RAM MANDIR – A SYMBOL OF RAM RAJYA AND DEMOCRACY

Lord Vishnu, a principal Hindu god, is said to descend in the form of an Avtar (incarnation) to restore cosmic order (peace and dharma) in the four Yugas (era, world ages) namely Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kaliyuga. Lord Rama is the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu in Treta Yuga. According to ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana composed by Maharshi Valmiki, Rama was born to King Dashrath and his wife queen Kaushalya in Ayodhya, a town on the banks of river Saryu. In the 16th century, the temple at the birthplace of Rama was attacked and demolished by Babur (who defeated Ibrahim Lodhi in 1526 in the first battle of Panipat) in his series of temple raids across northern India. Babri Masjid was constructed at the site, believed to be Ram Janmabhoomi, the birth place of Lord Rama. It has been a focus of dispute between the Hindu and Muslim communities since the 18th century. In 1949, it is believed that Ram Lalla (infant Ram) manifested himself at his birth place, gaining popularity as a divine exercise. Whereas, the other section of the people claimed that the idol was placed by some Hindu activists surreptitiously inside the mosque. After this incident, the government locked the building to avoid further disputes. In 1980, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and other Hindu nationalists launched a new movement to reclaim the site for the construction of Ram temple, a promise also made by the BJP in its manifesto.

 In 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government allowed the Hindus to access the site for prayers. In 1992, the mosque was demolished by  Hindu nationalist karsevaks, resulting in communal violence killing large number of people.

The Archaeological Survey of India conducted the excavations on the disputed site on the orders of Allahabad High Court. Various materials were found during excavations, suggesting the presence of a Hindu structure beneath. Also, the High Court noted that the Masjid was not built on the vacant land and the excavated underneath material was not Islamic. In 2010, the Allahabad High Court in its judgement said that 2.77 acres of land would be divided equally among Sunni Waqf Board, Nirmohi Akhara and Ram Lalla.

And finally, the Supreme Court of India in its judgement on Ayodhya dispute in 2019 decided that the disputed land be handed over to a trust formed by the Government of India for the construction of Ram temple, with five acres of land be allocated separately for a new mosque. This decision was welcomed by the people of all the sections of society. The trust was eventually formed under the name ‘Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra’ and five acres of land was allocated for the new mosque to be built 20 km away in Dhannipur village.

 The original copy of Indian Constitution has the images of Ram, Sita and Laxman returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan, on part three at the beginning of the Chapter on the fundamental rights. It is important to understand why Ram’s image is the most appropriate choice for this part of the Constitution. As soon as the Constitution came into force, all the citizens received their fundamental rights, nearly after 800 years of foreign rule and India became free. With these fundamental rights, Indian citizens were granted freedom from all kinds of discrimination and Ram was a true guardian of people’s rights.

  Arriving in India in 1915, Gandhiji travelled throughout India with a copy of Ramayana in his hand. Perhaps influenced by the Ramayana, Gandhiji wore minimal clothes, stayed in poor colonies, and began his discourses with the bhajan ‘Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram, Patita Pawan Sitaram’. Inspired by Ram embarking on Vanavasa, Gandhiji marched to Dandi with his followers singing the bhajan 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram', on the route. In Ram, Gandhi discovered the truth of power and how different it is from the power of truth. To Gandhi, Ram is ‘Patita Pawan’, the uplifter of downtrodden. To ‘wipe the tears of the last man’ was the goal and purpose of Gandhiji's political freedom and self-governance. Gandhiji once said ‘whether the Ram of my imagination ever lived or not, the ancient ideal of Ram Rajya is undoubtedly true democracy, which ensures equal rights alike to a pauper and a prince’. The ideology of Gandhi is to be understood in the context of Ram’s ideology of truth and righteousness.

Ramcharitmanas, also known as Manas Or Tulsi Ramayana, is an epic composed by Goswami Tulsidas, describing the life of Lord Ram. It is one of the greatest books of devotional Hindu literature and the most trustworthy guide to popular living faith of Indian people. It made available the life of Ram to the common man to sing, meditate and perform on. Manas consists of seven kands (episodes, chapters), the Sundar Kand is most recited chapter in the Indian families.

 Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust began the first phase of construction after the Supreme Court judgement. PM Modi performed the Bhoomi Pujan and laid the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 5th August 2020. Bollywood composer Ravindra Jain sang in a rally in Delhi in 1980s ‘ Sawa rupaiya de de re bhaiya Ram shila ke naam ka, Ram ke ghar me lag jayega patthar tere naam ka’ . The people from all the sections of the society including beggars and kinnars donated for the construction of the temple reflecting the devotion and unity of the people of India. The trust has ample funds to complete the project. The first phase of the temple is nearing completion, and the idol of Shree Ram has been carved by renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj. The consecration ceremony (Prana Pratishtha) will be performed with Vedic rituals on 22nd January 24, with PM Modi as the Chief Guest.

 Finally, the wait of over 550 years is coming to an end and Lord Ram, the identity of India, is getting a magnificent temple at his birth place, a joyous return indeed for the whole nation. The city of Ayodhya is undergoing a transformation with improved infrastructure including widened roads and improved electricity networks. The Railway station has been revamped with modern facilities and renamed as Ayodhya Dham Junction with many new trains being introduced. Maharshi Valmiki International Airport has been inaugurated by the Prime Minister and many new hotels are coming up. This temple lays the foundation for a modern Ayodhya while preserving its ancient traditional culture. Better connectivity and improved infrastructure will create job opportunities, and tourism will get a significant boost with a better hospitality sector. Ram Mandir will become the spiritual centre like Vatican City and Mecca in the near future.

By Manoj Dubey
Principal (Retd.)
Delhi Public Schools

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