Ram Temple fulfillment of ‘divine dream,’ says Advani

Ahead of the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, veteran BJP leader LK Advani, who is also the former Home Minister of the country said that the temple’s inauguration was a ‘fulfillment of a divine dream’.

An article written by Advani, titled ‘Construction of Ram Mandir – Fulfillment of a Divine Dream will be published in a Hindi literature magazine, Rashtradharma. The statement is a part of the same article and a special issue of the magazine with the article will be printed on January 16 and will be given to the guests at the consecration ceremony.

In his article, Advani termed himself the “charioteer” who steered the controversial ‘rath yatra’ in Gujarat’s Somnath back in September 1990. He also said that he hoped the ‘Ram Mandir’ would inspire all Indians to adopt all the virtues of Lord Ram.

Recalling the unforgettable moment of his Rath Yatra, Advani said that they did not know that the faith in Lord Ram with which they started this Yatra would take the form of a movement in the country.

Advani also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the long-awaited inauguration and called him the ‘ exclusive devotee chosen by Lord Ram to renovate his temple’, who was at that time Advani’s assistant throughout the yatra.

In the article, the BJP veteran described the ‘rath yatra’ event as “the most decisive and transformative event of his political career”. He also said that it gave him the opportunity to “re-discover India” and himself.

The VHP said that Advani, who was at the forefront of the Ram Janmabhoomi Movement in the 1980s and early 1990s, will be attending the ‘pran pratishtha’ at the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22.

VHP president Alok Kumar said, “Advani ji has said he will come. If required, we will make special arrangements for him.” The 96-year-old is one of the founding members of the BJP.