Shankaracharya's Refusal to Attend Ram Temple Event in Ayodhya Sparks Debate

With only a few days left before the grand consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya city of Uttar Pradesh, the uproar over it is not settling down.

After the shankaracharya's refusal to attend the ceremony, opposition parties targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the issue.

In an interview with Sputnik India, Uttarakhand Jyotish Peeth Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati talked about his reason not to attend the ceremony, as well as his concerns over it and why the refusal should not be seen as anti-Modi.

Why Did They Refuse to Attend the Consecration?

Saraswati told Sputnik India that according to the shankaracharyas, religious activities should be carried out according to the rituals established in religious scriptures.

“Any religious work done without following the rituals is not good because the supernaturalness of religious activities is linked to religion which is a purely materialistic thing,” he argued.

As such, he explained that the consecration in Ayodhya is being carried out in an incomplete temple - a violation of religious scripture.

“It is believed in Sanatan Dharma that the foundation of the temple is the feet of God and as the temple is being constructed parts of God are formed. According to this, the pinnacle of the temple is the eyes of God whereas the pot above it is head and the flag is hair,” he further clarified.

As such, Saraswati said that religious scholars are worried because the temple is half-built, meaning that Lord Ram can’t be honored appropriately.

“Being the guardians of the religious scriptures, we say people should follow the religious scriptures, wait for a while and after building the complete temple, do the consecration properly,” he stated.

He also stated that the pontiffs don’t have any objection to the temple being built in Ayodhya.

No Political Agenda

Saraswati likewise clarified that the pontiffs have no political agenda and hold no responsibility for political maneuvering by Congress or the other opposition parties, which have questioned the religious leaders' refusal to attend the event.

“All the political parties are ready to take advantage of the opportunity [from our refusal to participate] but we are not like that. We are religious scholars who are trying to raise the spiritual level of people’s lives by teaching them about religious scriptures,” the shankaracharya stated.

Refusal is Not Anti-Modi

Several reports have alleged that the shankaracharya's refusal to attend the ceremony is anti-Modi. In response, Saraswati argued that this is not the case.

“How can this be anti-Modi? None of the shankaracharyas have any personal relationship with Narendra Modi. He is the prime minister of our country and we are the citizens. We would never want that our prime minister should be weak. We always wish that our prime minister should be strong,” he stated.

Political Affairs

Ayodhya Ram Mandir: Consecration Ceremony Rituals Commence

16 January, 15:14