Ram temple consecration invites limited due to lack of space but shrine belongs to all: Karnataka seer

Mangaluru: Udupi Pejawar Mutt chief and member of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Swami Vishwaprasanna Teertha on Wednesday said no one should feel slighted about not receiving an invitation to the Lord Rama temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya as the "temple belongs to all".

He told reporters in Udupi that due to space constraints inside the temple, many Ram Bhakts including saints, chiefs of mutts, people’s representatives and donors could not be invited for the consecration.

No one should think the Ram Mandir is BJP’s temple, he said, adding that all devotees will get an opportunity to have darshan of Lord Ram Lalla from the next day of the consecration. “It is a temple that belongs to all Indians and built with people’s money collected from devotees all over the world," he said.

Devotees should not feel slighted if they have not been given invitations, he reiterated. The Swami said those who have been invited should certainly be part of the ceremony.

Many tents and sheds have been erected for devotees to stay on the premises from the next day as it will be difficult for people to sleep out in the open in the biting cold, he said.

Expressing displeasure at the recent arrest of a 'kar sevak' in Hubballi, he claimed that it is a part of an effort to sideline Hindus. The state government should clear the misgivings and confusion among the people in this regard, he said.

The Pejawar seer also said he backed Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna’s demand to declare January 22, the day of ‘Prana Pratishta’ at Ayodhya as a public holiday, respecting the faith and sentiments of Hindus.