Religious and cultural events at Eden Park on Sunday, January 21, 2024
Long Read
Venkat Raman
Auckland, January 1, 2024
Members of the Hindu community in Auckland will conduct a religious ceremony and a cultural programme on Sunday, January 21, 2024, paying obeisance to Lord Ram (or Lord Rama), an Avatar of Lord Vishnu, worshipped as the Protector of the Universe.
The event, being organised by the recently constituted Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Prana Pratishta Mahotsav Committee, will be held at Outer Oval, Eden Park from 1 pm and 6 pm.
The programme will include extensive religious observances including Homam (or Havan), chanting slokas and mantras in praise of Lord Rama, Kirtans, speeches and a cultural programme, culminating in Mahaprasad. Further details will appear in our next story.
The Auckland Programme precedes but commemorates the official opening of the multi-million dollar Ram Mandir (Temple) in the ancient city of Ayodhya in the North Indian State of Uttar Pradesh, where Lord Rama was born and raised. He was exiled for 14 years in terms of a boon granted by his father King Dasaratha to his third wife Kaikeyi.
Lord Rama’s return to Ayodhya and his coronation as the King are marked by a section of Hindus as Diwali (or Deepavali) and other festivities by others.
The new Temple in Ayodhya marks the ‘Return of Sri Ram’ in another sense- after almost 500 years, after the rule of the Moguls, the British and a legal battle. Hindus therefore consider the official opening on January 22, 2024 as one of the greatest events in the annals of Indian and Hindu history.
Refreshers
A Billion Rama Nama to commemorate Ayodhya Temple opening
Diwali resonates good health with prosperity of the mind and body
A new abode for Lord Rama in West Auckland
Hamilton joins the first global recitation of Ramayan verses
Rama Navami should ignite the inner spark of rediscovery
About the Pratishta Committee
Reportedly established on the initiative of Hindu leaders Dr Kanti Patel, Dinesh Pahuja, Vinod Kumar, Dhansukh Lal, Manish Tanna and Shivani Arora, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Prana Pratishta Mahotsav Committee currently has 53 members including officials and volunteers of Hindu Temples and Indian associations.
We have the names of only 43 individuals. They are Aman, Ambrish Gupta, Anil Jain, Anil Sharma, Bhaskar Duvvuru Reddy, Dr Devram K Raval, Dhansukh Lal, Dharmesh Parikh, Dinesh, Dr Guna Magesan, Dr Kanti Patel, Govind Gohil, Hansa Naran, Hariprerit Das, Hariprerit Das, Ilango Krishnamoorthy, Jaigopal, Jyoti, Kashika Singh, Kiran Vagela, Kishan Raj, Krish Naidu, Manish Tanna, Nagaraj Ambale, Parameswaran Chandru, Parth Patel, Pravin Kumar, Prithi Pal Singh Basra, Raja Guru, Ram Kumar Sewak, Ram Lingam, Ramesh, Ranjna Patel, Roshan Nauhria, Saburi Laxman, Sai Tej, Sashi Kumar, Shivani Arora, Shraddha Laxman, Shrikant Bhave, Veer Khar, Dr Vinay, Yugal Parashar.
The website describes the Mission of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Prana Pratishta Committee in New Zealand as “rooted in the preservation and promotion of the cultural and spiritual heritage associated with Shri Ram Janmabhoomi.”
“Committed to fostering a sense of devotion and reverence among the Indian Diaspora in New Zealand, the Committee seeks to actively engage the community in activities that celebrate the rich traditions and history of Lord Rama. By organising events, ceremonies, and educational initiatives, the Committee aims to create a vibrant cultural space that connects the Indian community with their religious roots and encourages the transmission of these values to future generations. Through its dedicated efforts, the Committee aspires to contribute to the global dialogue on religious harmony, heritage preservation, and the importance of cultural continuity,” it said.
Manish Tanna
Mr Tanna said that the event on January 21 in Auckland will be a “jubilant celebration of the cultural identity of Bharat and Lord Rama, who triumphantly returns to his Janmabhoomi (Place of Brith) on January 22, 2024 in Ayodhya.
“In addition, several individual organisations across New Zealand are organising dedicated events to pay respects to Lord Rama during the weekend beginning January 20. The programme will include Mahayagya (Holy Fire) with the participation of the community, songs and dances in praise of the Lord, History of Ram Janmabhoomi, speeches, distribution of prizes to winners in competitions for youth and children and Mahaprasad. Further details of this event and those of other organisations can be accessed on our website and Facebook page,” he said.
Mr Tanna described it as a privilege to be able to celebrate the momentous occasion of the Pran Pratishtha of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
“Another matter of pride is the gesture of the authorities in India to construct a Mosque complex to promote cohesion. We are blessed to be in New Zealand, a country that believes in inclusive community life,” he said.
