Hanuman Garhi temple readies to welcome Modi

As soon as the Prime Minister reaches Ayodhya on Wednesday, he will first go to this temple as it is believed that before visiting Lord Ram one should pay their respects to Lord Hanuman. The priests in the temple are disheartened that they will not be able to meet Modi due to the protocols in place against coronavirus. “At the temple, all of us had made a lot of preparations to present a ‘’gada’’ (mace), mukut (crown), silver brick, stole and a turban to the prime minister. But, this will not be possible now due to COVID-19 protocol. Our plan to give him the gifts now stands cancelled,” Hanuman Garhi Mahant Raju Das said.

“The Chief Minister visited the temple on Monday. Now the Prime Minister will pray on Wednesday but all priests will remain at a distance and no one will be allowed near him. Modi is likely to stay here for 5-7 minutes,” he said.

He said that all preparations for Modi’s visit are almost complete and the ‘bhoomi pujan’ will be historic for the city of Ayodhya. On the significance of visiting Hanuman temple first, the Mahant said according to legends they believe that no work is complete without the blessings of Lord Hanuman. Seventy-six steps lead to Hanuman Garhi which is one of the most popular Hanuman temples in North India. The shrine houses Hanuman’s mother, Anjani, with a young Hanuman sitting on her lap.

About this temple, Mahant said, “When Lord Ram returned to Ayodhya after conquering Ravana, he gave this place to Hanuman ji to live, so it’s called Hanuman Garhi or Hanuman Kot. From here, it is believed that Hanuman used to protect Ramkot.” He said that construction of Ram temple will start a new era for Ayodhya city which has witnessed many “tense moments” in the past. “Not only us, all Rambhakts are happy with new beginning. It is not just due to religious reasons, but the people here are happy to feel that their city will now have more opportunities and development,” the Mahant said.

Meanwhile, a report from Washington, temples across the US have announced special events to celebrate the foundation laying ceremony of the historic Ram Temple in Ayodhya, with a tableau truck displaying digital images of the Ram Temple going around the US Capitol Hill on Tuesday, according to Hindu community leaders.

Temples across US will perform special poojas and prayers, while a large number of Indian-Americans have said that they would lit diya to celebrate. Indian-Americans from in and around Washington DC said that a tableau truck with a big LED display on Ram Mandir will go around the Capitol Hill and the White house

The entire country has become excited in view of the ‘bhoomi pujan’ ceremony for Ram templein Ayodhya and there is no other golden moment like Prime Minister Narendra Modi breaking the ground to mark the start of construction work, the Shiv Sena said on Tuesday. The COVID-19 crisis is prevailing in the country, but it will disappear with the blessings of Lord Ram, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said. It the ceremony, to be held at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, will be fika (lacklustre) as Union Home Minister Amit Shah will not be able to attend it.