Something big is happening in Bharat after 500 long years. Common sense says that it should have happened much earlier. Latest in 1947, when India was partitioned on religious lines and Indians, who had converted to Islam, got Pakistan. At that time, it would have been natural for Hindus to get back their temples, which had been destroyed by invaders and mosques built on them as symbols of dominance and supremacy.
But maybe, now is just the right time for Bharat and the world to get back the Mandir at the birthplace of Shri Ram. The reason is that Ram is an epitome of Dharma, who fought and vanquished adharmic forces – and in our times, adharma has become exceptionally strong and also needs to be fought and vanquished.
Humanity is presently not in good shape – without roots and direction, without meaning and values. It’s called “being woke” and even portrayed as positive. It spread among Westerners and already shows some impact among young Indians. Truth as such is now declared as non-existent, because “everyone has his own truth”. There is no objective meaning to life either, but it’s now a “personal matter”. Humans are dumbed down with junk food, drugs and low-grade entertainment, which only benefits the producers.
The belief in a Supreme Being and a soul has been ridiculed by “renowned” philosophers and scientists, like Yuval Noah Harari or Stephen Hawking. And many more terrible things, which were up to now hidden, are coming to light thanks to the alternative media and whistle blowers. The worst of these things is probably the massive scale of child trafficking – for sex, organ and blood harvesting and even for ritualistic “sacrifice” (means murder) to propitiate demonic forces by members of secret societies, who hold powerful positions on top of the pyramid. It’s all so unbelievable but several whistleblowers have been silenced after speaking up and this sadly gives them credence. The eternal strife between Devas and asuras is well underway in this world of Maya, and the asuras seem to have the upper hand. Lust, anger and greed – the three gates to the hell of self-destruction according to Shri Krishna (Bh.G 16.21) – are rampant. Clearly, attempts are made to cut off humans from atma, their divine self – the worst thing that can possibly happen.
In the midst of a dark scenario, Bharat is still a beacon of light, even though Kal Yug shows its effect here, too. Yet most Indians still have faith in their Hindu Dharma
In the midst of this dark scenario, Bharat is still a beacon of light, even though Kal Yug shows its effect here, too. Yet most Indians still have faith in their Hindu Dharma. They still know about their divine core (atma) and have devotion for the Devas. Bharat is the only place on earth, where daily in many thousand temples the Devas are worshipped for the well-being of all, and not the asuras or Satanic forces for personal wealth, power and sense-enjoyment. Every morning and evening, mandirs reverberate with the arati for the Bhagwan of the world (Om jaya Jagatdisha hare) or for the deities of the particular temple, who are all essentially one with the one Great Brahman or Sat-Chit-Ananda – blissful consciousness. The deities are not somewhere in heaven, but present in the temple due to Pran Pratishtha having been performed, where the stone idol is infused with Prana, the divine life-force. And now, on January 22, 2024, a most special Pran Pratishtha will be performed: Shri Ram will become a living presence in the newly-constructed Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Ayodhya – the name evokes great emotions in Hindus.
Ayodhya is the place where Ram was born, and where he grew up with his brothers Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughna; where the sage Vashishta taught them the ancient wisdom. It is the place where He brought Sita as his wife from Janakpur; from where He, Sita and Lakshman left for His long exile on the very same day, when His coronation was planned. It is the place where his father died of grief over the separation from his dearest son; where his brother Bharat ruled, putting the padukas of Ram on the throne… and to which Ram returned with Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman after he had defeated the demon king Ravana in Lanka, and established the benevolent Ram Rajya.
Every Hindu knows the details of Ram’s life. The Ramayana is ingrained in them. It is played on village stages, chanted in ashrams and was an absolute hit on TV. It is a sacred scripture that contains all that one needs to know to live a dignified life, and to behave in an ideal way in midst of challenges. Shri Ram is an outstanding example for humans – noble, just, brave, ever protecting the weak, and keeping his word. And he is dearly beloved.
Therefore, is there any question at all why Hindus fought for 500 years to get back this very special place and sacrificed so much? They fought not only against the invaders. In recent decades, they also had to fight against their own people – scheming politicians, communists and former Hindus who had converted to Islam, who all denied that Ram was real and that there was a Mandir earlier. Yet this is now past, finally. Bharat is in a celebratory mood. Many Hindus have taken vows in the run-up to Pran Pratishtha, to purify themselves for the historic occasion. Japa of the Ram Mantra is done and devotional bhajans are sung or listened to.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be a witness of the Pran Pratishtha on behalf of 140 crore Bharatiyas, too, has announced that he will follow certain rituals for 11 days prior to the Pran Pratishtha because – in his own words – “I have to awaken divine consciousness in myself, too”. As Prime Minister, he has tremendous responsibility. He surely needs and will ask for guidance from Prabhu Shri Ram. There is a good chance that Western media will criticise PM Modi for being so unapologetically Hindu. They may wonder, what it is about Hindu Dharma which makes people stick to it, in spite of all the negative propaganda against it by the Abrahamic religions, by communists and media. Why are the attacks on Hinduism from all sides not working as planned? Why do now even more Hindus treasure their heritage again? Why do even many foreigners consider Hindu Dharma as the best option for humanity and the world? The answer is easy: Hindu Dharma is based on truth and righteous living. It tells us who we really are in our essence (eternal Atma). And in this temporary world of Maya, it is on the side of Devas, who want to liberate us from Maya by realising our divine consciousness, and not on the side of those, who want to drive us deeper into ignorance and bondage.
Yet there is still a big challenge for Bharat: How to make those who have been massively indoctrinated to look down on the faith of their Hindu ancestors – either by their newly adopted religions or by the education system – also see this truth?
Hopefully, Shri Ram gives sadbuddhi to all. And may all feel His Divine Presence in their hearts…
