from today, in accordance with the guidance I have received from saints on this spiritual journey. They have suggested the principles of conduct (yam-niyam), “he said.
Today is Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary, which PM Modi mentioned and referred to as a “joyous coincidence”. He also mentioned Chhatrapati Shivaji’s mother Jijabai’s birth anniversary, which made him think of his own mother as well.
The Prime Minister asked Indians to use his Namo app to contact him and ask for their blessings.
“As much as I would like to, words cannot express the breadth, depth, and intensity of it. You are able to comprehend how I am. I am fortunate enough to be here when the dream that many generations have cherished for years comes true. I am the representative of all Indians, by the grace of the Lord. I am nothing more than a tool. The Prime Minister remarked, “This is a big responsibility.
“I seek blessing from people.”
The statement from the prime minister coincides with heated political debate surrounding the Ram Temple event, as the ruling BJP has been criticizing opposition parties like the Congress for not attending the ceremony on January 22.
Congressmen Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have turned down the invitation, claiming that “religion is a personal matter” and characterizing the occasion as a “political project” of the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the party’s ideological benefactor.
There have also been declarations from the Left and the Trinamool Congress not to attend the ceremony.
“Note the faces of Sanatan opponents who rejected the invite for the Ram Mandir ceremony” was the caption of a “name and shame” tweet released by the BJP criticizing a few opposition leaders.
“For those who deemed Lord Ram to be imaginary, this is not new. Rebuilding the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya was once promised by this Congress. The people will boycott the Congress in 2024 for its boycott of Lord Ram, according to Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
