New Delhi: The Vishva Hindu Parishad is planning a grand 15-day Ram Utsav in India and abroad, to be organised around Ram Navami, the celebration of the Ayodhya king’s birth.
The VHP did not celebrate the Supreme Court judgment of 9 November 2019 allowing the construction of a Ram temple on the disputed site in Ayodhya, after appeals from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other key members of the Sangh Parivar. But now, two VHP functionaries have told ThePrint, the celebration will take place that it will also be used to garner support and funds to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.
The festival is set to begin on 25 March and continue until Hanuman Jayanti on 8 April. Ram Navami will be celebrated on 2 April this year.
One of the functionaries pointed out that the VHP has been at the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement since the 1980s. “But we could not celebrate after the SC’s landmark decision as we were told to lie low. We will have the jashn (celebration) now.”
He added, “Every year, we celebrate Ram Utsav during Ram Navami. But this year, the Ram Utsav will be organised on a grand scale.”
“Our cadres will go to villages and towns to garner support and connect people to the temple-building movement,” he added.
The organisation’s governing council is set to meet in Prayagraj on 20 January to fine-tune details for the event.
Also read: After Ram Mandir, next on VHP agenda — reconstruction of J&K temples, cow protection
Tableaux, hymns and more
During the festival, VHP cadres will hold rallies across the country. “There will be tableaux depicting Ram’s life, and singing of religious hymns in temples, among other events,” said VHP spokesperson Vinod Bansal.
“We will have celebrations among the Hindu community across temples in other countries too,” Bansal added.
Workers will also visit each of the 2.8 lakh villages from where bricks to construct the Ram temple were brought to Karsewakpuram in Ayodhya. This is the place where, for the last 30 years, VHP volunteers have been working to achieve their dream of a grand Ram temple.
ThePrint had reported on 10 November how volunteers had readied hundreds of boulders in red sandstone with intricate carvings, wooden panels with fine detailing and ‘Jai Shree Ram’ embossed on each brick. A model of the proposed Ram temple has been placed at the entry point of the workshop.
Also read: VHP to set up camps, help refugees get citizenship amid widespread protests against the law