With the Pran Pratishtha just two days away, Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati has sparked a new controversy over the grand ceremony.
In a letter addressed to Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, he objected to the Pran Pratishtha of a new idol of Shri Ram in place of the existing idol of Shri Ram Lalla which was discovered at the Ram Janmabhoomi in 1949.
श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम
— 1008.Guru (@jyotirmathah) January 18, 2024
*शंकराचार्य जी ने ट्रस्ट को पत्र लिखा*
ज्योतिष्पीठ के शङ्कराचार्य स्वामिश्रीः अविमुक्तेश्वरानंदः सरस्वती '१००८' महाराज ने *श्रीरामजन्मभूमि तीर्थ क्षेत्र ट्रस्ट के अध्यक्ष महोदय को पत्र लिखा*
पत्र संलग्न है।
कृपया ध्यान दें और अग्रेषित करें। pic.twitter.com/nAOeE5MaHG
Notably, a clarification has already been issued by the trust in this regard nearly a year ago. This row comes at a time when the controversy over the Shankaracharya’s refusal to attend the Pran Pratishtha has barely settled.
The letter written by the Shankaracharya states, “The question that arises is that if the new idol will be consecrated then will happen to Shri Ram Lalla Virajman? Till now the devotees were of the impression that the new temple is being made for Shri Ram Lalla Virajman but now the installation of some new idol in the sanctum sanctorum for consecration has raised doubts about whether this will be disrespectful to Shri Ram Lalla Virajman.”
He has appealed to the trust only Shri Ram Lalla Virajman’s idol should be consecrated “otherwise it will be considered injustice to Shri Ram Lalla Virajman”.
Moreover, the letter also addresses Ram Mandir’s Chief Architect Chandrakant Sompura asking why he allowed for the temple to be available for Pran Pratishtha when it is not yet complete.
The trust had issued a clarification about a year ago
In April 2023, when the initial information about Shri Ram’s new idol was released, a question that struck the mind of many Hindus was that when one Ram Lalla idol is already present, why do we need the second idol?
OpIndia spoke to Vishwa Hindu Parishad (South Bihar) district head Kameshwar Choupal, also a member of the trust, to understand the rationale behind the decision.
Choupal said that there are two types of idols; one is known as ‘Utsav Murti’ and the other is known as ‘Pran Pratishtha Murti’. “Pran Pratishtha idols cannot be moved anywhere, they stay where they are installed. At the same time, ‘Utsav Murti’ is taken out in events like Jhankis or Shobha Yatras,” he said.
He said that the new idol of Shri Ram placed on a pedestal in the Garbha Griha would give devotees a clear sight of the idol right from head to toe from a distance of 19 feet.
It must be noted that the existing idol of Shri Ram Lalla Virajman will be placed in the temple during the Pran Pratishtha.
Since Shri Ram Lalla Virajman’s idol is smaller in size, it is evident that it will be enshrined as the ‘Utsav Murti’ and will be taken out for Jhankis and Shobha Yatras while the new idol will be placed as the ‘Pran Pratishtha Murti’.
Notably, the existing idol of Shri Ram Lalla Virajman is merely six inches in height and the idols of his brothers and his Supreme devotee Hanuman are even smaller. This was also one of the reasons why the trust decided to make a bigger standing idol.
So where will Shri Ram Lalla Virajman be?
As per reports, the new idol of Shri Ram has been installed in the sanctum sanctorum while the existing idol of Shri Ram Lalla Virajman along with his brothers Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughna will installed right in front of the new idol inside the sanctum sanctorum.
Yet another controversy coming from a Dharmaguru ahead of the most pious ceremonies and celebrations in the country is in bad taste.
पहली बात तो आप इतना तनाव न लें क्योंकि आप शंकराचार्य नहीं हैं न्यायालय ने रोक लगा रखी है
— SAFFRON 🚩 (@Adv_saffron) January 18, 2024
और दूसरी बात अयोध्या में जो भी कुछ हो रहा है शास्त्र सम्मत हो रहा है प्रभु राम जी की कृपा से हो रहा है
तीसरी बात फिर से आप शंकराचार्य नहीं है न्यायालय ने रोक लगा रखी है
Netizens have been openly expressing their displeasure with the Shankaracharya who first refused to attend the Pran Pratishtha citing that the Ram Mandir structure was incomplete and hence Pran Pratishtha was against rituals.
However, many experts, the most primary being the renowned Hindu astrologer Shri Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid Ji, have cited several Hindu scriptures providing evidence as to why the Pran Pratishtha can indeed be performed even if the temple structure is not entirely constructed.
Moreover, Jyotirmath Shankaracharya has also gone on to make borderline political statements implying that the government is in a rush to conduct the consecration owing to political reasons.
