The Evening Wrap: Ram Lalla consecrated at Ayodhya temple

The new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and watched by lakhs of people on television at their homes and in temples across the country. Army helicopters showered flower petals on the newly constructed Janmabhoomi temple as the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony took place. “Our Ram has come,” Modi said in his address that followed the consecration, which also marks the inauguration of the temple. It is expected to open Tuesday to the public. He performed a series of rituals at the temple, with the ‘pran pratishtha’ taking place during the 84-second ‘Abhijeet muhurta’. At the end of the rituals, the PM prostrated himself before the idol, which depicts the child Ram. Top Opposition leaders skipped the temple inauguration, calling it an RSS-BJP event. But Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh, who is the son of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, arrived at the venue. Several States had declared the day a holiday to allow people to watch the ceremony and also take part in events at neighbourhood temples. The new idol depicts Ram at the age of five, and was carved from black stone by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. It was draped in a yellow dhoti, and adorned with stone-studded jewellery and flowers in shades of red, yellow and purple. The 16th century Babri mosque, which many Hindus believe was constructed on the site of Lord Ram’s birthplace, was demolished by kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. After a long legal battle, the top court ruled in favour of the construction of the temple. It also ordered allotment of a five-acre plot for building a mosque. The invitees who arrived early Monday in Ayodhya included Anupam Kher, Kailash Kher, Jubin Nautiyal, Prassoon Joshi, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ravishankar Prasad and Anil Ambani. Hema Malini, Kangana Ranaut, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Morari Bapu, Rajnikanth, Madhur Bhandarkar, Subhash Ghai and Sonu Nigam had reached Sunday. The invitees were presented a ‘Ram patka’ and welcomed with ‘tilak’. All invitees were presented a bell which they rang during the ‘aarti’. The Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its east-west length is 380 feet, width 250 feet and height 161 feet. It is supported by 392 pillars and has 44 doors. The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities. The consecration rituals began from the Saryu river banks on January 16 and were completed Monday afternoon. Ram temple ceremony indicative of growing majoritarianism in India: Pakistan Pakistan on January 22 said the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is indicative of growing majoritarianism in India. The remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) came after the new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday in an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Developments of the last 31 years, leading to today’s consecration ceremony, are indicative of growing majoritarianism in India. These constitute an important facet of the ongoing efforts for social, economic and political marginalisation of the Indian Muslims,” the FO said in a statement. In 2019, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict paving the way for the construction of Ram Mandir. The five-judge Constitution bench also directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya to build a mosque. “The rising tide of ‘Hindutva’ ideology in India poses a serious threat to religious harmony and regional peace,” according to the FO. Pakistan also asked the government of India to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: I cannot go to Sankardeva’s birthplace but others can during law and order crisis: Rahul Gandhi High drama prevailed in Assam’s Haiboragaon on January 22 after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not allowed by the authorities to visit the Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra temple in Bordua near Nagaon in Assam. Gandhi, along with other Congress leaders, was stopped at Haiboragaon and not allowed to proceed further. The former Congress chief was scheduled to pay obeisance to the local deity before starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 22. “During a law and order crisis all can go to the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva but only “Rahul Gandhi cannot go”, the Congress leader said in Assam’s Nagaon. MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to the birthplace to resolve the issue. After they returned, Gandhi told reporters that he believes in the philosophy of Sankardeva as “we also believe in bringing people together and not spreading hatred”. “He is like a guru to us and gives us direction. So I had thought when I came to Assam, I should offer my respects to him”, he said. Gandhi said they had received an invitation to visit Sankardeva’s birthplace on January 11 but “on Sunday we were told that there is a law and order situation”, he added. “This is strange as there is a law and order situation in the area, but Gaurav Gogoi and all can go but only Rahul Gandhi cannot go”, he said. “I don’t know, there may be some reasons but I will go to Batadrava when I get an opportunity. It is my belief that both Assam and entire nation should follow the path shown by Sankardeva”, he said. Mahila Congress leaders subsequently sat on a dharna to protest against denial of permission to Gandhi to visit the temple. The former Congress chief also joined the dharna. Authorities said Gandhi will be allowed permission to visit the temple only at 3 p.m. Gandhi questioned the police on why he was being stopped from visiting the temple. “Will PM Modi now decide who will visit a temple and when,” Gandhi said. “We do not want to create any problems, simply pray at the temple,” Gandhi told the police authorities. Tight security arrangements, deployment of a huge police force and blockade of roads was in force around the Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra temple. Barring the local MP and MLA, no Congress leader was allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon, around 20 km from the temple spot. Even the media team was not allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon. Congress Sewa Dal chief Lalji Desai said it was “shameful” that the Prime Minister and Assam Chief Minister were not allowing them to pray at the temple. “This is atrocious. