VHP plans grand Ram Mahotsav across the country

The agenda for its organiser, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), is clear: to remind the younger generation about the Ram temple movement and ensure its construction by 2019.

Listen to Story

Advertisement
VHP plans grand Ram Mahotsav across the country

VHP aims to bring back Ayodhya's Ram temple as its primary agenda by holding the festival between March 21 and April 2.

It's a grand Ram festival that is in the offing which will be linked with the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The agenda for its organiser, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), is clear: to remind the younger generation about the Ram temple movement and ensure its construction by 2019.

advertisement

The Right-wing outfit is all set to roll out the festival, in the shape of Ram Mahotsav, across the country between March 21 and April 2.

Although the Ram Mahotsav was first organised by VHP in 2005 on a limited scale, they did not link it with the Ram temple. But now it will be observed to "make younger generation aware of the Ram temple movement and mobilise the masses to mount pressure on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government to find out a solution by 2019."

VHP spokesperson Sharad Sharma, who hails from Ayodhya, told MAIL TODAY that it's high time to construct the Ram temple. "We have resolved to observe Ram Mahotsav from March 21 to April 2 in over 1.5 lakh villages across the country. We will establish a 2.5-feettall idol of Lord Ram in each village. Despite organising Ram Mahotsav earlier, it will now aim to bring back Ayodhya's Ram temple as VHP's primary agenda. This will also reaffirm our foremost pledge to construct the Ram temple at his birthplace," Sharma said.

According to Hindu calendar, March 21 is the beginning of Chaitra Navratri and April 2 is Mahaveer Jayanti. Ram Navami - the birthday of Lord Ram - falls on March 28.

"All the senior VHP leaders will participate in this programme. The leaders of the organisation in their respective areas will ensure its success," Sharma said. He added that there is a plan to celebrate Ram Mahotsav as a national festival just like the Durga Puja. VHP will also organise a series of public meetings and religious programmes during this period which will be addressed by saints and VHP leaders like Ashok Singhal and national working president Praveen Togadia.

A VHP source said that those who were born in the late 1980s do not know about the Ram temple movement. "This was discussed at a meeting of the Marg Drashak Mandal of VHP at the Magh Mela in Sangam area of Allahabad last week and the programme was finalised two days ago. Singhal was present at this meeting. Majority of the speakers were of the view that while the younger generation should be made aware of our Ram temple movement in the 1980s and the 1990s, those who were with us at that time should be invited to join the movement to achieve our goal," said a VHP functionary.

advertisement

Singhal was quoted as saying at this meeting that organising Ram Mahotsav wouldn't be much difficult.

"We will also celebrate Ram Navami as Ram Jamotsav on March 28. Crores of people who voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the hope that it will construct Ram temple in Ayodhya are once again getting disillusioned of it. But we cannot let this happen time and again. So we must launch a nationwide movement in support of our movement to convince the masses that a temple in Ayodhya will be a reality," Singhal was quoted as saying.

VHP is also encouraged to take up such a nationwide campaign because of the successful organisation of its golden jubilee celebrations. "The success of our golden jubilee meetings is an indication of the mood of the people. Our programme of Ram Mahotsav will be a giant leap towards the goal of the Hindu community," Sharma added.