Ayodhya is being developed as the religious capital for Hindus in India
“Ayodhya is being developed as the religious capital for Hindus in India. Efforts are underway to make January 22, 2024, a significant day in people’s minds, surpassing January 26 or August 15.”
Nationalist Agenda:
Hinduism has become a divisive ailment across India, fueled by the nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The roots lie in media outlets, TV channels, and various platforms of social media, while political parties and governments actively contribute to spreading this infectious malady.
Criticism may arise against discussing religion in such a negative light or objecting to comparing the spread of religion with a contagious disease. It can be argued whether being religious is inherently bad. However, the religious context here is not the spiritually enriching kind, despite the perception one might have.
We perceive religion as a force greater and beyond ourselves, governing our lives. Religion teaches us a degree of helplessness and imparts a sense that we do not decide everything; much is beyond our control. This perspective also teaches us patience in the face of adversity, attributing all occurrences to the will of God, and providing resilience in negative situations. It does not extinguish faith. Instead, it instills the courage to endure difficult situations with patience.
However, the religion we are discussing is not like that. It is not a belief or conviction passed down from one generation to the next. It is a systematically planned and propagated ideology. In response to this, the argument can be made that the form of religion being presented as natural is not entirely innate. Ultimately, it is organized and planned in some way.
Religious experience is shaped through practices, beliefs, and rituals, constituting what we call religiosity. It is passed down by families and societies, and organized through household rituals and other social ceremonies. While certain religious occasions or historical events involve social rituals, the notion of religiosity may feel as innate as day and night. However, if families or communities fail to consistently foster it, being religious may become impossible.
Religiosity is derived from religious practices. Yet, the question remains: how do we define someone as religious? Is it someone who adheres faithfully to principles and regulations established by established traditions, possesses knowledge, and acts accordingly? Or does being religious mean something else? Does religion provide us with the destinies of life? Is following those destinies considered religious? What are those destinies?
The search for life’s destinies reveals that all religions generally provide similar destinies. Whether Hindu destinies, Christian destinies, Islamic destinies, Jewish destinies, or destinies of different tribal communities, similarities are observed. Hence, we all claim that the essence of all religions is the same. To put it simply, it is about becoming a good human being.
Or, if we listen to Tolstoy, compassion forms the basis of religion, and pride is the foundation of sin. Or that behaving kindly is virtuous, and committing injustice is sinful. As long as there is life in the body, the instinct of mercy should not be abandoned. Mercy means compassion. Therefore, being religious means acquiring all these qualities. Or that doing good to others and not causing harm to others is goodness. In this, the second word is very important. The way your behavior is with others, and how your relationship with others is, will determine whether you are religious or not.
Religion gives us a sense of purity and impurity. We do not usually find it in our daily experiences, so we create specific experiences. Special ceremonies are organized to create a sense of holiness, whether they be sacred places or events that differ from the rest of the calendar. A sacred land that will be different from other lands, whether it be a place of pilgrimage, temple, mosque, church, or a tree-surrounded by a sacred area or a place of worship at home. The holy land can be created anywhere you can perform prayers.
Alongside cleanliness, a sense of dignity and majesty is also a part of religious experiences. The reverence for a sublime existence beyond our human reality, coupled with a sense of our insignificance in its presence, forms an imaginative conception of a transcendent existence that we perceive through sensory means. The desire to merge oneself with this great power is a part of religious emotions. During prayers and worship, we bow before this power. In those moments of worship, we transcend worldly time.
Being religious means continually distinguishing between good and sin. The awareness of what is goodness and what is sin determines our behavior. The sense of joy is also associated with religion. However, this joy is different from worldly happiness. That’s why religious individuals perceive certain forms of recreation as something to abstain from.
Now, as we witness the current wave of religious fervor or its spread, resembling the outbreak of a contagious disease, we must ask. Is this the result of these experiences? We already know the answer. But before concluding, let’s examine how it is being disseminated.
