'Not anti-Modi but...': Seer says 4 shankaracharyas not to attend Ram Mandir event
Ram Temple: Earlier this week, the shankaracharya of Puri Gowardhanpeeth, Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati, had said he won't attend the event.
Haridwar: Four shankaracharyas will not attend the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on January 22, said Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati, the shankaracharya of Jyotish Peeth in Uttarakhand.
The most important Hindu religious gurus will not attend the grand ceremony as it is in violation of the rules of Sanatan Dharma, he told reporters in Haridwar, reported The Telegraph.
Earlier this week, the shankaracharya of Puri Gowardhanpeeth, Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati, had said he wonattend the event because it was against the scriptures.
Avimukteshwaranand said the shankaracharyas won't attend the event as it doesn't follow the norms of the Hindu religion. He said they don't hold any ill-will against anyone.
He said installing the idols of Lord Ram without completing the construction of the temple was against the Hindu religion. He said there was no need for such a hurry.
He said there was enough time for the construction of the Ram Temple and then complete Pran Pratishtha.
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Avimukteshwaranand, per the newspaper, said it was a bad idea to inaugurate and incomplete temple.
He said they could be called anti-Modi.
"We are not anti-Modi but at the same time we also can’t go against our Dharma Shastra,” said Avimukteshwaranand.
Thousands of people, including celebrities, saints and politicians have been invited to the event.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest of the event.
Nishchalanand had said per Skanda Purana, bad omens may enter an idol if rituals are not performed properly.
According to the temple trust, the first floor and the sanctum sanctorum of the Ram Temple is ready. The temple will be fully constructed over the next two years.
On Wednesday, the Congress said its leaders Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury won't attend the event as the BJP was attempting to gain political benefits from it.
