This is a precursor to the elaborate list of community events to mark the occasion
Our Bureau
Washington
In anticipation of the grand inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Hindu Americans are planning to light five diyas in their homes next month to celebrate the much-awaited inauguration of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple.
“It’s a dream come true for all of us. Never in our life did we think that we would be able to see this day. That moment has arrived. It’s time to celebrate (the inauguration of) Ram Mandir in Ayodhya,” said an eminent community leader from Chicago, Bharat Barai.
Barai is one of the many invited by the temple authorities to attend the inauguration ceremony on January 22, also emphasized that a large number of Hindu Americans had participated in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.
The American Hindu community has planned a series of events to mark the occasion which includes holding car rallies in various cities, live screening of the grand inauguration ceremony, community gathering, and watch parties.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA) is taking the lead in celebrations in America and has launched a website to facilitate the participation of more than 1,000 temples and individuals in these celebrations.
Amitabh Mittal of the VHPA informed that all registered temples will receive prasad from the actual ceremony in India. “Arrangements have been made for American Hindus to remotely participate in the ceremony and to become a part of this historic event,” he said.
“The enthusiasm among Hindu Americans is unprecedented. A large number of Indian-Americans want to go to Ayodhya to be part of this historic ceremony,” he said.
As per Mittal, plans are being made to set up large screens for the live broadcast of the ceremony.