Website: https://shriramreturns.org/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/p/Bhajan-Satsangh-Auckland-100064709465135
Vinod Kumar
Vinod Kumar said that since everyone cannot visit Ayodhya to celebrate the Return of Lord Ram (in essence the Ram Mandir), the Committee decided to bring Ayodhya to Eden Park. “It will be a very joyous occasion and an opportunity of a lifetime. The Temple will be there for thousands of years and we thought that the best would be to get all together under one assembly and be a part of the ceremony,” he said.
Dhansukh Lal
Dhansukh Lal, who is currently President of the Auckland Indian Association (AIA) said that he and his team at AIA are proud to be associated with the Committee.
“This celebration at Eden Park will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all Hindus to be part of. We cannot be at Ayodhya but we can bring Ayodhya to Auckland. The Hindu community is excited and is looking forward to the grand celebration which is a free event followed by Dinner,” he said.
The Mandir Dispute and Supreme Court Verdict
Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, is a Hindu deity. According to the famous epic, Ramayana, Lord Rama was born in Ayodhya.
Historical records state that a Temple was established more than 7000 years ago in Ayodhya for community worship.
In the 16th century, the Temple was attacked and destroyed by Mogul King Babur in his series of Temple raids across northern India. Later, the Mughals constructed a Mosque, the Babri Masjid, which is believed to be the site of the Ram Janmabhoomi, the birthplace of Rama. The earliest record of the Mosque may be traced to 1767, in the Latin book ‘Descriptio Indiae,’ by the Jesuit missionary Joseph Tiefenthaler. According to him, the Mosque was constructed by destroying the “Ramkot Temple, believed to be the fortress of Rama in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Rama.”
The first instance of religious violence was documented in 1853. In December 1858, the British administration prohibited Hindus from performing Poojas at the contested site. A platform was created for conducting rituals outside the Mosque.
The Sadhus of Ayodhya installed an idol of Lord Ram in the central hall of the disputed Temple site on the night of 22–23 December 1949.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) launched a new movement in the 1980s to reclaim the site for Hindus and to erect a Temple dedicated to the infant Rama (Ram Lalla) at this spot. The VHP began to collect funds and bricks with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ written on them.
Later, the government under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi permission to the VHP to proceed with laying the foundation but later agreed with the government of Uttar Pradesh (where Ayodhya is located) that the works be held outside the disputed site.
However, on November 9, 1989, a group of VHP leaders and Sadhus placed the foundation stone by digging a seven cubic-foot pit adjacent to the disputed land and constructed the main entrance to the sanctum sanctorum.
On December 6, 1992, the VHP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) organised a rally at the site with 150,000 volunteers and tore down the Mosque.
The Archaeological Survey of India submitted two reports, one each in 1978 and 2003 with conclusive evidence that the Hindu temple existed on the site. The following years witnessed legal disputes and enforcement of the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act in 1993. It was only after the Supreme Court’s verdict in 2019, that it was decided that the disputed land would be handed over to a Trust formed by the Government of India for the construction of a Ram temple.
The Trust was formed under the name of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. The government announced in Parliament on February 5, 2020 that it had accepted a plan to construct the Temple. Two days later, on February 7, 2020, five acres of land were allocated for a new Mosque to be built 22 km away from Ayodhya in Dhannipur village.
The drive to collect funds began in early 2021 with two million volunteers of VHP reaching out to more than 130 million people. Donations have been pouring from political, business and community leaders and common people. According to Temple Trust Chairman (and former Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister) Nripendra Misra, more than $680 million has thus far been collected.
“We have not sought or received any funding from either the Central or State governments. This is a project of the people of India,” he said in a recent interview.
Modi launches multiple projects
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Ayodhya on December 30, 2023 to inaugurate and launch several projects, with a financial outlay of over $3 billion.
He inaugurated the redeveloped railway station, which has been renamed Ayodhya Dham. The three-storey structure, redeveloped for $46 million is a certified green building and is equipped with lifts, escalators, waiting halls, cloakrooms and food plazas. The station’s facade has a traditional look and many aspects of the design are inspired by Lord Ram’s life as well as the Ram Temple.
Mr Modi also flagged off six Vande Bharat and two new Amrit Bharat trains. The Amrit Bharat trains, which are a new category of superfast passenger trains, feature the ‘push-pull’ technology, which increases their speed as well as passenger comfort. They also have improved amenities, including better seats, roomier luggage racks, LED lights, CCTV cameras and a public information system.
The Ayodhya Airport, which is called the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham, has been developed at $280 million. The airport’s terminal has an area of 6500 sq m and will be equipped to serve about one million passengers annually. Colourful murals depicting different stages of the Ramayana and Lord Ram’s life adorn several sections of the airport. Airlines will offer flights to and from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Ahmedabad to cater to the thousands of people who are expected to visit the Ram Temple every day after the consecration ceremony.
Of the development works, projects worth more than $2.5 billion will make Ayodhya an international city, simultaneously developing the surrounding areas. These include a medical college, the Ayodhya bypass, a solid waste treatment and five parking and commercial facilities.
Tickets for the event in Eden Park on January 21 can be booked at the website of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Prana Pratishta Mahotsav Committee: https://shriramreturns.org/
The Committee will be grateful for your financial contribution.
