As the highly anticipated consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya approaches on January 22, 2024, organizers are gearing up for a grand event with approximately 8,000 invitees, including 1,500-1,600 distinguished guests. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat are scheduled to address the inauguration function.
The Ram Temple Trust has extended invitations to former Prime Ministers, national party chiefs, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, the Dalai Lama, and Bollywood icons Amitabh Bachchan, Rajnikanth, and Madhuri Dixit Nene, among other prominent personalities. Additionally, key figures from the BJP, such as L K Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Vinay Katiyar, who played crucial roles in the Ram Temple movement, have been invited to the historic occasion.
The event is not confined to Ayodhya alone, as sources in the RSS emphasize the broader theme of “Sabke Ram” (Ram belongs to all). To amplify this message, the Sangh Parivar plans to launch a nationwide door-to-door campaign from January 1 to January 15, distributing symbolic invites in the form of “Akshat” (rice). People are encouraged to organize gatherings in their local temples on January 22 to mark the opening of the Ram Temple.
While the focus is on Ayodhya, the organizers stress that January 22 will be a national-scale program, with events expected to take place globally. Local programs will be live-streamed, fostering a sense of unity as the nation and the world join in tandem with the events in Ayodhya.
For the BJP, the inauguration of the Ram Temple represents the realization of a major ideological cause championed for over three decades. The party sees this as a crucial message for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, signaling that, along with the abrogation of Article 370, the BJP has fulfilled promises to its core constituency despite opposition from other parties.
The Ram Temple issue, which was put on hold during the Atal Behari Vajpayee era, has now come to fruition under the BJP’s majority rule since 2014, following the Supreme Court’s unanimous judgment in November 2019. Party insiders suggest that the temple is not just about ideology but serves as part of a thematic link to highlight the BJP’s commitment to delivering on promises, ranging from free food distribution to the successful handling of Covid vaccination. As the Lok Sabha polls approach in April-May 2024, the BJP aims to convey a consistent message of credibility and fulfillment of commitments to voters nationwide.
