VHP formally invites Advani, Joshi to attend consecration ceremony of Ram temple

Lucknow, Dec 19 (IANS) The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday formally extended an invitation to former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi for the upcoming consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya next month.

The invitation came after the temple trust advised the two senior leaders against attending the consecration event due to considerations of age and health.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Alok Kumar said in Delhi that both BJP veterans said that they will try their best to attend the January 22 event.

"The pioneers of the Ram Mandir movement, Advani ji and Murli Manohar Joshi ji were invited to attend the consecration ceremony. Both said that they will try their best to come," VHP president Alok Kumar said on X. Advani, aged 96, and Joshi, who will celebrate his 90th birthday next month, played pivotal roles in the Ram temple movement.

This movement ultimately led to the Supreme Court's landmark decision on November 9, 2019, favouring the Hindu side in the long-standing title dispute case.

The court decreed the allocation of the disputed land to a trust for the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Champat Rai, the general secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, had said: "Both are elders in the (Sangh) family and considering their age, they have been requested not to come to Ayodhya for the consecration event. Both have accepted our request." Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to participate in the event at the temple on January 22.

Extensive preparations are in progress for this significant occasion, expected to attract dignitaries and individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Champat Rai said a total of 13 Akharas, including 150 sages and saints from different traditions and Shankaracharyas from six philosophy traditions, will take part in the grand event.

He informed further that heads of major temples like Kashi Vishwanath, and Vaishnodevi, and representatives of religious and constitutional institutions have also been invited.

"Spiritual guru Dalai Lama, Mata Amritanandamayi of Kerala, yoga expert Baba Ramdev, actors Rajnikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Arun Govil (who played Lord Ram in the television series 'Ramayana'), filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar and leading industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani, famous painter Vasudev Kamat, ISRO's director Nilesh Desai and many other well-known personalities will also be present at the consecration ceremony," he added.

At the same time, from January 23, common people will be able to have a darshan (sighting) of Lord Ram.

Proper arrangements have been made for the guests to stay at more than three places in Ayodhya that have been made available by various monasteries, temples, and household families.