So far the RSS and BJP have been working on their plan to rupture the social relation between Hindus and Muslims, but now in the wake of the consecration of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya on January 22 differences have cropped up among the Hindus between those believing Sanatan ideology and the devotees of BJP’s line of political Hindutva.
RSS and especially its chief Mohan Bhagwat, in their pursuit for accomplishing the mission of establishing Hindutva as the official religion of the state, have even gone to the extent of questioning and undermining the authority of the four Shankaracharyas, who epitomise the Sanatan Dharma and Hinduism. No one is above them and they according to the Hindu religious ethics and traditions are the authorities to represent the spirit of Hindusim.
The four Hindu Dharam gurus have come at the target of RSS and BJP for their fault of pointing out the procedural wrongs of the consecration which are basically anti-Hinduism in character and content. Obviously being the Hindu Dharam Gurus they are finding it tough to exonerate the anti-Hindu actions being pursued by RSS and BJP. The Shankaracharyas had suggested to shift the date of consecration to Ram Navami to be celebrated in April. But the RSS and BJP leaders are not inclined to listen to their religious advice.
The top seers are not too happy at the construction of the Ram temple, they strongly nurse the view that the plan to have it consecrated on January 22 purely has a political orientation and is a design to use it for electoral gain. The Dharam Gurus openly decry this strategy of the RSS and BJP and feel that it would not help Hinduism or Hindus. Since the consecration violates the spirit and ethics of Hinduism they have decided to boycott the ceremony.
Since the stance of the Dharam Gurus has the potential to wreck their designs to exploit Hinduism, the protagonists of Hindutva have lost their senses. Champat Rai, a RSS leader and protégé of Bhagwat, who is also the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has out rightly disparaged the status and authorities of the Shankaracharyas by saying; “ It is a Ram mandir, Ramanand tradition will be followed. The temple belongs to the Ramanand sect, and not to the Sanyasis, not to Shaiva or Shakta”.
With the RSS and BJP leaders adopting obstinate posture towards the Dharam Gurus, they too have launched the struggle for Hindu existence. They would boycott the consecration. Dharam Gurus feel extremely hurt at this ridiculous and contemptuous statement and feel that this has been tacit support of the top RSS and BJP leaders. How could Rai, whose actions are not above board, dare to humiliate the Shankaracharyas. If the Dharam Gurus would have pointed out the religious and procedural discrepancies in that backdrop Rai must not have used this insulting language.
Shankaracharya Nishchalananda Saraswati, who had confirmed that he would not be going to Ayodhya for consecration on January 22 criticised Rai’s remarks, advising him not to diminish his stature while holding a position of power. Saraswati alleged that it is being turned into a political spectacle. He expressed dissatisfaction with the grandeur of the event, attributing it to the upcoming general elections and cautioning against turning pilgrimage sites into tourist attractions.
Not only Nishchlanand, the three other Shankaracharyas have also refused to participate as the event has political undertones. Expressing displeasure over Modi performing the Pran Pratishtha ceremony, the Puri seer said that the installation of Ramlala’s idol in the temple should be done in accordance with Shastriya Vidhi (principles of our Shastras). “What will I do there as the Shankaracharya, when Modiji will touch the idol and install it there? Am I expected to clap and hail him while chanting victory slogans? There is also a dignity to my position”.
While the close aides of Shankarachryas are not willing to compare them with the Pope, the supreme pontiff , they put the Hindu Dharam gurus even much above him. They decry the audacity of the RSS leaders of denigrating the status of Shankaracharyas and condemn their design to create confusion amongst the Hindus
Much against the wishful observation of VHP spokesperson VinodBansal “the main objective of the temple movement is to unite the Hindu society” the prevailing situation sends a loud message that Hindu society is seriously vertically split.
RSS or BJP might not have gone against the wishes of the Dharam Gurus, if Rahul Gandhi has not planned his earlier Bharat Jodo Yatra and now Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The consecration taking place under the aegis of Vishwa Hindu Parishad is planned to counter Rahul’s Yatra and also opposition’s narrative around caste census. With the Opposition falling back on “Mandal” to take the BJP on, the Sangh is aggressively pushing “Kamandal” to create a narrative of disparate castes in the Hindu society.
