The four Shankaracharyas have decided not to attend the Ram Mandir pran pratishtha ceremony on January 22 over concerns that the rituals are deviating from established traditions, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalanand Saraswati said on Sunday.
Speaking to the media, Swami Nischalanand clarified that the seers were not skipping the event due to “ego” reasons. “The Shankaracharya uphold their dignity. This is not about ego. Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the Prime Minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla?” he remarked.
The seers believe as per tradition, they should have been guiding the idol installation process rather than the government. “The presence of a ‘secular’ government does not imply obliteration of tradition,” the Puri Shankaracharya asserted.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have also raised objections over how the rituals are being conducted, claiming it excludes traditional Hindu religious leaders.
Congress leader Ashok Gehlot pointed out that when top Hindu seers are boycotting the event, it indicates the reasons are serious. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged the BJP is trying to politicize the religious ceremony and alienate people.
As per trust officials, the Ram Janmabhoomi temple is still under construction but a makeshift structure has been set up for the idol installation on Jan 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the event along with chief ministers, dignitaries, and lakhs of devotees.
While the political blame game continues, sadhus said the event must not deviate from long-held rituals and traditions, even if the temple itself is incomplete, since it sets the future course. They reiterated that commercialization of the sacred ritual is unacceptable.