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister will decide who will pray at what time in the country,” he said. “Till the time the Prime Minister does pooja (in Ayodhya), no one is allowed to pray anywhere,” Desai claimed. “There is no ‘loktantra’ (democracy) here and the government will decide when people will pray at temples,” he said. High concentration of a community in a particular area or neighbourhood is not valid reason to deny permission to another community to hold religious events there: Supreme Court The Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the dominant concentration of a religious community in an area or neighbourhood could not be a ground for police or State authorities to deny permission to another religious community to hold prayer meetings or public events there. “We are living in a society in which there are homogeneous communities. But do not prevent these events only because ‘A’ or ‘B’ community is living in that area,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed. The Bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, was hearing a petition challenging Tamil Nadu Police’s order prohibiting the conduct of ‘sangalpa yagam’ event in front of the Sri Bhagavathyamman temple and special alms-giving at A. Vellodu village in Dindigul district in connection with the Ayodhya temple consecration on January 22. The Dindigul Police, on January 20, denied permission to the temple administrators on the ground that the area of A. Vellodu village was “predominantly inhabited by Christians”. “Due to the lower number of Hindu residents in this village, there is a possibility of encountering cultural sensitivities or legal complications related to public peace and morality,” the January 20 police order reasoned. “So, wherever there are minorities, the Hindus will never be able to hold prayer meetings… Here, the Hindus are in the minority. You [Tamil Nadu government] are saying that if they are allowed to hold prayer meetings, there will be a problem… Is that a reason,” Justice Datta asked the State’s Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari. Tiwari asked what if the applicants for permission wanted to carry out a procession in front of a mosque. “Then you regulate it. You have the power,” Justice Datta responded. Tiwari said the order to reject the permission in this case was taken after considering the sensitivity of the particular community living in the area. “Do not reject permission for this reason. If we allow it [police ban] in one case, we will have to do it for other cases too. This [high concentration of a particular community in a particular area] cannot be a ground for rejection of permission,” Justice Khanna said. European Union pushes for Palestinian statehood, rejecting Netanyahu’s insistence European Union Foreign Ministers argued on January 22 that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only credible way to achieve peace in the Middle East, and they expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear rejection of the idea. “The declarations of Benjamin Netanyahu are worrying. There will be a need for a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne told reporters in Brussels, where the EU Ministers met to discuss the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, also were in Belgium’s capital for the discussion. The issue of Gaza’s future also has set Israel in opposition to the United States and its Arab allies as they work to mediate an end to the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory. The Palestinian death toll from the war between Israel and Hamas surpassed 25,000, the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported. Israel said Sunday that another of the hostages taken during the October 7 attack that triggered the war had died. The EU is the world’s top provider of aid to the Palestinians, but holds little leverage over Israel, despite being its biggest trading partner. The 27 member countries are also deeply divided in their approach. But as the death toll in Gaza mounts, so do calls for a halt to the fighting. “Gaza is in a situation of extreme urgency. There is a risk of famine. There is a risk of epidemics. The violence must stop,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. In brief The Supreme Court on January 22 agreed to examine a petition filed by Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu against the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker’s decision to dismiss disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and supporting MLAs, while holding the Shinde faction the “real” Shiv Sena. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice and listed the case after two weeks. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 22 January 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Ram Lalla consecrated at Ayodhya temple; ‘extraordinary moment’ says PM Modi [The new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on January 22, an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and watched by lakhs of people on television at their homes and in temples across the country.]