That it is purely a political move is clear from RSS move to bring 10 people from the poorest families, who live in huts but contributed Rs 100 for the Ram Mandir Nidhi and workers who constructed the temple are also among the guests. To sensitise Hindus the VHP has sent akshat (sacred rice) across the world. A VHP leader said; “We have requested everyone – from a small baby in its mother’s lap to a wheelchair-bound grandfather – to be at the nearest temple”. Virtually a diktat asking Hindus to be present in nearest temples has been issued.
Though the general secretary of the Trust said that it was the temple of Ramanand Sect, he is nonetheless not entrusting the traditional priest of the sect to perform the consecration puja. VHP has been running a priest training programme across the country and these people will perform the puja. They have trained 50,000 priests from the Dalit and tribal communities and got them appointed in various temples.
Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Bharati Teerth Ji of Sringeri Sharda Peeth who has also declined the invitation expressed dissatisfaction. While expressing joy about the construction of the Ram temple, his reservations stem from the fact that the temple is still under construction. He deems it inappropriate to consecrate the divine in a structure that is not yet complete, citing concerns about the righteousness of such an act. His dissatisfaction is further accentuated by a sense of neglect. He had presented evidence in court regarding the Ram Mandir.
Jagatguru Shankaracharya Shri Swami Sadanand SaraswatiJi of Paschimannaya Dwarka Shardapeeth will also not participate in the Mahotsav for various reasons. First, he criticizes the timing of the consecration, stating that in the inauspicious month of Paush, according to scriptures, the initiation of life consecration in deities is deemed inappropriate. He proposes that a more suitable time would be the upcoming Shri Ram Navami, the auspicious birth day of Lord Rama.
According to Swami Sadanand SaraswatiJi politics is the primary reason for the consecration. He anticipates that the election code of conduct will be in force during Ram Navami, making it less advantageous for BJP leaders to exploit the consecration for political gain. This perspective introduces a political dimension to the decision-making process around the temple consecration, highlighting concerns about the event being strategically timed for political advantage.
Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwarananda Saraswati of Uttaramnaya Jyotirmath is more candid and assertive. He emphasizes the significance of adhering to these established practices outlined in the Vedas. His objection extends to the government’s actions, as he perceives them to be contrary to these religious principles. He says in Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi, there has been controversy surrounding the demolition of mythological temples in the name of corridor construction. This issue reflects a clash between developmental initiatives and the preservation of cultural and religious heritage.
Nevertheless Puri Govardhanmath Shankaracharya alleged that the RSS-BJP-VHP have projected a fake Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjanand as the in-charge of Govardhanmath, which is unfortunate. It is said that he would join in the Ram Temple Consecration Ceremony at the invitation of Sri Ramjanbhoomi Teerth Trust.
“Hum anti-Modi nahi hain, lekin hum anti-dharama shashtra bhi nahi hona chahte (We are not anti-Modi, but we do not want to be anti-dharama shashtra either),” one of the Shankaracharyas, Jyotishpeeth’s Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand, said. He said “adhoore Mandir mein pratishta kar di jarahi hain. To ye hum kaise sweekaar karle. (incomplete temple is being consecrated. So how can we accept this?)”
He is highly critical of Champat Rai’s statement of differentiating between Ram devotees and Shiv devotees. For him it is an attempt to sideline the institutions of Hindu Sanatan, and the efforts of VHP, RSS, BJP, who are in full control of the institution of construction of Ram temple.
Shankaracharya is the pontiff of one of four mutts, or monastic orders, that are part of Hinduism’s Advaita Vedanta tradition established by the 8th century Hindu saint, Adi Shankara. The two other mutts apart from Jyotir Math (Joshimath) and Govardhan Math are Sringeri Sharada Peetham (Sringeri, Karnataka), and Dwarka Sharada Peetham (Dwarka, Gujarat).
Significantly, Adi Shankara and his school of thought are influenced by Shaivism — the worship of the Hindu god Shiva — and Shaktism, the worship of the Hindu goddess Shakti, although it’s also believed to have incorporated notions of Vaishavism, or the worship of Hindu god Vishnu and his various avatars, including Ram.
In 2019, the Supreme Court settled the dispute by allocating the entire land on which 16th-century Babri Masjid formerly stood at the temple site. The mosque was razed down by karsevaks at the height of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement on 6 December, 1992.
Avimukteshwaranand holds.“Earlier too, Nirmohi Akhara had been doing puja (prayers) there. It should be given that responsibility again. Why are you hiring more pujaris (priests)? You hand over the puja to Nirmohi Akhara and the temple arrangement to Ramananda sampradaya, and we will accept. I believe all the four shankaracharyas will be happy (with this).” (IPA Service)
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