A month ahead of the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, 2024, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath conducted an on-site inspection of the under construction shrine.
The BJP's Murshidabad unit in West Bengal announced plans to construct a Ram temple in Berhampore, days after TMC MLA Humayun Kabir proposed to set up a mosque modeled after the Babri Masjid in Beldanga. The temple construction, estimated to cost Rs 10 crore, is expected to begin on January 22, 2025, one year after the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Kabir's announcement sparked political controversy, with opposition parties accusing him of attempting to polarise communities for political gain. The BJP's counterproposal is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its presence among the Hindu community in Murshidabad.
With an eye on the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party raked up the Ayodhya Ram temple issue on Saturday in a bid to boost the party's morale in Uttar Pradesh where good performance in the past had helped it capture power at the Centre.
'If you want a room for the consecration, then you better book it now.' 'By this time next week there won't be any hotel rooms available in the temple city.'
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has launched an inquiry into allegations of embezzlement of offerings at Badrinath Dham, following similar claims regarding Ram temple donations. The committee president has vowed strict action if irregularities are proven, while the CEO outlined the investigation process.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the alleged embezzlement of donation money at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is expected to question people associated with the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and review banking arrangements for donations.
The trustees are "shocked" by the developments and are duty-bound to ensure that a fair inquiry is conducted and the faith of devotees is restored.
Besides, various representatives of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and their allies are also aiding in hand-delivering the invitations.
"For us Ram temple is a matter of faith and not politics," Thackeray said.
Govind Dev Giri Maharaj, treasurer of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, acknowledged supervisory lapses at the Ayodhya Ram temple following alleged donation theft, but stated he would not resign as he does not consider himself personally at fault. He estimated the theft could be around Rs 3 crore and criticised SBI for not verifying employee credentials.
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has formed a four-member panel to investigate alleged irregularities in pilgrims' offerings and donations at Badrinath Dham. The allegations, which went viral on social media, have sparked political controversy in Uttarakhand, with the Congress demanding strict action. The inquiry will examine CCTV footage and statements, with a report due in seven days.
According to Hindu scriptures, Ganga Dussehra marks the day the holy river Ganga descended to Earth from Lord Shiva's locks, moved by King Bhagirath's penance. The day is considered highly auspicious and symbolises virtue, penance, and the collective well-being of humanity.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, asserting that Ayodhya will be their "Lanka" due to alleged corruption in Ram Temple donations. He also linked the issue to the NEET controversy, suggesting a wider pattern of malfeasance and predicting internal strife within the ruling party.
After visiting Ayodhya for the pran prathishta ceremony at the Ram mandir in January, Amitabh Bachchan returned for another darshan.
Veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani has said the Ram Janmbhoomi movement, whose primary objective was construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, also became a symbol of 'reclaiming the true meaning of secularism from the onslaught of pseudo-secularism'.
The Union Home Ministry has designated 23 individuals based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing, and operational planning targeting India.
Gandhi said the party will defeat the saffron party and Narendra Modi in Gujarat just the way it was defeated in Ayodhya.
The gifts were in a bag that had a striking graphic image of the new temple and of Lord Ram in a very young avatar.
Posters announcing plans for an Ayodhya-style Ram temple complex in Salt Lake have appeared, escalating the political duel between religious groups ahead of the Bengal assembly polls. The proposed complex includes a school, hospital, and old-age home.
The film folk turned out in traditional outfits for the pran pratishtha at the temple.
The event brings to fruition the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'mandir' movement that defined its politics for three decades and took it to the heights of power.
The BJP enters challenging times where it has been given a task to hold onto the values of Ram in running the country as defined by Narendra Modi in Ayodhya, notes Sheela Bhatt.
Besides the present CJI Chandrachud, former CJIs Ranjan Gogoi and SA Bobde and former judges Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer were part of the bench which had delivered the historic verdict on November 9, 2019.
Former Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust general secretary Champat Rai and ex-trustee Anil Mishra, who had stepped down amid a temple donation theft controversy, are now actively holding meetings and interacting with seers in Ayodhya. This re-emergence coincides with the Special Investigation Team (SIT) sharing its final report on alleged irregularities in Ram temple donations with the Trust, sparking speculation about its findings.
The complex will be atmanirbhar in its own way as it will have two sewerage treatment plants, one water treatment plant and a dedicated line from powerhouse, he said.
'If the Sangh Parivar is actually interested in constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya why doesn't it do so on the land owned by the VHP?'
Nripendra Misra, chairman of the Ram temple construction committee, has dismissed a viral unsigned letter attributed to former trust general secretary Champat Rai as "fabricated." The letter purportedly details Misra's significant role and influence in the temple's construction and management, including agency selection and committee decisions, but its authenticity remains unverified.
Destiny had decided that a grand temple of Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and it chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this, BJP stalwart L K Advani has said in an article to be published in a special edition of the Rashtra Dharma magazine next week.
The stamps are not merely a piece of paper or artwork but they are a miniature form of epics and great ideas, he said in a video message.
Amid protests outside the Delhi University, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy went ahead with a seminar on the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya where he asserted that nothing will be done forcibly or against the law.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut has made significant claims regarding potential political shifts, suggesting Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis might move to the Centre, paving the way for a new BJP chief minister in the state. Raut also announced a 'Ram Raksha Andolan' protest in Nagpur against alleged embezzlement at the Ayodhya Ram temple and commented on delimitation and activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.
Adityanath spent hours reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi, where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court.
Advani has said that there can be no rest for him until that is done.
The deity and two others idols will be shifted to a temporary structure nearby till the planned construction of a Ram temple is completed on the site, allotted for it by the Supreme Court in a landmark verdict in November. The special prayers began amid restrictions forced upon the organisers by the coronavirus threat.
The 86-year-old Mahant was undergoing treatment in Gwalior for the last few days, and was brought to the Medanta Hospital after his condition showed no improvement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the main "yajman" at the consecration ceremony at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, Laxmikant Dixit, the main priest for the ritual, said on Wednesday.
The Ayodhya municipal corporation is grappling with a unique problem: a massive pile of abandoned footwear left behind by devotees at the Ram temple. This issue has arisen due to a change in crowd management measures, leading to a long journey to retrieve shoes for many visitors, causing them to leave the temple barefoot.
He is the fourth men's cricketer to be invited for the ceremony after Sachin Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
BJP sources suggest that the upcoming elections will likely revolve around the renewed enthusiasm for the temple unless another theme with religious and nationalist undertones emerges.
