Mohan Bhagwat Declares Ram Mandir Consecration as India's 'True Independence'

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat hailed the Ram Mandir consecration as India's "true independence," urging its celebration as "Pratishtha Dwadashi." He emphasized the temple's role in reviving India's spiritual identity, linking prosperity to cultural heritage. Speaking in Indore, Bhagwat also highlighted India's 5,000-year-old inclusive traditions and their modern significance.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat has described the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as the day Bharat achieved its "true independence." Speaking at an event in Indore, where he presented the National Devi Ahilya Award to Champat Rai, General Secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, Bhagwat proposed celebrating the day as "Pratishtha Dwadashi."

According to Bhagwat, while political independence was achieved in 1947, the nation's spirit of self-realization was fully awakened with the construction of the Ram temple. He emphasized that the Ram Mandir movement was not directed against anyone but aimed at reviving India's cultural identity, which had faced centuries of external aggression.

The RSS leader linked India's spiritual and cultural traditions, tracing back 5,000 years, to the teachings of Lord Ram, Krishna, and Shiva. He argued that the destruction of temples by invaders sought to erase India's "self," and the temple's completion signifies the country's ability to stand on its own and lead the world.

Bhagwat also recounted his meeting with former President Pranab Mukherjee, who had praised India's secular Constitution and its deep-rooted tradition of inclusivity. Addressing critiques of the movement, Bhagwat suggested that India's path to prosperity and self-reliance begins with preserving its cultural and spiritual heritage, symbolized by the Ram Mandir.

Also Read: Cold Wave Grips Delhi-NCR; Orange Alert Issued for Dense Fog and Isolated Rainfall

The consecration ceremony occurred on January 22, 2024, and is now positioned as a landmark moment in India's history, celebrated according to the Hindu calendar's Paush Shukla Paksha Dwadashi.