Eminent astrologers have said that the bhoomi pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is well-timed. August 5, they say, is auspicious and the environment that day is conducive for all good things in store.
Said Parappanangadi Unnikrishna Panicker, "The function is happening on a very important day, and it will bring with it so many good things. The day falls on chathayam nakshatram, with kumba rashi lasting till August 16, which is a good sign. The day has nine important muhurthams, which is quite rare. Such an extraordinary day has not come into being in recent times. August 5 is the day of punar shrishthi, with the presence of raja yoga, which makes anything that begins on this day a grand success. Most importantly, Lord Brahma will have a very strong presence on earth on this day.”
Panicker said the construction of the temple will be completed in record time. “There is so much that the temple has gone through in the last 500 years. August 5 is a special day for all Hindus, as Ayodhya remains in our hearts,” said Panicker, who was the personal astrologer of the late Tamil Nadu chief minister, J. Jayalalithaa.
ALSO READ: Coronavirus will see its end soon, say astrologers
Astrologer K.K. Vamanan Nampoothiri said he also believes that August 5 is an auspicious day. “In Kerala, where I am based, the specifications are different when compared to north Indian states. I am not aware of the exact specifications as far as the Ram Temple in Ayodhya is concerned. But there is definitely something special about this day,” said Nampoothiri.
Astrologer Kanippayyur Krishnan Namboodiripad said the planetary positions on August 5 is apt to begin the construction of the Ram Temple. “It is also a full moon day, which is favourable. It is the holy Ramayana or karkidaka season, which is again a good sign. In a state like Kerala, it is not advisable to begin anything in August. But that is not how it is in north India. The vedic and tantric rituals there are quite different. I am sure the temple trust would have consulted many astrologers before deciding on the date,” said Namboodiripad.
He said coronavirus cases in the country will not decline from August 5, as some say. “Such a thing will happen only with the shilasthabana of the temple, or the placing of the idol. It is only after a temple comes up in a particular area, that it benefits the people of that area. The temple in Ayodhya is close to the hearts of every Hindu in the country. So, one can expect good things to happen only after the temple is constructed and opened for devotees,” said Namboodiripad.
A BJP MP from Dausa Lok Sabha constituency in Rajasthan, Jaskaur Meena, had earlier said that the solution to the COVID-19 pandemic is the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. “Coronavirus will be destroyed as soon as Ram Temple is built.”
Meena has company. Madhya Pradesh assembly protem speaker Rameshwar Sharma said the destruction of the virus will begin the moment the temple construction starts. "Lord Ram had reincarnated for the welfare of mankind and to kill demons at that time. Now, with the temple being constructed, the destruction of another demon [coronavirus] is all set to begin."
According to Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, Lord Ram's nakshatra is punarvasu and he was born in abhijit muhurtham, said astrologer Chithrabhanu K. Poduval from north Kerala. "The day chosen [August 5] is shatabhisha nakshathra, when the moon is in Aquarius, which is good for groundbreaking ceremony. But, still, I feel it would have been better if the ceremony was carried out, avoiding this month of Aashada [August], and considering a suitable date next month. For the inauguration of the temple, a better muhurtham should be considered looking into all aspects," said Poduval.
The construction of the Ram Temple will help Indians in their overall prosperity and well-being, said Poduval. "The priest of the temple getting affected with COVID-19 is quite normal, and there is nothing inauspicious about it. Regarding COVID-19, it will take its time to go away. There will not be any relief till September end. The foundation of the Ram Temple will help to an extent. But, at the end of the day, it is all about the position of planets, other aspects and effects, which can improve only by a better alignment ahead," said Poduval.
Kochi-based astrologer Vasudeva Unni Panicker said he does not find any connection between the pandemic and the construction of the Ram Temple. “But, in my reading, the day looks very auspicious. Also, the fact that it is on a Wednesday is welcoming, as anything that begins in the middle of the week will ultimately prosper.”
