Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said that the death anniversary of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya should be celebrated every year as ‘Pratishtha Dwadashi’. He described it as a symbol of India’s true independence, which enshrines the “self” of a country that has faced the onslaught of invaders for centuries.
Ramlala Pran Pratishtha: Naming of ‘Pratishtha Dwadashi’
According to the Hindu calendar, Ramlala’s life was consecrated on the Dwadashi date of Paush Shukla Paksha, which fell on 22 January 2024 according to the Gregorian calendar. This year this date was on 11 January. Bhagwat said during an event organized in Indore that this date should be celebrated as “Pratishtha Dwadashi”. He said this while presenting ‘National Devi Ahilya Award’ to Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
Ram Mandir Movement: An effort to awaken India’s “self”
Mohan Bhagwat said that the Ram Mandir movement was not against any person or ideology, but to awaken India’s “self”. He said that the purpose of demolition of temples was to weaken the cultural soul of India. “The life values of Ram, Krishna and Shiva are part of India’s self, an inspiration to all, not just those who worship them,” he said.
Bhagwat also said that the prolonged duration of the Ram temple movement was an indication that some powers did not want a temple of Lord Ram to be built in Ayodhya. But at the time of Ram Lalla’s consecration in 2024, there was no dispute or discord, and people became witnesses of this historic moment.
Ram Mandir: Symbol of national pride
While receiving the ‘National Devi Ahilya Award’, Champat Rai said that Ram Temple is a symbol of India’s national pride. Describing it as the “mustache of Hindustan”, he said that this temple is a symbol of the struggle and cooperation of the Ram Mandir movement in Ayodhya. He dedicated this award to all the known and unknown people who contributed to the construction of the temple.
social and national ideology
Bhagwat mentioned his meeting with former President Pranab Mukherjee. He told that Mukherjee had called India’s 5,000 year old tradition as the most secular tradition in the world. Bhagwat said that the Constitution of India is a symbol of this tradition and the right to teach secularism to the world comes from Indian tradition only.
Devi Ahilya Award and Memorial
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who is the chairperson of the ‘Shri Ahilyotsav Committee’, announced that a grand memorial of Goddess Ahilyabai will be built in Indore. He said that this memorial will highlight his great legacy and life character.
