(TibetanReview.net, Aug05’20) – His Holiness the Dalai Lama has cited precautionary health measure in view of the Covid pandemic and his old age for being unable to attend the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ ceremony in Ayodhya on Aug 5 for the construction of the Ram Mandir there, reported tribuneindia.com Aug 4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among those attending the ceremony in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
The Dalai Lama was invited to the ceremony by Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerath Kshetra Trust which has been entrusted to build the temple following a recent Supreme Court order on the long disputed site which is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Ram. A Muslim dome which stood over the site was believed to have been built over a demolished Hindu temple and the dispute had lingered over many decades.
The trust was reported to have invited spiritual figures and leaders of different faiths for the ceremony. The invitees were stated to include the chairperson of the Shia Central Waqf Board Syed Waseem Rizvi and the head of the Sunni Central Waqf Board Zufar Ahmad Farooqi.
Soil from about 2,000 religious and spiritual sites and waters of about 200 holy rivers were brought to Ayodhya, with more being en route, for the ceremony. They will be intermingled in a proposed ‘kalash (reliquary)’ during the ceremony, the report said.
