'Modi chosen by Lord Ram, I was just a charioteer': Advani on Ram Mandir consecration

Speaking about the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple consecration ceremony, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stalwart Lal Krishna Advani has said that the inauguration of the temple was a "fulfillment of a divine dream" as the destiny had decided that a grand temple of Lord Ram will be built in Ayodhya and it chose Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this.

In his article 'Ram Mandir Nirman, Ek Divya Swapna Ki Purti', which will be published in a special edition of Rashtradharma, a76-year-old Hindi literature magazine, Advani observed that PM Modi was with him throughout the Rath Yatra.

"He was not very famous then. But at that very time Lord Ram had chosen his devotee (Modi) to rebuild his temple," news agency PTI reported citing a source quoting the BJP veteran.

"At that time I felt that destiny had decided that one day a grand temple of Shri Ram would definitely be built in Ayodhya. Well, now it's only a matter of time," he added.

 

 

Advani also stated that when the pran-prathistha ceremony would take place, PM Modi would be representing every citizen of the country.

"When Narendra Modi consecrates the (Lord Ram's idol at the) temple, he will represent every citizen of our India. I pray that this temple inspires all Indians to adopt the qualities of Shri Ram," Advani said.

In his article, he mentioned about the 'Ram Rath Yatra' which he took out 33 years ago for Ram Janmabhoomi temple construction from Gujarat's Somnath on September 25, 1990, and culminated with the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992.

"Today the Rath Yatra completed 33 years. When we started the Rath Yatra on the morning of September 25, 1990, we did not know that the faith in Lord Ram with which we were starting this Yatra would take the form of a movement in the country," he said.

"A few days after the Rath Yatra started, I realised that I was just a charioteer. The main messenger of the Rath Yatra was the chariot itself and was worthy of worship because it was going to Shri Ram's birthplace Ayodhya to fulfill the sacred purpose of building the temple," he added.

The Rath Yatra which Advani co-led with BJP veteran Murali Manohar Joshi, snowballed into communal violence across parts of north India.

 

The BJP veteran further said that during the 'Rath Yatra', he encountered many instances which influenced his life. He also believed that the movement was the "most decisive and transformative event" in his political journey as it allowed him to “re-discover India and, in the process, re-understand himself.”

"During the Rath Yatra, there were many experiences which influenced my life. Unknown people from remote villages would come to me overwhelmed with emotion after seeing the chariot. They would do 'pranam', chant Lord Ram's name and leave.

"This was a message that there were many people who dreamt of the Ram temple... With the consecration of the temple on January 22, the suppressed desires of those villagers will also stand fulfilled," he added.

A copy of the special edition of the magazine with Advani's article will be distributed among all those who will attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya.

The preparations are in full swing for the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in the newly built Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya on January 22. Vishva Hindu Parishad has invited the 96-year-old BJP stalwart to attend the consecration ceremony in the temple town.