From Times Square to South Korea via Mauritius and Reunion Island. This Monday, January 22, a large part of the Hindu community will follow, mostly remotely, the inauguration of a new temple of the god Ram, in Ayodhya in North India, 500 km from New Delhi.
In a letter published this morning, journalist and historian Jean-Régis Ramsamy assures that in the world of meditation and Yoga, nothing is left to chance in the organization of this great religious and political event… not even the astrological element: Hindus say that the city of Ayodhya, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is recovering from its half-century slumber, after the destruction of the first, according to legend, 7,000-year-old temple, Ram (or Ram). , any of the incarnations of the god Vishnu, including Krishna). The archaeological investigations carried out at the site have not been categorical but attribute the existence of a Hindu site that predates “a mosque. A mosque that was destroyed in the 90s by militants” . According to Jean-Régis Ramsamy, the “consecration” of the new temple refers to the return of Lord Ram to the city of Ayodhya, after 14 years of exile.
On the side of Mauritius, the first foreign country to take part in the event, the government gave civil servants two hours to be able to take part in the inauguration on television. This Monday afternoon, the Mauritius delegation even went there to take part directly in the inauguration. Worried about an uncontrolled influx of refugees at the site, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised the faithful to participate in the demonstration “from a distance”, by lighting five earthen lamps (referring to the five elements) and praying in their homes.
“This religious event is considered the second Dipavali, which is traditionally held in November, determined Jean-Régis Ramsamy. Several liters of water from the holy lake (called Ganga Talao) being transported to Ayodhya, will be used on the inauguration day. In total, organizers collected water from 150 rivers across the country for Monday's ceremony.
After 20 years of administrative procedures, the inauguration of this extraordinary building will take place this Monday. An event that promises to be grand, after about 5 years of construction and work estimated at 220 million euros. “The stones worked throughout the pink sandstone pieces are sourced from Rajasthan., explains the Reunion historian in his letter. He said : “In 2020, on the day the foundation stone was laid, Prime Minister Narendra Modi symbolically installed a silver brick on one side of the building.” Built on an area of one hectare, this temple stands on 3 floors, the roof is perched 50 meters high.
And if you want to go to India to visit the Ayodhya Temple, you will have to wait a little longer because it has not been accessible to the general public for 3 years.
