New Delhi, Feb 28 Just ahead of the second meeting of the Ram Janmabhoomi trust meeting in Ayodhya on March 3, a 3-day-long festival called 'Ayodhya Parv' to celebrate the ancient city began here on Friday.
The little-known event organised by a trust saw the top leadership of the RSS, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Ram Mandir trust throw their weight behind it, even bring in reference of veteran socialist leaded Ram Manohar Lohia and his liking for Ram.
While the organisers say the intent of the event is to project the 'Awadhi socio- cultural ethos', "Ram, Ramayan and Ram Mandir" were the dominating phrases.
"Dominance of Ayodhya will be dominance of Lord Ram," said RSS Sah-Sarakaryavaah (Joint General Secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale, who was present at the event. He even brought in reference of Lohia to stress the importance he attached to Ram.
Comparing the 'Ayodhya Parv' to Lohia's Ram festival in Chitrakoot, he took opportunity to take a dig at "aaj Ka Samajwadi (today's socialists)".
The political dig did not get lost among the audience amid "Jai Shri Ram" chants.
The festival was inaugurated by the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust Chairman, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. VHP's Champat Rai was also present at the event that is intended to amplify the discourse around Lord Ram, Ayodhya and of course Ram Mandir.
The government had gone in full throttle to make the event at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) a grand success. A host of Union Ministers like Ravi Shankar Prasad and Dharmendra Pradhan, as well as former ministers like Sanjay Paswan, or Manoj Sinha are expected to visit during the three day extravaganza filled with politics, art, culture and literature.
"Ayodhya plays a pivotal role in the religious, spiritual and cultural history of India, not just because it's the birthplace of Lord Ram, but also because of its rich past," Lallu Singh the Ayodhya MP told . He is the main person behind this initiative.
The festival hosts Sita Rasoi, the representation of a site at the Ram Janma Bhoomi complex believed to be the kitchen used by Sita. While the Sita Rasoi will offer various authentic food from the region, the idea however is to infiltrate a soft power around Ram Mandir into one's cultural consciousness. Awadhi folk dancers and singers will only help in that direction.
The organisers say the event to make people experience the real essence of the place that holds immense cultural, historical and intellectual importance in Indian society.
While the organisers insist it is not a typically political event, but various discussions and debates are also being organised, one of them being the concept of 'Ramrajya'.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 5 had announced the formation of the 15-member trust in Parliament. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust has seven members, five nominated members and three trustees. The trust was formed as per the Supreme Court verdict is the Ayodhya land dispute case in November last year. Now with the the announcement of the date of Ram Mandir construction commencement expected any time soon, 'Ayodhya Parv' is likely to be part of many such events to come in the days to come that adds to the Ram-centric atmosphere that may prove to be crucial in 2022 Uttar Pradesh Assembkly election when Yogi Adityanath will seek a second term.
( With inputs from IANS )