Situation favourable to build Ram Mandir: Heggade

The work on the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should not be delayed as the situation is now favourable, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade stressed on Friday.

“Rama Mandir should be transformed into an international hub of religious faith and devotion,” he stressed while inaugurating the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s Central Board of Trustees and International Council Meeting-2019, organised at Sangha Niketana on Friday.

''Ayodhya is an abode of saints. Around 640 saints from Ayodhya had visited Sri Kshetra Dharmasthala,” Heggade recollected. He further stated that the horoscope of Lord Rama may be the reason for the delay in the construction of Ram Mandir.

“If one looks into Lord Ram’s life, even though he was an incarnation of the Lord Vishnu, he was subject to exile and could not lead a happy family life. Incidentally, the Mandir dedicated to him too, could not be realised soon.

Heggade said extreme poverty and other social issues might have forced conversion. But the situation is not the same today and conversion among various castes is not being witnessed in Karnataka today as there was widespread awareness owing to the rural development programmes. Heggade hoped that the clean temple campaign, observed on August 15 and January 14, should be extended to North India also.

Udupi Pejawar Mutt junior pontiff Vishwa Prasanna Teertha Swami said that the 60th anniversary of Vishva Hindu Parishad coincided with his 60th birthday and it was his keen desire to associate his life with the VHP.

‘’The Hindu culture focuses on the well-being of the entire universe. But the attacks by foreigners had made our mindsets narrow. The VHP believes in revitalising the Hindu community and there is a long way to go,” the seer added.

VHP National President Justice Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje, delivering the keynote address, criticised those who had adopted an anti-Hindu stand in the guise of secularism and now doing temple runs.

“Hindu community for long had been a victim of conspiracies carried out under the pretext of the so-called secularism. Since 2014, people from Hindu community have been proudly claiming themselves as Hindus. This was made possible by Vishva Hindu Parishad,’’ he said.VHP National Joint General Secretary Dr Surendra Kumar Jain told mediapersons that around 300 representatives of the VHP in 18 countries were participating in the Baithak.

VHP Working President Alok Kumar and Vice President Jeeveshwar Mishra were present.