Clarion call for Ram Temple construction was given from Haridwar

The holy city of Haridwar assumes special significance with regard to the Ram Temple agitation, as it was from the banks of the Ganga that the clarion call for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya was given. Many religious meeting were held in Haridwar, where the strategy of the agitation was discussed.

Haridwar (Uttarakhand): August 5, 2020 will be a special day for the devotees of Lord Ram in Haridwar, as it was here on the banks of the Ganga that the first call was given for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, which resulted in a country-wide agitation.

The five-century-old dispute was brought to a conclusion by the Supreme Court in November last year, when it paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya.

The preparations by the government for the foundation ceremony of Ram Temple on August 5 are in the final stage. On August 5, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will offer prayers at the site and lay the foundation stone of the temple.

Clarion call was given from Haridwar

A long drawn out agitation was carried out for the construction of the temple of Lord Ram. The holy city of Haridwar had played a prime role in this agitation, as it was from here that the first call for the construction of the temple was given. VHP leader Ashok Tripathi, one of the main activists associated with the agitation confirmed the same.

Numerous meetings held in Haridwar

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad was formed in 1986 and the agitation for the Ram Temple began in January 1989, when a victory procession was taken out in Haridwar. A religious conference of saints was held in Haridwar by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The first big conference was held on the grounds of Bhalla College in Haridwar where the call for the construction of the Ram Temple was given.

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Among those who played a big role in the agitation were Ashok Singhal, Champat Rai Acharya, Giriraj Kishore and other saints of Haridwar like Brahmaleen Swami Satyamitranand, Swami Chinmayanand Maharaj and Dev Anandji Maharaj. Rakesh Bajrangi of Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Haridwar also played a primary role in the agitation.

Strategy was discussed in meetings

It was in Haridwar that the announcement for the Ram temple was made. Following this, a country-wide programme of consecrating bricks for the temple was organised at which people used to contribute Rs 1.25 each and donate a brick. The phase of taking out Ram Jyoti torch processions began.

Read:Ayodhya Timeline: Here's how the events unfolded

According to Ashok Tripathi, many programmes of Dharma Sansad (Religious Parliament) were held in Haridwar during which several meetings were attended by Ashok Singhal, Acharya Giriraj Kishore, Champat Rai and various other saints.

Pledge taken on the bank of the Ganga

Haridwar is also considered a major centre of the Ram temple agitation because the pledge for the construction of the Ram Temple was taken from the banks of the Ganga.

Ashok Tripathi said that though there are many holy cities in the country like Ayodhya, Varanasi, and Mathura, Haridwar occupies a special place in people's hearts.

A member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, Yug Purush Paramanand Giri Maharaj said that mendicants of all akharas of the country hold meetings from time to time in Haridwar. Members of the advisory committee and the Dharma Sansad used to meet here to discuss the strategy of the agitation.

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