Seers' meet fixes Feb 21 for beginning Ram temple construction in Ayodhya

A meeting of Hindu seers and religious leaders -- Param Dharma Sansad -- on Wednesday announced they would march to Ayodhya on Basant Panchami day and lay the foundation stone for a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on February 21. Office-bearers of the organisation said the ceremony would be replete with all rituals. The decision was taken on the last day of Param Dharma Sansad at Kumbh. Shankracharya Swami Swaroopanand said that for the Ram temple even if they have to go to jail or face bullets, they will willingly do it. "We will face everything but ensure that Ram temple is built at that very place," the seer said.

He warned that if any of "the three wings of power - executive, legislature and judiciary" tries to prevent them from doing so, the consequences will be grave. "We will perform all the rituals," he said. Saying that the 'Param Dharma Sansad' had given adequate time to the government, after their meeting in Varanasi, for Ram temple construction "but there seemed an endless wait", which was not acceptable to the Hindu community.

Swamy Avimukteshwaranad who conducted the proceedings of the 'Sansad' said that the move by the government to request the Supreme Court to hand over the land acquired outside the 2.22 acre stretch of the disputed land, was unacceptable. Acharya Mahamandaleshwar Swamy Prnavanand of the Nirmohi Akhada said that Shri Ram Janmabhoomi belonged to the Hindus and nobody could take it away from them. Many other seers like Swamy Anand Giri of the Juna Akhada said instructions of Shankracharya would be complied with.