Venu Menon
Wellington, January 23, 2024
The Wellington Chapter of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Celebration Committee members, as well as Indian High Commission officials, jointly received the idols of Ram and Sita in Wellington after their arrival from Auckland today.
After the customary ritual ceremony, the idols were duly installed in the Gita Mandir at Bharat Bhavan in Kilbirnie.
On Monday, the committee hosted an event to coincide with the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, India.
Over 1000 Ram Bhakts packed the venue popularly known as the Wellington Indian Association (WIA) hall in Kilbirnie to celebrate Ram Mahotsav, as a live telecast of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya ran alongside.
The programme kicked off with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by High Commissioner of India to New Zealand Neeta Bhushan, WIA President Manisha Morar, along with members of the organising committee. Wellington ISCKON President Jagjivan Das simultaneously lit another lamp mounted on the stage at the foot of a Ram idol. This was followed by a song from Yudhistar, a Wellington-based Indian musician and member of religious organisation Gayatri Pariwar.
Shashi Jokhan, who, along with Vijeshni Rattan of the Hindu Council, hosted the programme, briefed the gathering on the Ramayana epic.
High Commissioner Bhushan opened her remarks by acknowledging the role of organising committee members Shashi Jokhan, Ajendra Jokhan, Manisha Morar and others.
“Today [Monday, 22 January 2024] the temple of Lord Sri Ram is being inaugurated in Ayodhya. The sacredness and centrality of this temple for our civilisation is something that has been passed on from civilisation to civilisation, and from generation to generation. Lord Ram remains a uniting force for all Indians all over the world,” High Commissioner Bhushan said.
She described the inauguration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as “a landmark event in the history of India, and a symbol of faith, unity and our deep cultural ethos stemming from our principle of Vasudev Kutumbakam (the whole world is a family). And Lord Ram is considered a common, uniting thread that binds the diversity of India.”
“There is no region in India which does not have stories of Lord Ram’s visit during his vanvas or exile. He had toured the country extensively and everyone of us has heard his stories from different parts of the country,” High Commissioner Bhushan noted.
She referenced the commemorative postage stamps released by Prime Minister Modi, which included two stamps from New Zealand. “In 1989, when Shila pooja was performed in Ayodhya, the pooja was conducted at the same time in several countries. New Zealand was one of those countries where Shila pooja was held,” High Commissioner Bhushan noted, adding: “Lord Ram is a binding thread not just for Indians. If you go to South Asia, South-east Asia, and other parts of the world, there are anecdotes related to Lord Ram everywhere.”
She said the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya “stands as a modern symbol of our eternal culture, indomitable national spirit, and the Sanathan Dharma, which is a repository of all our eternal values.”
High Commissioner Bhushan closed her speech by thanking “our Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modiji for his dedication, his leadership, and his inspiration which have made this event possible today.”
Shashi Jokhan wrapped up by explaining the meaning of Pran (life force) Pratishta (establish), which accompanied the instalment of an idol, to the audience.
Among the highlights of the evening were the mesmeric chanting of Sanskrit shlokas by a team of saffron-robed priests, followed by dance performances by students of the Mayur and Mudra dance academies, bhajans by different troupes, as well as the rendition of the Hanuman Chalisa.
Manisha Morar, who was recently bestowed with the Queen’s Service Medal for her service to the Indian community, delivered the vote of thanks.
Venu Menon is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Wellington
