‘Bhoomi Puja,’ the religious stone laying ceremony to commence the construction of the Ram Mandir has been announced on 5th August 2020. The day had to be approved as an auspicious one by the Hindu seers according to Vedic calendar, which suited BJP immensely as it is the 40th founding day of their party as well. Many wonders if this is the time for the building of religious places amid the Covid pandemic ravaging the country
The design of the temple is finalized after a significant alteration from the original plan, changing from three to five gopuras and increasing the height from 128 ft to 161 feet. The cost of construction of the temple could be Rs.300 crores while developing the surrounding land, around Rs.1000 crores. The fund is insignificant compared to the 182-meter Statue of Unity of Sardar Patel, which cost Rs.3000 crores. Public and corporate funding is expected to meet the temple costs. The temple also would cost lesser than a new Rama statue, the tallest in the world, to be constructed in the State of Uttar Pradesh 251 meters tall at the cost of Rs. 2,500 crores. Whether this too was necessary at this time could be a valid question.
5th August for BJP is too significant to miss. The last 5th August witnessed in the revoking of the special status of J & K, assimilating the region with Indian Union. Most of the stones, pillars and slabs, are already sculpted and ready to be fitted. The estimated time of 36 to 42 months for the completion of the temple could be end 2023 or the beginning of 2024, the time when India will go for general elections a few months soon after. Some view this as a clever political move by the BJP, VHP and the RSS.
The demolition of the mosque standing at the Ram Mandir was a significant turning point in the political fortunes of BJP. India was priding itself secular, ignoring the historical part of the prevail of alien structures, mosques and churches atop razed Hindu temples. Somnath in Gujarat was one such example of a rebuild. Despite PM Nehru’s advice to the contrary, President Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the temple. Therefore, PM Modi, who has no qualms about his Hindutva ideologies, attending the ceremony is no surprise.
The temple was mired in a story of agonizing delay in the courts for 70 years. The demolition of the Babri Masjid cost 2000 lives. After an acrimonious battle, Hindus got a right to build the temple at Ayodhya, believed to be the birthplace of Rama. Fear of God and visiting religious places make people a bit more disciplined towards society. If I walk around the many temples of South India and wonder in awe at its architectural and cultural marvels, it is because someone had thought of building them a thousand years ago. We virtually stopped building big temples in the many intervening centuries. Building a temple,or any other religious structures are no offence per se.
The NDA-2 government of Modi is under stress from the unexpected Covid pandemic, The Chinese belligerence at the borders, a bad economy and the resultant joblessness. A repeat of Balakot, which a few feels of significantly helping Modi during his 2019 elections may not be easy and is fraught with international ramifications. The nation is slowly changing to a welfare state, the youths subsidized with MNREGA or such other barely sustainable funds, which would significantly impact infrastructure development activities.
Ram embraced Nishadraj the boatman, an untouchable, as his brother and fought with an army of monkeys. Mandir too could be a structure for forging unity, understanding and religious tolerance, rather than hatred and division amongst our citizens.
Lastly, the government must not think that a Mandir alone can win its 2024 elections. India shining ads failed earlier. Jobs and hunger must be addressed with equal alacrity!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