( Army helicopters showered flower petals on the newly constructed Janmabhoomi temple as the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony took place. “Our Ram has come,” Modi said in his address that followed the consecration, which also marks the inauguration of the temple. It is expected to open Tuesday to the public. He performed a series of rituals at the temple, with the ‘[pran pratishtha]( taking place during the 84-second ‘Abhijeet muhurta’. At the end of the rituals, the PM prostrated himself before the idol, which depicts the child Ram. Top Opposition leaders skipped the temple inauguration, calling it an RSS-BJP event. But Himachal Pradesh minister Vikramaditya Singh, who is the son of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, arrived at the venue. Several States had declared the day a holiday to allow people to watch the ceremony and also take part in events at neighbourhood temples. The new idol depicts Ram at the age of five, and was carved from black stone by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj. It was draped in a yellow dhoti, and adorned with stone-studded jewellery and flowers in shades of red, yellow and purple. The 16th century Babri mosque, which many Hindus believe was constructed on the site of Lord Ram’s birthplace, was demolished by kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. After a long legal battle, the top court ruled in favour of the construction of the temple. It also ordered allotment of a five-acre plot for building a mosque. The invitees who arrived early Monday in Ayodhya included Anupam Kher, Kailash Kher, Jubin Nautiyal, Prassoon Joshi, Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Ravishankar Prasad and Anil Ambani. Hema Malini, Kangana Ranaut, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Morari Bapu, Rajnikanth, Madhur Bhandarkar, Subhash Ghai and Sonu Nigam had reached Sunday. The invitees were presented a ‘Ram patka’ and welcomed with ‘tilak’. All invitees were presented a bell which they rang during the ‘aarti’. The Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style. Its east-west length is 380 feet, width 250 feet and height 161 feet. It is supported by 392 pillars and has 44 doors. The pillars and walls of the temple showcase intricately sculpted depictions of Hindu deities. The consecration rituals began from the Saryu river banks on January 16 and were completed Monday afternoon. Ram temple ceremony indicative of growing majoritarianism in India: Pakistan [Pakistan on January 22 said the inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya is indicative of growing majoritarianism in India.]( The remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) came after the new Ram Lalla idol was consecrated at the Ayodhya temple on Monday in an event led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Developments of the last 31 years, leading to today’s consecration ceremony, are indicative of growing majoritarianism in India. These constitute an important facet of the ongoing efforts for social, economic and political marginalisation of the Indian Muslims,” the FO said in a statement. In 2019, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark verdict paving the way for the construction of Ram Mandir. The five-judge Constitution bench also directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board in Ayodhya to build a mosque. “The rising tide of ‘Hindutva’ ideology in India poses a serious threat to religious harmony and regional peace,” according to the FO. Pakistan also asked the government of India to ensure the safety and security of religious minorities, including Muslims and their holy places. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra: I cannot go to Sankardeva’s birthplace but others can during law and order crisis: Rahul Gandhi [High drama prevailed in Assam’s Haiboragaon on January 22 after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was not allowed by the authorities to visit the Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra temple in Bordua near Nagaon in Assam.]( Gandhi, along with other Congress leaders, was stopped at Haiboragaon and not allowed to proceed further. The former Congress chief was scheduled to pay obeisance to the local deity before starting his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra on January 22. “During a law and order crisis all can go to the birthplace of Vaishnav saint Srimanta Sankardeva but only “Rahul Gandhi cannot go”, the Congress leader said in Assam’s Nagaon. MP Gaurav Gogoi and Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora proceeded to the birthplace to resolve the issue. After they returned, Gandhi told reporters that he believes in the philosophy of Sankardeva as “we also believe in bringing people together and not spreading hatred”. “He is like a guru to us and gives us direction. So I had thought when I came to Assam, I should offer my respects to him”, he said. Gandhi said they had received an invitation to visit Sankardeva’s birthplace on January 11 but “on Sunday we were told that there is a law and order situation”, he added. “This is strange as there is a law and order situation in the area, but Gaurav Gogoi and all can go but only Rahul Gandhi cannot go”, he said. “I don’t know, there may be some reasons but I will go to Batadrava when I get an opportunity. It is my belief that both Assam and entire nation should follow the path shown by Sankardeva”, he said. Mahila Congress leaders subsequently sat on a dharna to protest against denial of permission to Gandhi to visit the temple. The former Congress chief also joined the dharna. Authorities said Gandhi will be