In Delhi, the ruling party government has announced that every Tuesday in each ward, the recitation of Sundarkand and Hanuman Chalisa will take place. The government of Uttar Pradesh has issued extensive directives that on January 22, before and after the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol in the under-construction Ram Temple in Ayodhya, arrangements will be made by the administration to organize bhajans, kirtans, Ram Mandir Rath Yatra, Kailash Yatra, etc., in every street, village, and part of the city, and their expenses will be borne by the government treasury.
The Congress-led government in Karnataka has ordered the recitation of prayers and arti across the state on January 22. Governments of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Assam are also organizing special events on January 22. On this day, the sale of alcohol and meat will be restricted almost everywhere. The BJP government in Goa has declared this day a public holiday, but unlike other states, there is no restriction on alcohol. Special trains will be operated from several states to facilitate the pilgrimage of devotees to Ayodhya.
The Prime Minister of India initiated a ‘ritual’ on January 22 to establish eligibility for the central trustee position at the new Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He was seen pouring grains to feed cows of varying heights in the temple courtyard. While performing this act on Makar Sankranti, he demonstrated confidence in himself by associating his images with those of Kashinath, Lord Vishnu, as aides in the mission to establish him as the first Hindu emperor of India since ancient times. While feeding the cow at a lower height than his own, he symbolically displayed humility. Like ministers of ancient kings, he was seen feeding grains and sweeping with a broom.
It is challenging to determine how much time the kings of yore spent on circumambulating temples or performing religious rituals.
It seems that a campaign is underway to establish Ayodhya as India’s religious capital or, more precisely, the religious capital of Hindus. January 22, 2024, is being positioned in people’s minds as a day bigger and more significant than January 26 or August 15. This surge can be viewed as a global epidemic in the Hindu world. In America, Hindus are organizing rallies, Diwali celebrations, etc., around January 22.
With the apprehension that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party might not outdo itself and that January 22 might not become the first date on the Hindu calendar, other political parties and their leaders are also expressing their Hindu identity.
On the day of Makar Sankranti, several leaders of the Congress party reached Ayodhya and were seen immersing themselves in the Sarayu while displaying their naked bodies. One of them, in a fervent manner, continued to chant slogans of victory for Lord Rama and Sita. It was all so grotesque, terrifying, and harsh that it was difficult to watch the entire video. Subsequently, one of them visited his village in Haryana, looted it, and continued to create images with the villagers, receiving blessings for Ayodhya.
We are also witnessing government officials and police officers openly declaring their Hindu identity. The mayor of Indore threatened shopkeepers in a menacing tone, stating that they would place replicas of the under-construction Ram Temple in their shops in Ayodhya. The Chief Minister of Haryana has set a daily target of gathering 10 thousand pilgrims for the Jagnath Kripa project across the state. It can be said that he accomplished this task on January 22.
Programs are being held in educational institutions around January 22. Large TV screens are being installed in colleges so that people can witness the installation of Lord Ram’s idol in Ayodhya on January 22.
Except for Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal, and Bihar, almost every state government has become an instrument for the infection of Hindutva. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal, and Bihar are being labeled as anti-Hindu. Even those not participating in the programs around January 22 are being called anti-Hindu. Congress party leaders have not accepted the invitation for January 22.
Leaving aside the BJP, even their party leaders are cursing them. They say that Congress leaders have hurt Hindu sentiments by doing so. Several Congress leaders are saying that they will go if top leaders wish.
If we look at this progression, it seems that all political parties agree on one thing: the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is a symbol of Hindu faith. Almost everyone has acknowledged this temple as the most important religious site for Hindus. So, is the Ram Temple truly representing Hindu spirituality, or have people forgotten that this temple was built through a series of deceit, lies, and criminal activities? It represents not spiritual but political power. Instead of policy, it changes religion into practical politics. Despite all this, does it still provide a religious experience?