More than 200 Hindu outfits based in the United Kingdom on Thursday welcomed the January 22 consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, saying the “historic moment” would mark the culmination of nearly five centuries of “dedicated efforts by countless devotees”.
In a joint statement, the outfits said they hoped households in the UK would celebrate the “homecoming” of Lord Ram to Ayodhya on January 22 like Diwali.
“We, the representatives of the Dharmic (religious) communities in the United Kingdom, are delighted to welcome the inauguration ceremony of the temple of Sri Ram (Ram Mandir) in Ayodhya, India, on 22nd January 2024,” the statement read.
It said Lord Ram is revered as the “embodiment of Dharmic traditions across the globe” and is an enduring symbol of “Hindu/Indic civilization”.
“The consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, the sacred birthplace of Sri Ram, is a historic moment which marks the culmination of nearly five centuries of dedicated efforts by countless devotees,” the organisations said.
“As we approach this auspicious occasion, we hope households in the United Kingdom will celebrate this home-coming of Sri Ram to Ayodhya as a festival of Diwali,” they said, adding, “May this Mandir serve as a luminous beacon of hope, and peaceful co-existence to echo the ideals of ‘Ram Rajya’, amongst the communities across the wider world.”
