All four shankaracharyas – pontiffs of major Hindu shrines – have decided not to attend the consecration ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on January 22, reports said.
The heads of the four shrines (peeths)—Joshimath in Uttarakhand, Dwarka in Gujarat, Puri in Odisha and Sringeri in Karnataka—claimed that the inauguration event was being held against the shastras or sacred Hindu scriptures.
In a video posted on X, Joshimath Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said the consecration is being done before the temple construction is completed.
“The scriptures are being undermined by carrying out consecration before the construction of the temple is complete. There is no reason for this rush,” he said.
Avimukteshwaranand further asserted that it is not a good idea to inaugurate an incomplete temple and install the idol of the god.
“The biggest problem is that the pran pratishtha is being done when the temple is still incomplete.”
Earlier this month, Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati had said he would skip the ceremony as he questioned why so many politicians were expected to be there for the inauguration.
“What will I do there? While (Indian Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji inaugurates and touches the idol, will I stand there and clap? I don’t want a position. I already have the biggest one…But what will shankaracharyas do there?” he asked.
The Shankaracharyas of Dwarka and Sringeri also said they would skip the consecration ceremony, though they haven’t cited any particular reason, reported the Scroll.
In a statement, Sringeri Shankaracharya, however, dismissed claims that he was displeased with the consecration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and thousands of seers from across the country have been invited for the ceremony on January 22.