Chouhan urges people to light lamps at home for Ayodhya event

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has appealed to people to light lamps at their homes on Tuesday and Wednesday and recite 'Sunderkand' and 'Hanuman Chalisa' to mark the 'bhoomi pujan' for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Chouhan made the appeal on Monday in a video from a city-based hospital where he has been undergoing treatment for COVID-19 since the last 10 days.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh and is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"I appeal that we all light lamps and light up our houses with decorative electric bulbs on the night of August 4 and August 5 to express our happiness for the construction of the temple (at Ayodhya). Celebrate by staying at home, recite 'Sunderkand' (part of the epic Ramayana) and 'Hanuman Chalisa', Chouhan said in the video.

He said there will be "Ram Rajya" under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the beginning of the Ram temple construction in Ayodhya. He also urged people to stay at home and not gather at the temples.

"Special puja will be performed by priests in temples. But, people should not gather in temples and stay at home, Chouhan said, citing the COVID-19 epidemic. He said a special puja will also be performed at Orchha (in Madhya Pradesh's Niwari district), where the famous Ram Raja temple is located. The temple in Orchha will be decorated.

Special puja will also be performed at temples in Chitrakoot, a holy place associated with Lord Ram, he added. Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V D Sharma has also appealed to the party workers and citizens to celebrate the 'bhoomi pujan' for Ram temple at Ayodhya by staying at home, the party's state media cell in-charge Lokendra Parashar told PTI.

"There is no programme scheduled on behalf of the party but the workers, leaders and people will celebrate this auspicious occasion at their homes, Parashar said. The Babri mosque in Ayodhya was demolished in December 1992 by 'kar sevaks' who claimed an ancient Ram temple had stood on the same site.

In November last year, the Supreme Court paved the way for the construction of Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town.