Shankaracharyas opt out of Ayodhya Ram temple consecration

New Delhi: Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the Shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand, has declared that all four Shankaracharyas will abstain from participating in the January 22 consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

In a video shared on his official platform on X, he asserted that the ceremony goes against the shastras (sacred Hindu scriptures) due to the incomplete construction of the temple.

This announcement follows closely after the Shankaracharya of the Govardhana Peeth in Puri, Swami Nischalanand Saraswati, expressed his decision not to attend the consecration ceremony, citing reservations about the temple’s completion and emphasizing that he will not participate merely as an observer, especially considering Prime Minister Modi’s inauguration of the temple and touching of idols.

Scheduled for January 22, the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya is expected to draw thousands of seers, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath among the prominent invitees. The ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony anticipates a significant turnout of devotees in the temple town.

In a separate development, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have declined the invitation to attend the ceremony, accusing the BJP and RSS of politicising the event for electoral gains.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the BJP, labeling the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as a “gimmick show” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. Banerjee stressed her non-support for festivities that exclude other communities, expressing her commitment to unity among the masses irrespective of religious affiliations.

PNN & Agencies