allowed permission to visit the temple only at 3 p.m. Gandhi questioned the police on why he was being stopped from visiting the temple. “Will PM Modi now decide who will visit a temple and when,” Gandhi said. “We do not want to create any problems, simply pray at the temple,” Gandhi told the police authorities. Tight security arrangements, deployment of a huge police force and blockade of roads was in force around the Sri Sri Sankar Dev Satra temple. Barring the local MP and MLA, no Congress leader was allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon, around 20 km from the temple spot. Even the media team was not allowed to travel beyond Haiboragaon. Congress Sewa Dal chief Lalji Desai said it was “shameful” that the Prime Minister and Assam Chief Minister were not allowing them to pray at the temple. “This is atrocious. It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister will decide who will pray at what time in the country,” he said. “Till the time the Prime Minister does pooja (in Ayodhya), no one is allowed to pray anywhere,” Desai claimed. “There is no ‘loktantra’ (democracy) here and the government will decide when people will pray at temples,” he said. High concentration of a community in a particular area or neighbourhood is not valid reason to deny permission to another community to hold religious events there: Supreme Court The [Supreme Court on Monday clarified that the dominant concentration of a religious community in an area or neighbourhood could not be a ground for police or State authorities to deny permission to another religious community to hold prayer meetings]( or public events there. “We are living in a society in which there are homogeneous communities. But do not prevent these events only because ‘A’ or ‘B’ community is living in that area,” Justice Sanjiv Khanna observed. The Bench, also comprising Justice Dipankar Datta, was hearing a petition challenging Tamil Nadu Police’s order prohibiting the conduct of ‘sangalpa yagam’ event in front of the Sri Bhagavathyamman temple and special alms-giving at A. Vellodu village in Dindigul district in connection with the Ayodhya temple consecration on January 22. The Dindigul Police, on January 20, denied permission to the temple administrators on the ground that the area of A. Vellodu village was “predominantly inhabited by Christians”. “Due to the lower number of Hindu residents in this village, there is a possibility of encountering cultural sensitivities or legal complications related to public peace and morality,” the January 20 police order reasoned. “So, wherever there are minorities, the Hindus will never be able to hold prayer meetings… Here, the Hindus are in the minority. You [Tamil Nadu government] are saying that if they are allowed to hold prayer meetings, there will be a problem… Is that a reason,” Justice Datta asked the State’s Additional Advocate General Amit Anand Tiwari. Tiwari asked what if the applicants for permission wanted to carry out a procession in front of a mosque. “Then you regulate it. You have the power,” Justice Datta responded. Tiwari said the order to reject the permission in this case was taken after considering the sensitivity of the particular community living in the area. “Do not reject permission for this reason. If we allow it [police ban] in one case, we will have to do it for other cases too. This [high concentration of a particular community in a particular area] cannot be a ground for rejection of permission,” Justice Khanna said. European Union pushes for Palestinian statehood, rejecting Netanyahu’s insistence [European Union Foreign Ministers argued on January 22 that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only credible way to achieve peace in the Middle East]( and they expressed concern about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s clear rejection of the idea. “The declarations of Benjamin Netanyahu are worrying. There will be a need for a Palestinian state with security guarantees for all,” French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne told reporters in Brussels, where the EU Ministers met to discuss the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, also were in Belgium’s capital for the discussion. The issue of Gaza’s future also has set Israel in opposition to the United States and its Arab allies as they work to mediate an end to the fighting in the besieged Palestinian territory. The Palestinian death toll from the war between Israel and Hamas surpassed 25,000, the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza reported. Israel said Sunday that another of the hostages taken during the October 7 attack that triggered the war had died. The EU is the world’s top provider of aid to the Palestinians, but holds little leverage over Israel, despite being its biggest trading partner. The 27 member countries are also deeply divided in their approach. But as the death toll in Gaza mounts, so do calls for a halt to the fighting. “Gaza is in a situation of extreme urgency. There is a risk of famine. There is a risk of epidemics. The violence must stop,” said Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, whose country holds the EU’s rotating presidency. In brief The [Supreme Court on January 22 agreed to examine a petition filed by Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu]( against the Maharashtra Assembly Speaker’s decision to dismiss disqualification petitions against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and supporting MLAs, while holding the Shinde faction the “real” Shiv Sena. A three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud issued notice and listed the case after two weeks. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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