To signify return of Lord Ram to Ayodhya, temple's 'bhoomi poojan' to be marked with Diwali like celebrations

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi [India], July 25 : On the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with senior dignitaries are scheduled to perform the 'bhoomi poojan' of the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya, the plan is to celebrate the momentous occasion on the lines of the festival of light - Diwali - with all temples and houses across the country to be lit up with diyas and candles.
The 'bhoomi poojan' or groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Ram Temple signifies the rightful return of Lord Ram to the Janmabhoomi after years of exile.
Ahead of the construction of the Ram Temple, and during 'bhoomi poojan', the plan is to light every temple and house in Ayodhya with diyas and candles to replicate the resemblance of the day Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile.
According to sources not just Ayodhya but an appeal will be made to everyone to light up their households and religious places like temples in their vicinity while taking care to ensure precautions of physical distancing to mark the special occasion.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is taking stock of preparations for the 'bhoomi poojan' at Ayodhya.
Sources have also stated that keeping in mind the present situation of COVID-19, around 200 invites are being sent.
Senior VHP functionary and secretary-general Milind Parande told ANI that had it not been for COVID-19 spread, the event would have been attended by lakhs and crores of believers.
"Whole of Ayodhya including temples and houses will be decorated with flowers and diyas and lights. This is a historical event in the lives of all Hindus. The temple construction is beginning after a long battle. There would be the lighting of diyas at every household. Had it been not at a time of COVID-19 spread lakhs and crores of people would be participating in this grand event," said Parande.
Priests and saints are set to arrange prayers in respective temples from 10:30 am and the VHP has appealed to people to watch the bhumi pujan ceremony on their respective TV screens, be it auditoriums or halls apart from lighting diyas in their homes in the evening.
With a clarion call to celebrate the day just like Diwali, the event is likely to exceed the response it elicited when PM Modi had made an appeal to light candles or diyas in the evening to show respect for Corona warriors.
"Those who spearheaded the movement for Ram Temple in Ayodhya are invited apart from a few of political persons who worked to realise the dream of temple," added the source.
According to those who led the fight to restore Ramlalla in its glory and temple as Lord Ram's birthplace the fight is not years but centuries old. Senior BJP leader LK Advani led a rath yatra in which car sewaks participated to claim the land for Ram temple. It eventually led to destruction of Babri Masjid.
The Supreme Court had on November 9 last year directed the Central Government to hand over the site at Ayodhya for the construction of a Ram temple.
The Prime Minister had on February 5 announced the formation of a trust for construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
The 15-member Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has been mandated by the central government to oversee the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.