The Shankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalanand Saraswati Maharaj, has clarified that the decision to skip the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is rooted in the deviation from established traditions during the installation of the Ram idol.
"The [four] Shankaracharyas uphold their own dignity. This is not about ego. Are we expected to merely sit outside and applaud when the Prime Minister installs the idol of Ram Lalla? The presence of a 'secular' government does not imply the obliteration of tradition," he remarked.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have claimed that the Shankaracharyas have decided against attending the January 22 event after objecting to the pran pratishtha ceremony at an incomplete temple.
