Ayodhya Ram Temple Pran Pratishtha in Jan: VHP, Bajrang Dal Begin Shaurya Yatras, to Cover 5L UP Villages

Celebrations to mark the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ (consecration ceremony) of Ram temple in Ayodhya, which is scheduled to be held on January 22, 2024, have begun in Uttar Pradesh.

As part of the celebrations, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists have started ‘Shaurya Yatra’ across districts. The yatras began from Meerut district from October 1 and will conclude on October 15. More than 2,000 such Shaurya Yatras will be held in the state, according to a senior VHP member.

VHP functionaries said the yatras that will cover around 5 lakh villages in UP will not only mark the beginning of the celebrations, but also mobilise the crowd, especially youths from the rural pockets of UP for the grand event. These yatras will also create awareness among rural citizens about their roots, ‘Sanatan Dharma’ and India’s rich culture.

“The aim of the Shaurya Yatras is to reaffirm the importance of culture preservation and to make people aware of the grand consecration ceremony of Ram temple. Through these yatras, our aim is to create awareness among the youths about ‘Sanatan Dharma’,” the VHP member added.

MEERUT YATRA

The Meerut yatra saw a massive crowd from all communities. Amid the sea of saffron-clad participants, the Jain Vivah Mandap stood as a symbol of unity among people from different religious groups. “It’s an initiative to remind youths and all other participants of their traditional values and rich tradition of India and Sanatan Dharma, which must be upheld and passed on to future generations,” a Bajrang Dal activist said.

The activist also made an appeal to the people to use the word ‘Bharat’ instead of ‘India’. “Initially, the focus will be East UP districts, however, in later phases, the yatras will be carried out in other parts of UP. Other than Meerut, we will cover Hapur, Amroha, Sambhal, Bulandshahr, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Shyamli, Saharanpur, Bijnor, Moradabad and Rampur,” he said.

Moreover, there are plans to carry out Rath Yatras on various routes. “During Rath Yatras, religious meetings, ceremonies, yagyas and awareness programme will be carried out along the route in order to unite people and to make them aware of their culture and religion,” said Alok Kumar, International Working President, VHP.

Shaurya Yatras and other celebrations related to the Pran Pratishtha ceremony were chalked out last month during a high-profile meeting with VHP and Bajrang Dal activists in Ayodhya. Senior RSS leaders Suresh Bhaiyyaji and Dattatreya Hosabale will oversee the preparations.