In anticipation of the much-awaited inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has embarked on an extensive mass contact program named ‘Akshat.’ The program aims to engage people across the country in offering their respects to the temple by participating in prayer at their nearest places of worship.
The RSS has initiated ‘Akshat’ by urging individuals to join the cause and pray for the success of the consecration ceremony. Coordinated efforts have been made over the last few months through meetings held in various locations, involving members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the temple trust, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). RSS leaders have disclosed that they have deployed over 1000 volunteers across their 45 prants, operational provincial units, to carry out door-to-door outreach. These volunteers will distribute sacred offerings known as Akshat, which include rice, a picture of the Ram temple, and handbills from Ayodhya.
The volunteers’ primary objective is to encourage people to attend the consecration ceremony by being present at their nearest temple. The call for mass participation aims to make the event a collective expression of reverence and devotion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while inaugurating several developmental projects in Ayodhya, advised devotees not to visit the temple on the inauguration day due to logistical challenges. However, RSS leaders remain committed to the cause and have been actively coordinating with allies, including the VHP and Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, as well as the BJP, in various states.
Since October, the 1000 volunteers have received 5kg of Akshat from Ayodhya, which has been distributed among the people. An RSS functionary emphasised, “Our target is to light lamps in 5 crore houses and hold programs in more than 5 lakh temples, so that we can turn the entire country into Ayodhya.” In Karnataka alone, the RSS plans to reach out to 29,000 locations, where volunteers will engage in distributing sacred offerings and spreading awareness about the temple consecration.
On the inauguration day, RSS has planned satsangs in main temples across localities, including LED screens displaying live telecasts of the event in several towns and cities. The organisation intends to encourage households to light five diyas in the direction of Ayodhya in the evening, creating a collective expression of joy and celebration. Overall, more than 1.5 lakh volunteers are expected to participate in the ‘Akshat’ campaign.
As the nation eagerly awaits the historic moment of the Ram temple’s consecration, the RSS’s ‘Akshat’ program emerges as a testament to the widespread enthusiasm and support for the event. The initiative not only seeks to unite people in their devotion to Shri Ram but also aims to transform the entire country into a symbolic Ayodhya through collective prayers, rituals, and celebrations.
