At a time when the BJP's stars are at the top on the eve of the Lok Sabha polls, the Puri-Joshimath Sankaracharyas may have kick-started a row whose efforts might be to divide Hindus, not in the name of castes, but on what passes for greater belief, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
'I'm sure the central government must have been thinking over the technicalities, that how to pave the way for construction of the temple.'
Heck, the person the Sangh Parivar painted as anti-Hindu is the one who has come to the Hindu's rescue, establishing her faith in one of the most revered gods of the land. Who benefits, you ask? Sonia Gandhi, obviously!
The Shiv Sena, an ex-BJP ally which has been a strong supporter of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, congratulated the people of the country over the long-awaited foundation stone laying ceremony for the grand temple.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) gave a huge blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance by winning 43 seats out of total 80 Lok Sabha seats of Uttar Pradesh, as per the Election Commission.
The 'Ram Baraat' will leave for Janakpur from Ayodhya on Dec 8, and the marriage ceremony of Lord Ram and Sita will be held in Nepal on Dec 16.
While the Congress top brass has declined the invitation to the January 22 consecration ceremony at Ayodhya's Ram temple, the party's Uttar Pradesh unit plans to go ahead with its own event a week earlier in the holy town.
If Singham was a biryani, with all the flavours coming together seamlessly, Singham Again is a desi thaali, full of scrumptious dishes, but a tad in excess, discovers Sonil Dedhia who watched the film in New Zealand.
Construction work on the Ram temple in Ayodhya is going on in full swing and a part of construction is likely to be completed by October this year, said general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai on Monday.
'Don't focus on a person's mistakes, focus on their emotions. Jai Shri Ram.'
There's certainly a lot of love in the air, as Bollywood couples celebrate Christmas on social media.
Leader of Opposition in Madhya Pradesh Assembly Ajay Singh on Wednesday criticised senior Bharatiya Janata Party member L K Advani for his remarks that the state is heading towards 'Ram Rajya', saying that the BJP leader's words were an 'insult' to Lord Ram as the crime graph is climbing up in the state.
Will BJP campaigners start using the term 'Ram Rajya' to refer to the nation under Modi's rule, asks N Sathiya Moorthy.
Several seers on Monday came out strongly in support of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram's idol at the temple in Ayodhya, which is scheduled for January 22, amid criticism of the exercise by some 'shankaracharyas' on the ground that the temple is not fully constructed yet.
The petition further stated the depiction of Ravana, Lord Ram, Mata Sita and Hanuman in the feature film Adipurush is contrary to the image and descriptions of these religious leaders/characters/figures as depicted in Maharishi Valmiki's Ramayan and Tulsidas' Ramcharitmanas.
'We are very close to become a theocratic State where Hinduism is the official religion of the government.'
Political circles were abuzz on Saturday amid speculation that former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath may join the Bhartiya Janata Party.
With the Bhoomi Pujan scheduled to be on August 5 and the who's who of Indian politics likely to make a visit in Ayodhya, the district administration has deployed hundreds of people for a beautification drive in the temple town. Roads, walls, streets are being painted, cleaned to give them a new refreshing look. Thousands of municipal workers have been deployed to do a cleanup drive in the town which will see visits of dignitaries on August 5. Take a look.
'This is what happens to a party when it gets trapped in the vicious circle of nepotism and dynastic politics'
The bench questioned as to how the belief of Hindu worshippers can be challenged with regard to existence of 'janmasthan' and said the "sanctity of belief" that Lord Ram took birth there and whether it was genuine or "frivolous" can only be tested under Hinduism.
Accusing Congress of 'abuse culture', Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to punish those indulging in abuse, while casting their vote in polling booths on May 10.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has vowed to reclaim every inch of land taken under the pretext of Waqf, stating that the state government will actively investigate all "occupied" land. He also criticized the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its leaders, alleging that they failed to uphold the principles of socialist leader Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. Adityanath praised the Maha Kumbh, highlighting its significance as a symbol of India's spiritual heritage and national unity.
Work on building a pilgrimage facilitation centre and other utilities in Ayodhya's Ram temple complex has started, with 'darshan' of Ram Lalla expected to open in December 2023, according to a senior official of the construction committee.
Samajwadi Party leader Swami Prasad Maurya on Tuesday said he had spoken on a particular verse in Ramcharitmanas and not about Lord Ram or any religion, but refused to retract the comments which have triggered a row and embarrassed his party.
The submissions were made during the eighth day hearing in the case before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi.
Adipurush, based on the Ramayana, stars Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles of Ram, Sita, Laxman and Ravan respectively.
The rulers of the day need to be sensitive and involved in managing the identities of sacred spaces and the ongoing dialogues about the past in diverse societies, suggests Colonel Nikhil Apte (retd).
A fascinating excerpt from Shantanu Gupta's book, Teachings from the Ramayana on Family & Life.
Banerjee alleged that the BJP was maligning the name of Lord Ram by organising violence during Ram Navami processions.
The British prime minister, who is of Indian origin, has often emphasised his Hindu roots and said he is proud of it.
The apex court said Janma Sakhies, which have been brought on record, contains a description of visit of Guru Nanak Devji to Ayodhya, where he had a darshan of the birthplace of Lord Ram.
Modi demanded action against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Law Minister H R Bhardwaj on the issue and "misguiding" the court.
A team of historians will work on the ambitious project to give a befitting reply to the Centre's affidavit that Ram did not exist
In the absence of an unwell Atal Bihari Vajpayee, there was talk of the leadership issue, but there were no clear cut answers.
The prime minister will also visit the Hanuman Garhi temple and the buildings on roads leading to it too are being spruced up.
The support of every Ram devotee from all over the country will be solicited for the grand temple to be built at the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, Rai said, adding that for this, Vishva Hindu Parishad activists will go from door to door, accompanied by venerated seers and others.
The temple town is likely to witness a major jump in tourist inflow once flagship projects are commissioned. In the first six months of 2022, more than 20 million tourists visited Ayodhya.
The Congress said the rally by the INDIA will send a "strong message" to the Lok Kalyan Marg, where the prime minister's residence is located, that the BJP-led government's "time is up".
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances